After taking down the Atlanta Falcons by 21 points on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings improved their record to 11-2 this season, and they are right in the hunt for the top seed in the NFC behind the Detroit Lions.

With a 12-1 record, the Lions have earned plenty of attention from the national media this year, and rightfully so. But after his team’s dominating victory this weekend, Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. shared with NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero how he wants people to start talking more about the Vikings moving forward.

“Y’all need to start talking about us. We’re tired of the Detroit talk. We’re going to get to that [Week 18] game eventually, but right now, [we’re] just focused on every single Sunday and we’ll see them soon. But right now, talk about the Vikings because we on one right now.”

With the way things have gone so far this season, the Week 18 matchup in Detroit between the Lions and Vikings has the chance to be a huge game with a ton at stake.

Not only could the contest potentially determine the winner of the NFC North, but it could also possibly determine which team will get home-field advantage and a bye in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

Back in Week 7, Detroit snuck out of Minnesota with a two-point win, and one can imagine that every player in the Vikings locker room will be looking to avenge that loss in Week 18, especially since they’ll get to do it inside the Lions’ home stadium.

For now, we can all agree that Murphy is right. Minnesota does deserve a lot more recognition for what they’ve been able to achieve so far this season.

There are times when the Vikings probably like to fly under the radar, but like most people, they also enjoy receiving praise for their accomplishments.

Minnesota just dominated a division leader by 21 points on Sunday, and now they’re tied for the second-best record in the entire NFL. People might have been sleeping on the Vikings before this weekend, but Sunday’s performance should have served as a wake-up call.