Vikings Keys: Pounce On Ailing Lions
Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The undefeated Minnesota Vikings are facing a prove-it game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Not only is the reputation of the upstart Vikings at stake, but a loss at home will lose them the inside track on the NFC North divisional race. The Vikes got a lucky break, both for Sunday and the long-term, when Aiden Hutchinson went out with a likely season-ending leg injury this week.
Suddenly, the Lions lost their DPOY edge rusher, who leads the league with 7.5 sacks. With Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill at the tackles, Minnesota is as well-equipped as anyone to handle Hutchinson, but he’s still managed to get his against the Vikings. In four career games, the star DE has 3.0 sacks and 12 QB hits, with 2.0 sacks and nine hits coming last season.
Sam Darnold gets to rest a little bit easier, but Dan Campbell’s Lions are always a tough out. Since Campbell took over, Detroit is 4-2 against the Vikings, and their two losses came by a combined six points.
So what does Minnesota have to do to come out on top Sunday?
Exploit the Aiden Hutchinson-Sized Hole
Despite having arguably the most feared pass-rusher in the NFL, the Lions are tied for 14th in the NFL with 15 sacks for the season. That gives the rest of the team 7.5 sacks on the season, which would place them 30th in the NFL. Losing Hutchinson’s 17 QB hits is also a big blow for a team whose next-best player has just five (Levi Onwuzurike).
The Lions figure to still throw the blitz at Darnold, but there’s no doubt that they’re short-handed right now. That should mean extra time in the pocket for Darnold and find Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and more.
Make Detroit One-Dimensional
Sunday’s matchup will pit Detroit’s No. 3-ranked run offense by PFF’s grades against the Vikings’ No. 2-ranked run defense. David Montgomery (351 rushing yards) and Jahmyr Gibbs (348) are as dangerous a 1-2 punch in the league as there exists at running back, and will be a major test for Minnesota’s front-seven.
Unless, of course, Minnesota jumps to an early lead and takes the ball out of their hands. Jared Goff is a good quarterback, but so was Aaron Rodgers last week, and Jordan Love the week before. The more they have to throw, the more Brian Flores can throw weird looks at them to confuse them, exposing them to more mistakes. Eventually, both Rodgers and Love made their mistakes to thwart their own comeback chances.
Use Darnold As A Game-Manager
Darnold has gotten up to some of his old tricks in Weeks 4 and 5. The Green Bay Packers were able to pick off an interception in the red zone, then recover a Darnold fumble in Week 1 for a swing of at least 10 points. Against the New York Jets, Darnold coughed up another fumble that was bailed out by Andrew Van Ginkel’s pick-six and handed the Jets a fourth-quarter touchdown drive with another interception.
Darnold didn’t need to carry the team in Weeks 1 through 3, averaging just 219 yards per game in those contests. More crucially, he turned over the ball just twice. There’s no denying Darnold has an arm to stretch the field, and he’ll need to do that at times. But Kevin O’Connell needs to be selective with these moments and emphasize game management if he and his quarterback are going to beat the high-powered Lions on Sunday.
Up Next