J.J. McCarthy's return against the Lions looks troubling with the run game losing a crucial contributor in Josh Oliver.

The quarterback courasel is making one more go around as they have now gotten a healthy J.J. McCarthy on their hands.

Lions: CBs Kerby Joseph (knee), Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and Avonte Maddox (hamstring) missed the previous game. Arnold and Maddox may return to play this week. OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) returned against the Bucs after missing two games, but is dealing with a nagging injury.

We’re roughly halfway through the NFL’s regular season schedule. Next up, is NFL Week 9, where there are 14 football

With that prior up-and-down play in mind, it'd be hard to ignore the possibility of the Vikings shielding McCarthy, particularly over these last few weeks when Wentz was injured. With him now on IR, however, McCarthy has to come out of the shadows and either prove that he is the franchise centerpiece or not.

The Detroit Lions are rested coming off a bye week, relatively healthy and ready to roll for a 10-game stretch to improve their positioning in the NFC.

J.J. McCarthy was a full participant in Wednesday's Vikings practice for the first time since he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2. He's fully set to return to action in Week 9 vs. the Lions.

Lamar Jackson and J.J. McCarthy are set to take the field for the first time in several weeks in Week 9, possibly providing a boost to their respective teams. But if they're anything like Tom Brady, don't expect them to light the world up in their first few drives back on the field.