The Pivotal Matchup in the Vikings v. Lions Showdown in Week 18
The opening game didn’t go particularly well for the Vikings.
Lions WR1 Amon-Ra St. Brown absolutely feasted against Minnesota’s defense. The ferocious receiver got targeted 8 times. The result? Not great, at least not for the Vikings. St. Brown had 8 catches, 112 yards, and 1 touchdown. The 14.0 yards-per-catch average is a decent bit above his season-long 10.9 yards-per-catch average.
The best receiver in the NFC North — and the NFL more broadly — calls Minnesota home. The second best receiver in the NFC North is employed in Michigan. St. Brown is a great competitor and runs tremendous routes. Slowing him down is easier said than done.
Thankfully, Minnesota has a shot at making life difficult due to the emergence of Byron Murphy Jr. The corner has been good for a little while, but the past little bit has involved Murphy elevating his game higher than it has ever gone. Don’t be surprised if Brian Flores looks to put his shifty, versatile corner on Detroit’s shifty, versatile receiver.
The Vikings, The Lions, & The Murphy v. St. Brown Matchup
The Lions have been getting hit hard by injury.
Most notably, the defense is working without several key players. The Aidan Hutchinson injury is old news, but the stud edge rusher has recently been joined by other players. On offense, maybe the main loss in Detroit has been David Montgomery, someone who creates a dynamic one-two punch with sophomore runner Jahmyr Gibbs.
All things considered, Detroit has done a magnificent job of weathering the storm. The 14-2 football team is still the favorite to win the conference despite all of the adversity, in no small part due to the elite coaching that’s being offered by head coach Dan Campbell, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
But, of course, there’s also a ton of credit that needs to be kicked over to the players.
St. Brown was a mid-round receiver — No. 112 overall, which was in the 4th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft — who has been making Detroit look smart for several seasons. Still only 25, St. Brown is sitting on 109 receptions, 1,186 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Again, he’s the second-best receiver in the division (and that’s no disrespect to Jordan Addison).
The challenge ahead of St. Brown is Mr. Murphy, someone who appears to be well-suited for going toe-to-toe with Detroit’s foremost receiving weapon.
Detroit’s top receiver gets moved all over the field. St. Brown has been out wide for 524 snaps, in the slot for 416 snaps, and in the backfield for 14 snaps. Meanwhile, Murphy has been out wide for 595 snaps, in the slot for 298 snaps, in the box for 71 snaps, along the d-line for 15 snaps, and at free safety for 12 snaps. Seems like a great matchup, right?
Consider, too, the size dynamic. If the offense has a large, physical receiver, then it makes sense to let Stephon Gilmore take on the challenge (think D.K. Metcalf in Week 16). Someone who is smaller and quicker seems better for Murphy, who stands at 5’11” and who weighs 190 pounds. St. Brown comes in at 6’1″, 202 pounds.
Quite often, winning football games comes down to getting an edge in a matchup. With St. Brown, the hope is the limit the damage he can do rather than outright nullify him. Detroit’s receiver is at a level where he’s going to make some plays no matter what. The hope is to contain the damage, a task that may end up falling to Byron Murphy Jr.
The Week 18 games takes place on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. CT.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.