Category: Gameday

Lions beat the Buccaneers and pass another road test

The Detroit Lions improved to 5-1 with an impressive road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There were myriad excuses ready to be baked into any Detroit Lions loss in Tampa Bay in Week 6. Between the myriad injuries all over the roster, the 3-1 Buccaneers coming off a bye week, Detroit playing on the road and outdoors, Tampa playing great D all season; there were several valid reasons why the Lions could have lost this game.

No excuses needed. These are not the same Lions who fail to rise to the occasion. Dan Campbell’s team doesn’t care about adversity, or reasons why they could lose.

The Lions went out and dominated the Buccaneers, 20-6, holding the home team without a touchdown. Tampa Bay didn’t get more than two first downs in any drive until their final one, which came up empty on four straight incompletions in the end zone.

Detroit’s offense manufactured its 20 points, none of which were easily earned. Quarterback Jared Goff was very good, completing 30 of his 44 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a career-high 12 of those passes for 124 yards and the most important touchdown of the game.

The Buccaneers smothered Detroit’s rushing offense, which also lost David Montgomery to a rib injury in the first half. The Lions had 19 handoffs, and the runner was hit in the backfield on 11 of them, per the FOX broadcast. It was a game Goff needed to win, and he did just that–with considerable aid from a dominating defense of Detroit’s own.

The Lions are now 5-1 on the season and have won all three games on the road. Tampa Bay falls to 3-2, with losses to the Lions and Eagles both coming at home.

Watch: Craig Reynolds lays a massive block to get Amon-Ra St. Brown a touchdown

Lions RB Craig Reynolds with a highlight-reel block to get Amon-Ra St. Brown a touchdown

Offense was tough to come by in the first half of the Detroit Lions visit to Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers. Someone needed to light a spark and change the dynamic.

Enter Craig Reynolds.

The Lions running back made a phenomenal, effective, high-effort block that sprung wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown for the game’s first touchdown. Reynolds hustled from way out of the play to steamroll two Buccaneers defenders and clear a path up the right sideline for St. Brown to score.

This is grit personified from No. 13:

David Montgomery leaves Lions vs. Buccaneers with a rib injury

Detroit RB David Montgomery leaves Lions vs. Buccaneers with a rib injury

An already thin running back corps for the Detroit Lions took a major hit in the second quarter of Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay. David Montgomery left the game and headed to the locker room with a rib injury.

Montgomery was tackled hard on a nice reception and run, landing directly and awkwardly on the ball. He laid on the turf for a couple of minutes and exited with help from trainers, appearing to be laboring to catch his breath.

He eschewed the cart that came for him, instead walking slowly to the locker room on his own. The Lions initially listed him as questionable to return.

With Jahmyr Gibbs out and Zonovan Knight placed on I.R. on Saturday, the Lions are left with Craig Reynolds and practice squad call-up Devine Ozigbo at RB.

Vikings force three turnovers, survive Bears 19-13

It took forcing three turnovers, but the Vikings survived the Bears for their second win of the season

In a game reminiscent of an ugly Big 10 matchup, the Minnesota Vikings won their first division game of the season by a score of 19-13 over the Chicago Bears.

The game started out inconspicuous with four field goals in the first five drives. That is when the chaos began.

Kirk Cousins threw an interception after his arm got hit to Tremaine Edmonds and Justin Fields returned the favor with Jordan Hicks doing his best Willie Mays impression to get one of his own.

The Vikings had all three time outs and it aided them driving down the field and Cousins found Jordan Addison in the back of the end zone with just seconds left.

The second half was a different story.  The Vikings got the ball to start the half, but went three and out. They exchanged possessions, but a hand injury to Fields knocked him out and the Vikings took advantage right away.

Josh Metellus stripped rookie UDFA quarterback Tyson Bagent and Hicks had his second takeaway of the game with a scoop-and-score. That gave the Vikings a 19-6 lead.

Bagent eventually led a touchdown drive to bring it within six after he sneaked it in from a yard out. He got the ball back after Cousins was charged with one of the worst intentional grounding penalties I’ve ever seen.

The key play was right before the two-minute warning. Bagent was trying to make a play but it turned into a rookie mistake by throwing up a duck that was intercepted by Byron Murphy Jr. and the Vikings ran the clock out.

Up next for the Vikings is the undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.

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Lions inactives vs. Buccaneers loaded with injuries

Lions inactives vs. Buccaneers loaded with injuries and two healthy scratches

The Lions lengthy injury report for Week 6 is reflected in the team’s inactive player list for Sunday’s late afternoon matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Among the Detroit players who will not dress for the game due to injury are DB Brian Branch, OG Jonah Jackson, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and TE James Mitchell. All were not capable of playing due to various injuries.

Detroit has just two healthy scratches for the game. Both are rookie defensive players, DT Brodric Martin and CB Steven Gilmore. Martin has yet to be active for a game in 2023.

Marcus Davenport out versus Chicago Bears with ankle injury

Marcus Davenport has officially been ruled out for the rest of the Minnesota Vikings game against the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury.

Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Marcus Davenport has officially been ruled out versus the Chicago Bears.

Davenport was injured early in the second quarter by friendly fire, as it appeared his ankle was injured by a leg whip from his own teammate. Davenport sustained the injury on a play where he was harassing Justin Fields — who himself has left the game due to a hand injury and will not return.

The injuries are beginning to mount once again for this Vikings team, who suffered a slew of injuries last week, too. With Davenport officially out for the game, we’ll have to see if the Vikings defense can remain aggressive and effective. So far, they’ve done well to confuse the Bears quarterbacks and bring continuous pressure.

Brian Flores and the Vikings defense have been aggressive all season, and today has been no exception. Davenport’s absence will throw a wrench in those plans, but multiple guys on the defensive front have had success today.

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WATCH: Minnesota scoop-and-score stretches the lead for the Vikings

Minnesota Vikings LB Jordan Hicks scoops up a fumble and scores a touchdown to extend the lead to 13

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields left after the last drive with what appears to be a hand injury. In comes rookie undrafted free agent quarterback Tyson Bagent. Brian Flores’ defense is the last thing you want a young quarterback to see and Minnesota showed exactly why.

Flores dialed up a safety blitz from Josh Metellus, who had already been having a fairly good game up to this point. As Bagent navigated the pocket, trying to find a comfortable spot to throw the football, Metellus stripped the football from behind. Metellus tried to also pick it up, but that was reserved for nine-year veteran Jordan Hicks who took the ball 42 yards for the score.

This scoop-and-score stretches the Minnesota lead to 19-6, in a game where points seem to be at a premium.

The Minnesota defense continues to try to close the turnover margin with their second defensive touchdown of the year in a pivotal part of the game.

Stay tuned to Vikings Wire for live game updates.

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Bears’ Justin Fields leaves game with hand injury

Fields left Sunday’s game with a hand injury

The Chicago Bears have taken a massive blow, as quarterback Justin Fields has left the game with a hand injury. Fields was injured in the middle of the third quarter as he scrambled and ultimately took a sack at the hands of Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter.

As Fields was going down, he attempted to flip the ball out of bounds, avoiding the sack, but his knee was down prior to getting the ball out. Fields landed awkwardly on his wrist and was in visible discomfort coming off the field.

Fields has struggled today, as the Vikings’ defense has been creating consistent pressure all game. The Vikings’ defense has done a great job containing Fields, who is coming off two of the best passing performances of his career in the Bears’ previous two games.

With Fields out, the Bears will have to rely on rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent. Bagent came to the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Shepherd University and will now be tasked with facing a sweltering Vikings pass rush and trying to get the Bears back into the game.

The official word is that Justin Fields is questionable to return.

Update: Fields was ruled out shortly after publishing.

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Takeaways and observations from Ravens 24-16 win over Titans in London

We’re looking at the takeaways and observations from the Baltimore #Ravens 24-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in London

Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass, and Justin Tucker kicked six field goals to lead the Ravens to an overseas win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Jackson shined in his international debut, going 21 of 30 passing for 223 yards, and he led the team with 62 yards on the ground.

Baltimore returned to their winning ways and now sits atop the AFC North after a hard-fought 24-16 win over the Titans in London, England.

Tucker was outstanding on the day, going 6-for-6 with the longest just 41 yards.

With preparation for the Lions set to begin, we’re looking at takeaways and observations from the Week 6 victory.

WATCH: Jordan Addison touchdown gives Minnesota the lead going into halftime

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison scores his fourth touchdown on the season with a savvy route

Before the game, the loss of Justin Jefferson was the main talking point. How were the Minnesota Vikings offense going to cope with the loss of one of the most dominant players in the league? They answered that with an attack that got everyone involved including first-round rookie Jordan Addison.

Addison fills in as the primary receiver in the offense with Jefferson out and rewards O’Connell’s faith with a much-needed touchdown before the half.

Addison found space near the back corner of the end zone to finish off an impressive two-minute drill from Kirk Cousins and this Vikings offense.

Cousins ended the drive without an incompletion and that pivotal touchdown. The points become even more important since Minnesota gets the ball first coming out of the half. This momentum will be pivotal in stretching out a lead against this scrappy Chicago Bears defense.

Stay tuned with Vikings Wire for live game updates.

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