Questions Answered: Lions Good or Not, DET-MIN Prediction, Evans on IR
Dustin Baker
|
Questions Answered: Lions Good or Not, DET-MIN Prediction, Evans on IR
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the December 8th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1202111″ player=”26281″ title=”The%20Vikings%20Are%20102.%20Let's%20Talk%20about%20It.” duration=”1502″ description=”Josh Frey and Dustin Baker discuss the Jets and Lions, from a Vikings perspective.” uploaddate=”2022-12-07″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/snapshot/1202111_th_1670437861.jpg” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/sd/1202111.mp4″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Q: Are the Lions actually a good team now? What’s the deal? They’re favored over the Vikings.
A: Yes, they are — since the start of November.
Detroit has been the NFL’s third-best team since the start of November, recording a 4-1 record amid the last five games. Strangely, the team traded T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings and became a winner thereafter. Whoodathunkit?
Chiefly, the Lions defense improved, ranking sixth-best in the NFL per defensive DVOA since Week 9. You’ll be disappointed or shocked if you’re expecting the Lions to play like “the Lions” on Sunday. The Lions are a decent football team.
Q: What is your official Lions-Vikings prediction?
A: Our VikingsTerritory and PurplePTSD staff predict a Vikings win by a score of 30-28.
A few of us have reservations about this game and hence picked the Lions. But most of the group is taking the Vikings, evidently convinced the close-game mojo will continue.
And we’ll reiterate — it would sure be nice for the Vikings to blow the doors of an opponent, as it seemed likely in the 2nd Quarter versus the New York Jets. Of course, though, that was too good to be true, and New York made the game a suspense thriller. Such is life.
Our writers still like the Vikings despite the upside-down point spread favoring Detroit.
Q: I’ve never heard of a player going on IR with a concussion. Is this worrisome news for Akayleb Evans?
A: Welcome to the new NFL.
After the Tua Tagovailoa situation near the start of the season, teams won’t mess around with concussions. And rightfully so.
Evans will miss at least four games after suffering back-to-back concussions. Thankfully for his sake, he should have the best of both worlds — healing his brain while probably returning for the postseason.
Cameron Dantzler is trending to return this week, too.
UPDATE: Mike Zimmer Reports May Be False
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).