The Lions have given up the second fewest quarterback hits
Brickwallblitz
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Entering tomorrow’s NFC North showdown, the Lions and Vikings are both playing to get one step closer to first place in the division, currently owned by the Bears. Detroit is at 3-4 while Minnesota is at 4-3-1.
One noticeable improvement on the Lions offense has been the offensive line. In previous seasons it was a significant problem for the offense, but now it’s become a strength. The combination of Taylor Decker, rookie Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow, T.J. Lang and Ricky Wagner has been stellar this season, and the team has only allowed 13 sacks, tied for 7th fewest in the league.
In addition, Detroit has only allowed Matthew Stafford to get 24 times at midseason, the second fewest behind the Saints. That’s concerning for a Vikings defense that has mostly underperformed this season. The defensive line features plenty of talent in Danielle Hunter, Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Stephen Weatherly, and returning leader Everson Griffen, but at some point this defense needs to click in a bad way.
Griffen’s return and home field advantage should provide enough aid in theory to the Vikings, but it’s on the offensive line to protect Kirk Cousins, as opponents have been racking up the pressures against them (they’ve currently given up 59 quarterback hits, tied with the Giants for fifth most).
Either way, there’s a lot at stake as one team will move forward in the NFC North race while the other will be left just a little further in the dust.