Lions at Vikings Game Preview: Don’t Ignore the Restored Roar
Joe Oberle
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It’s Lions Week! Now there is a declaration we have seldom heard in these parts since the Vikings have been toiling in the NFC North/Central Division. We’ve said “Packers Week” and “Bears Week,” but I don’t recall ever thinking about the Detroit Lions in this way. But those days are over, as the 2-1 Motor City Kitties work their way to Minneapolis and U.S. Bank Stadium for a battle to maintain a part of the division lead on Sunday.
There is a reason for this neglect of consideration of the Lions over the decades, of course. The Vikings lead the series between the two teams by 71-38-2, and, truth be told, since the days of Bud Grant, the Vikings faithful have often considered these two annual games with Detroit as a couple speed bumps, at best.
But history has changed, and the Lions have won five of the last eight contests between them and Minnesota, actually sweeping the Vikings last season. The Lions, under the leadership of their recently-minted quarterback (Matthew Stafford) as the highest-paid player in the league, are for real.
Stafford, a former number one overall draft pick (2009) has been earning his pay this season. After three games, he is tied for second in the league in touchdown passes thrown with seven (versus just one interception). And he holds the eighth-best quarterback rating at 100.1. Stafford came within inches last Sunday of throwing what could have been the winning touchdown pass against the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons—and that would have made the Lions 3-0 and the clear leader in the NFC North. The Lions are on a roll, and Stafford has a quite a bit to do about it.
“Honestly, he is doing great,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said of Stafford. “He has improved from the time I got here, much improved. He has an outstanding arm and throws the ball [well]. He is very confident in what they do offensively and has a good feel for that. He is running a lot of no huddle stuff and making communications and checks. Maybe the biggest difference—he’s always been able to throw the ball and he’s probably more accurate now—but the biggest thing that I see is he takes off and extends plays with his legs.”
Stafford has had some help on offense this season with the re-emergence of running back Ameer Abdullah, who is finally healthy and contributing. Abdullah is ranked 15th in rushing yards with 54.3 yards per game, and while those numbers won’t garner him any early-season MVP honors, it has helped to improve the Lions offense—from 30th in 2016 (compiling 81.9 yards per game) to 17th currently—with 97 rushing yards per game.
“It’s always great to get him back; he’s one of those guys who can do different things for us,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said of Abdullah. “He improves us, he helps us, he gives a chance [where] if we get him a couple cracks here and there, he can get out in space and churn up some yards for us. But he also can catch it; he has good hands and he’s a tough match up in terms of one-on-one. It’s great to have him back and great to have Theo [Riddick] back, as well, along with him.”
Abdullah missed 14 games last season and Riddick missed six, so their returns have been a collective shot-in-the-arm to the Lions’ running and passing game. The threat of a run opens things up in the passing game for Stafford and his talented cadre of receivers: Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Jr. and Kenny Golladay.
The Lions defense presents a bit of challenge, as well. They have improved slightly (or stayed virtually the same) in several key categories. The Lions defense has improved in rushing yards allowed per game from 106.3 in 2016 to 86.0 yards now—which makes them jump in their league ranking from 18th to 12th.
In passing yards allowed, the defense has remained about the same (248.4 passing yards allowed in 2016 to 249.3 in 2017). And the team is currently a point-and-a-half better this season in the most important stat: 22.4 points allowed per game in 2016 to 21.0 in 2017. While the improvements aren’t huge, the defense has been playing better, and Zimmer has noticed.
“I think they’re playing well and we’re going to need them to play well this week,” Zimmer said in reference to his own offensive line. “This is a hard-charging [Detroit] defensive front. They come out of their hips and run off the ball. Most of them are aggressive power rushers, so we’re going to have to do a good job with them.”
The Vikings offensive line play will be a big key in the game. As will the play of Case Keenum or Sam Bradford or whoever lines up behind center for Minnesota (Keenum). Keenum had a career day last Sunday against Tampa Bay, and Bradford had one also the first week of the season against New Orleans. More of the same is required against Detroit.
“They have a great defense, starting up front,” Keenum said in his Wednesday meeting with the media. “They’re a solid defensive front and they rotate everybody through, so they are going to stay fresh. They got some new linebackers that are some very good players. And on the back end they are as solid as they come. They are rarely lined up misaligned. I have to see where those guys are at all times. They are great at takeaways—they’ve had a bunch of interceptions this year [second in the league with seven]. We have to make sure we protect the football, be smart with the football and continue to attack.”
If the Vikings quarterback play is a sustainable trend, the team may have put together an offense that helps them battle for supremacy in the North. And that is what is on the line on Sunday. The Packers will already have played the Bears on Thursday night and with a win will remain tied in first place in the division with whomever comes out of the Lions-Vikings game with a victory. It is a relatively new concept to be considering the Lions (who have only three NFC North/Central Division titles since 1970 and only one since 1993), but it is a real one.
With what already looks to be shaping up into a tight horse race in the division, a premium is put on winning the divisional games and an even greater one on divisional home games. The Vikings cannot afford to be swept by anyone in the division like they were by the Lions last season. And this game begins a three-game stretch of divisional games. The Vikings can do themselves a big favor by starting it off with a win on Sunday. Says here, they get it.
Minnesota—27, Detroit–23