If the Lions want to clinch an NFC North title for the first time in over 30 years, they’ll need contributions from some unexpected characters

The Detroit Lions head into Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings not nearly as banged up as they have been earlier in the year, but with a few starters declared “Out” or “Doubtful,” there are some opportunities for players to fill in and make an impact.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson announced on social media a while ago that his target date was December 20th to return, and while he kept his word and was able to practice starting that day, it appears that the Lions want to play it safe and keep him sidelined for another week as he reacclimates. Ifeatu Melifonwu filled in last week and had the performance of a lifetime, so he should be starting again as they wait for CJGJ’s return.

At CB2, the Lions will be missing Jerry Jacobs, and that is where there is a little uncertainty as to who is going to fill in that role. It certainly sounds like defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has a lot of faith in all of his guys. Kindle Vildor, especially, has stepped up recently and performed well. Here is what Glenn had to say about Vildor when speaking to Lions media:

It wouldn’t surprise me if both Dorsey and Vildor got some looks at CB2 against the Vikings.

The Lions could also be shorthanded at linebacker as Derrick Barnes was listed as “Doubtful” for Sunday, which means Jack Campbell should see a lot more snaps, and it should also mean an increased role for Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who has done a great job of filling in recently due to injuries.

Today’s Question of the Day is…

Which Lions player filling in for an injured player will make the biggest impact on Sunday?

My answer: I’ll go the easy route and say Ifeatu Melifonwu, but there is a good case here for just about any of the aforementioned names.

Melifonwu has received praise from coaches throughout his entire career. It’s not his ability that comes into question, he just simply needs to stay healthy and get the reps in. Now that he’s healthy, he’s looking like Detroit’s best safety right now. If he can perform even a fraction of how he did against the Broncos last week, I think the Lions could have a tough situation to figure out once CJGJ is healthy. Do they roll with Kerby, or has Melifonwu made a solid enough case to move ahead of Joseph on the depth chart? It will be interesting to see, but either way, it’s a nice problem to have.

I’m definitely not counting out Campbell or Reeves-Maybin here, though. It seems like Campbell is finally starting to feel more comfortable in his role over the past several games. He has been fantastic stopping the run, and the lapses in coverage are happening less frequently. Reeves-Maybin will likely play in a limited role, but even in a limited role, he has made some huge plays defensively.

I’m more intrigued than anything to see how the CB2 role will be filled. The Vikings have a scary good receiver room, so I am not expecting a shutdown performance on that side of the field, but all it takes is one turnover or one big play to turn the tides.

Let’s hear from you. Drop your thoughts in the comments below.