(My Sportsbook) - Two NFC North Division ships passing in the night.

Not exactly the way things were the first time the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions hooked up this season. Or, actually, maybe it is. Only now, they're headed in opposite directions than they were leading up to the Week 9 rendezvous in Minnesota - won by the host Vikings, 27-14.

Heading into that game, the Lions were still fearsome, hungry and spry, having won three of their first six games before dropping a looks-better-now-than-it- did-then overtime decision to the front-running Chicago Bears in outing number seven.

Since then, however, the pride has been lost.

Both figuratively and literally.

Detroit enters the Week 13 rematch having dropped three of its subsequent four games, knee-deep in a quarterback controversy that's involved signal-callers Jeff Garcia and Joey Harrington as well as outspoken defensive back Dre' Bly, and prepping for its first outing under interim coach Dick Jauron - who replaced the fired Steve Mariucci earlier this week.

Meanwhile, the Vikings, who were taking on water and seemed destined to founder after an early-season 2-5 stumble that also involved some much- publicized off-the-field shenanigans aboard a party boat, have since righted the ship under embattled coach Mike Tice to the tune of four straight wins and a slot just two games back of the aforementioned Bears in the divisional race.

Minnesota won, 24-12, at home last week against Cleveland, remaining unbeaten under the guidance of veteran quarterback Brad Johnson, who stepped into the captain's role when Daunte Culpepper was lost for the season with a knee injury. Johnson completed 19-of-28 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns against the Browns.

The Lions will reportedly start Garcia this week, following a 27-7 loss to Atlanta in which the ex-49er completed 14 of 24 passes for 154 yards. Harrington was 6-of-13 for 61 yards in starting duty, but was yanked in favor of Garcia in the second half. The loss was the fourth in five games for Detroit, which similarly started 4-2 before winding up 6-10 in 2004.

SERIES HISTORY

The Vikings hold a 57-29-2 lead in the all-time series with the Lions, and have won seven straight over Detroit. Minnesota swept home-and-homes against the Lions in 2002, 2003, and 2004, also downing Detroit by a 27-14 count in Week 9 of the 2005 season. The Lions are 1-11 against the Vikings since 1999, with their only win over that stretch a 27-24 home triumph in 2001. Minnesota was a 28-27 winner at Ford Field last season.

Tice is 7-0 against the Lions as a head coach, including a 3-1 mark in Detroit. New-kid-on-the-block Jauron is 5-5 all-time against Minnesota from his previous days as head coach of the Bears, and is 2-2 head-to-head against Tice.

VIKINGS OFFENSE VS. LIONS DEFENSE

Bold and flashy has been replaced by quiet and conservative under the leadership of Johnson, who began his career in Minnesota before eventually moving on and winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay.

One more TD throw will make the veteran the eighth active player with 150 or more, and 242 more passing yards will get Johnson to 25,000 on his career.

He is 4-0 as a starter this season and 62-41 - a .602 percentage - in his career. Included in the lifetime total are four straight wins as a starter, in various uniforms, against the Lions.

Second-year man Mewelde Moore has rushed for 273 of his team-best 523 yards in four games against NFC North opponents this season. Overall, he averages 4.1 yards per carry and has scored one touchdown.

Tight end Jermaine Wiggins leads the team with 54 receptions, a number which ranks him third at his position in the league. He's registered 482 yards, an 8.9-yard average per catch. Meanwhile, wideout Marcus Robinson had three TD catches in the defeat of Cleveland last week, and leads the team with five.

He's one scoring reception away from 40 on his career and had his career highs in single-game receptions (11) and yards (170) against the Lions in December 1999 while playing with the Bears.

Overall, the offense is averaging 287.8 yards per game.

Detroit defensive end Kalimba Edwards is working on a career-best and team- leading total of seven sacks and is tied for the NFL lead with three fumble recoveries.

And Bly, who leads the 2005 team with five interceptions, has 28 for his career, including five that he's run back for touchdowns.

The Lions surrender an average of 313.9 yards per game and have a turnover ratio of plus-2. The defensive unit has a combined total of 14 interceptions, which is tied for seventh-best in the league.

LIONS OFFENSE VS. VIKINGS DEFENSE

Garcia gets another shot to ride herd on a young but seemingly talented Lions offense that's averaged an anemic 272.5 yards per game. Individually, Garcia has completed 59-of-93 passes for 561 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions and registering a 74.7 passer rating.

He's 300 passing yards away from reaching 19,000 for his NFL career.

On a side note, Harrington is 257 away from reaching 10,000. Just in case.

Second-year running back Kevin Jones has rushed for 689 yards in 10 career games against division opponents, and leads the team in 2005 with 523 yards on 159 carries - a 3.3-yard average - and five touchdowns.

Another second-year player, wideout Scottie Vines, had led or tied for the team lead in receptions in four of the last six games. Vines has 29 catches for 314 yards on the season, one reception off the team-high mark of running back Shawn Bryson, who's hauled in 30 passes for 181 yards.

Roy Williams has 27 catches for 431 yards and five touchdowns, while rookie Mike Williams - the 10th selection in April's draft - is first among first- year players in the conference with his 25 catches and 308 receiving yards.

Finally, veteran tight end Marcus Pollard needs eight receptions to reach 300 for his career. He has 29 grabs for 357 yards thus far in 2005.

Defensive end Lance Johnstone has seven sacks to lead the Minnesota defensive corps, which has surrendered 16 points per game over the last four after giving up 27.6 per outing in the first seven.

Overall, the defense permits an average of 338.2 yards per game and rookie defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, a sixth-round pick, recorded his first two sacks against the Browns last week.

Safety Darren Sharper is tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions and has five in the last three games. His career-best total of 265 interception return yards this season is also a franchise record.

The Vikings have a turnover ratio of plus-1.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Vikings are seemingly on a path that will take them toward late-season contention for a playoff spot, having won four straight and calmed the waters that had threatened to sink their bid for a return to the postseason.

That said, this is a dangerous game. The Lions are wounded and may indeed be coming apart at the seams, but they're nonetheless talented and, if they circle the wagons for a big effort in Jauron's debut, could be a troublesome foe.

Call it trap time in Motown.

My Sportsbook Predicted Outcome: Lions 27, Vikings 17