Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Preview
The Detroit Lions are on the road for the first time this season to play the division rival Minnesota Vikings. The Lions are coming off a 36-27 victory over the Washington Commanders while the Vikings are fresh off a Monday Night Football nightmare against the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 24-7. The Lions played the Eagles week 1, and lost 38-35, something to keep in mind this week as they both have played arguably one of the best teams in the NFC East.
Let’s take a look at the key factors for each team that’ll impact this week’s game.
Detroit Lions:
Goff’s ability to hit the open receivers
Last week the Vikings struggled to close gaps when it came to defenders and receivers in their secondary. On occasion the defense was beaten week one versus the Packers and they definitely struggled against the Eagles, as Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts started off 10-10 passing and finished 26-31 with 333 yards and a touchdown through the air. Jared Goff is coming off one of his best performances as a Detroit Lion as he had no turnovers and threw for four touchdowns. His confidence has to be riding high at the moment as the Lions lead the league in points scored in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings:
Justin Jefferson vs Jeff Okudah
Jefferson got off to a huge start against the Packers week one as he looked to be starting his campaign as the best receiver in the NFL. However, struggle isn’t even the word to describe how he played against the Eagles last week. When matched up against Darius Slay, he didn’t have any catches, but overall he hauled in just six catches for 48 yards. He’s looking to bounce back against Jeff Okudah, who is off to an extremely strong start to his season.
Let’s make it clear that this game does not determine the outcome of the rest of Okudah’s season as he is still in his “prove it year.” Jefferson will have a better game than he did against Philly and there’s no way around it. They will look to get not only his confidence back but his numbers up. If Okudah and the Lions secondary can limit him to less than 100 yards and no more than a single touchdown, they could be in good hands.
Detroit Lions:
Consistency
The Lions always get praised for competing in every game they play no matter the opponent. If they’re getting blown out at any point they have a knack for launching a comeback and making things exciting. That cannot happen this week. If they come out strong like they did against the Commanders, they cannot take their foot off the gas. They need to hit them hard throughout the game and impose their will in the trenches. On the road against a division rival that has already beaten the Packers, there’s no room for slip ups. If there’s an opportunity to take the game away they need to take it. Those close losses add up and no matter how hard you compete, finishing the job is an absolute must.
Over the last few years the Lions made a habit of winning games they shouldn’t be winning, only to lose the games that could go either way. It’s time to turn those 50/50 games into wins and I believe the Lions can do just that this week.
Final score prediction: Detroit 32, Minnesota 28
-Robert Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.