Tag: Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

Lions vs. Vikings: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions vs. Vikings: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

It’s Christmas Eve! The stockings are not yet hung by the chimney because there is Detroit Lions football today.

The return to the traditional 1 p.m. kickoff on a Sunday afternoon brings some normalcy back to the schedule. But as I sip the morning pot of coffee, I wonder if normalcy is so desirable? After all, normalcy for the Lions franchise means not winning the division, not capitalizing on the edge of glory. Today’s game can mean so much more than that.

Why I think the Lions will win

  • The depth of playmakers for Jared Goff and his willingness to use any of them on any given passing play. The Vikings like to create chaos with their exotic coverages and pass rush packages, but the perfect counter to that is a patient QB who isn’t locked into any one option. That’s Goff with Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds and — especially in this matchup — Jaymhr Gibbs.
  • I like the matchup of Aidan Hutchinson against a hobbled Brian O’Neill, who is one of the NFL’s better right tackles. Hutchinson’s relentless energy and quick spin moves are trouble for healthy tackles, and O’Neill is questionable with an ankle injury. Vikings QB Nick Mullens under pressure is trouble for Minnesota, which also doesn’t run the ball well (23rd in yards per game, 21st in yards per carry).
  • The Lions restored the roar last weekend, and I think they can apply the lessons from the rout over Denver successfully in Minnesota. That means aggressive, proactive defense and a sharp, speed-based offensive attack that counters pressure. Having a healthy starting offensive line certainly helps in this regard.

What worries me about the Vikings

  • Brian Flores’ defense has given Goff fits over the years. Flores blitzes the most but also drops more players into coverage more often than any other defense. Goff has struggled against defenses that conceal their intentions well, and that’s the default setting for the Vikings. Rookie LB Ivan Pace can be a major problem for Detroit today.
  • They’re playing for their playoff lives, and they know it. Minnesota is a good enough team to parlay that anxious energy and sense of desperation into dangerous football.
  • With Justin Jefferson back, the Vikings have two legit downfield receiving threats. Rookie Jordan Addison is a good one, too. And old friend T.J. Hockenson is gunning for 100 catches (he’s at 91) and 1,000 yards (902) and you know he’ll be motivated against Detroit. The Lions have major issues covering the secondary and tertiary receivers down the field, and that’s exactly how Minnesota is built. Mullens isn’t shy about taking shots, either.

Final score prediction

Earlier in the week, I was pretty confident in the Lions to pull this divisional road win off. But the simple reality of the concept of Detroit winning the division on the road against a team that, in theory, matches up well with them is weighing heavily. The Lions can do it, no question. They probably should do it. But will they do it? I need to see it first. Vikings 26, Lions 24.

Lions vs. Vikings: How to watch, listen or stream the Week 16 matchup

Lions vs. Vikings: How to watch, listen or stream the Week 16 matchup

The NFC North title is there to be had for the Detroit Lions in Week 16. A divisional road trip to Minnesota to face the second-place Vikings highlights Christmas Eve.

Detroit Lions (10-4) at Minnesota Vikings (7-7)

Sunday, December 24th

U.S. Bank Stadium, 1 p.m. ET

Watch

The game will be broadcast on FOX. Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma will have the call.

On the broadcast map below, the markets in red will get the Lions-Vikings game on their local FOX affiliates.

Listen

The game will be broadcast over the Detroit Lions radio affiliate network. Dan Miller handles the play-by-play, with Lomas Brown as the color analyst and T.J. Lang reporting from the sidelines.

The flagship station is 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. The full list of affiliates can be found here.

On Sirius XM, the Lions broadcast feed is available on channel 812.

Stream

The NFL+ app (subscription required) is the league’s own network to view the game via a streaming device.

FUBO TV (subscription required) is another option.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Week 16 vs. Minnesota with Vikings Wire

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Week 16 vs. Minnesota with Vikings Wire

The NFC North crown is on the line in Minnesota when the Detroit Lions visit the Vikings on Sunday. The Lions wrap up their first division title in 30 years with a win, while the Vikings are hoping to stay in the hunt and also bolster their wild card chances.

It’s the first of two meetings in three weeks for the two teams. To help get ready for what we might see in those matchups, I got with Vikings Wire editor Tyler Forness for a few questions.

Lions final injury report vs. Vikings: 2 players out, 1 doubtful

Lions final injury report vs. Vikings: Jerry Jacobs and Brock Wright ruled out for Sunday’s game

The final Week 16 injury report for the Detroit Lions is a relatively short one. Two Lions have been ruled out for Sunday’s game in Minnesota, with another listed as doubtful.

Cornerback Jerry Jacobs (hamstring) and tight end Brock Wright (knee) did not practice all week and will not play on Sunday. In addition, linebacker Derrick Barnes is doubtful with a shoulder injury. No player listed as doubtful under Dan Campbell as head coach has ever played, so Barnes is effectively out as well.

Two players aiming to return from injured reserve will also not be activated this week. Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and fullback Jason Cabinda were ruled out, meaning they will say on I.R. through the weekend.

No other Lions carry any injury designation for Sunday’s game. That includes right tackle Penei Sewell, who was limited in practice early in the week with a shoulder issue. Sewell was a full participant on both Thursday and Friday.

Jahmyr Gibbs has a great matchup as a receiver vs. the Vikings

The Vikings give up an absurdly bad completion rate to running backs, and they haven’t seen anyone like Gibbs as a threat

Lions rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs leads the NFL in yards per carry, gaining an average of 5.7 yards every time he carries the ball. Gibbs has also been impressive as a receiving option.

Gibbs has caught 47 of the 61 passes thrown his way, netting 296 yards and a touchdown. It’s a productive start to the career as a receiver, too. But there’s room for more from Gibbs in the pass-catching department.

Coordinator Ben Johnson noted that while Gibbs’ pass protection has improved of late, he won’t commit to getting Gibbs more involved in the passing game.

“Remains to be seen. It’s week-to-week there,” Johnson said.

This would be a good week to make it happen. Detroit’s Week 16 foe, the Minnesota Vikings, is quite vulnerable to throws to the running back.

The Vikings allow the NFL’s highest opposing completion percentage overall at 69.6 percent. Their inability to stop opposing RBs from catching the ball spikes up that figure. Per SIS, the Vikings have allowed 77 completions on 81 pass attempts to opposing running backs. That’s over 95 percent!

Minnesota hasn’t given up a huge amount of yardage on those receptions; their 5.8 yards per catch allowed is the third-best in the league. However, they haven’t seen anyone like Gibbs in open space as a receiving threat. The Lions rookie’s acceleration, vision and top-end speed make him a lethal weapon.

When bigger, less creative, and less accomplished receivers than Gibbs, like Samaje Perine (7 catches, 60 yards) and Roschon Johnson (5 catches, 40 yards), are finding success against the Vikings out of the backfield, the idea of using Gibbs to attack Minnesota sure looks quite appealing.

David Montgomery, Gibbs’ backfield mate, is a good receiver in his own right and could be quite effective in that capacity in Minnesota, too. But Gibbs’ explosiveness and ability to force missed tackles in space looks like a great way for Johnson and the Lions to attack the tricky Minnesota defense.

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Lions injury report: Penei Sewell is back as a full practice participant

Sewell and Levi Onwuzurike both returned to being full participants after being limited a day earlier

There was a welcome sight at Detroit Lions practice on Thursday. Right tackle Penei Sewell was a full participant in the practice session, a day after he was limited with a shoulder issue.

Sewell and defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike were both fully active after being limited on Wednesday. Onwuzurike was back from a knee malady.

The only player currently active who carried a limited participant status on Thursday is LB Derrick Barnes, who injured his shoulder during the win over the Broncos but did play in that game after suffering the injury.

Both CB Jerry Jacobs and TE Brock Wright remained out for a second straight day. Jacobs is dealing with a hamstring issue while Wright is sidelined with a hip. Center Frank Ragnow took his customary veteran’s day of rest on Thursday, too.

 

Jared Goff and the Lions prepping to face the ‘unique’ Vikings defense

Jared Goff and the Lions prepping to face the ‘unique’ Vikings defense led by coordinator Brian Flores

The Lions and Vikings face each other twice every season as divisional rivals. That breeds a certain familiarity between the teams. However, the addition of Brian Flores as the defensive coordinator in Minnesota has made the Vikings defense radically different than what Lions QB Jared Goff and his mates have seen in past meetings.

Flores is known for his exotic pressure schemes and unconventional defensive sets. He’s been a successful coordinator in New England and created an interesting defense in his time as the head coach in Miami, and now he’s off to a strong start in Minnesota. Flores’ defense ranks seventh in scoring (19.2 ppg) and 13th in yards (316 ypg) and has keyed the team’s survival through offensive injuries to remain firmly in the NFC playoff hunt.

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Goff knows it’s not going to be easy on Sunday in Minnesota. He’s been prepping to understand all the intricacies of what Flores will throw at the Lions offense.

“Yeah, it’s – they try to create turnovers,” Goff told reporters this week. “Obviously, they do a good job of it and it’s a different scheme than really anywhere else in the League and it’s effective. They’ve done a really good job teaching it and learning it and it’s very effective and he does a great job.”

The uniqueness of the schematic attack and approach stands out to Goff.

“You’ve seen bits and pieces of it. I think it’s rare for it all to be in the same defense,” Goff said of the Vikings defense. “You see a lot of defenses try different parts of what they do, but for them to do all of it is impressive. And again, it’s effective and it’s worked for them and it’s certainly a challenge.”

Goff’s words echoed what head coach Dan Campbell said about Flores’ unit earlier,

“It’s a very unique defense. And what they ask those guys to do, man there’s a ton of moving parts. And so, there’s – this is one of those where, for us as a staff, the gameplan is not going to end until probably the morning of, as you continue to watch and then you practice and then you solve problems and there’s going to be, as it goes, there’ll be some stuff we cut out, some stuff we add.”

Lions vs. Vikings will be featured game in early broadcast slot

Lions vs. Vikings will be featured game in early broadcast slot on FOX

Christmas Eve means Detroit Lions football! For fans across Michigan and Lions fans all over the country, there’s a good chance that Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings will be available to watch.

The game is the featured broadcast on FOX across the 1 p.m. ET viewing window. On the map below (courtesy 506 Sports) the Lions-Vikings game will be shown on the local FOX affiliates in the red areas. That includes all markets in Michigan, the Northeast and nearly all of the country west of the Mississippi River.

Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma will be on the broadcast call, a crew that hasn’t called a Lions game this season.

There is only one possible way the Lions don’t win the NFC North title

The NFC North title is all but clinched for the Lions after Week 15, with just one possible set of outcomes that keeps it from happening

The Detroit Lions are poised to win their first-ever NFC North division crown. The outcomes around the division in Week 15 made it almost a certainty.

Well, technically not a mathematical certainty. There is still a pathway to the Lions not capturing the divisional crown. But after Minnesota and Green Bay each lost over the weekend, it feels like quite a longshot that any outcome other than the Lions winning the division will happen.

Detroit’s dominant win over Denver elevated the Lions to 10-4. The Vikings lost to the Bengals earlier on Saturday, dropping them to 7-7. Green Bay was eliminated from the divisional race when Detroit won, but the Packers getting run by the Buccaneers put a capstone on Green Bay’s tomb. The Packers are 6-8. Chicago lost in heartbreaking fashion in Cleveland on Sunday to fall to 5-9.

The Lions and Vikings meet in Week 16 and also in Week 18. For the Vikings to win the division, they need to win all three of their remaining games and also have the Lions lose all three of Detroit’s games. When they’re not facing each other, the Vikings play the Packers in Week 17, and the Lions visit the Cowboys. Detroit is an early road favorite for the Week 16 game in Minnesota.

Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, with the win a 3-0 snoozer over the Raiders in Week 14. The Vikings and Packers are both still very much alive in the NFC wild card race.

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Lions rookie report: Jameson Williams scores on first career catch

Lions rookie report: Jameson Williams scores on first career catch to lead Detroit’s draft class in win over Minnesota

The Detroit Lions are for real, and they owe a big thanks to their rookie class for helping them best the Minnesota Vikings 34-23.

The biggest news of the day came early on, with first-round pick Jameson Williams recording his first career reception.

Williams was activated from the Reserve/Non-football Injury list for last week’s game against Jacksonville, but only took eight snaps on offense. He was targeted once but the pass was short.

Expectations were much higher for Williams going into this game, and he delivered almost immediately.

On the second play of the Lions’ second drive of offense, Jared Goff hit Williams on a 41-yard touchdown. Williams’ speed was on full display, as he even had to slow down and turn around to catch the pass. What was most impressive is that none of the members of Minnesota’s secondary were remotely close to covering him.

The rest of the game wasn’t as spectacular for the rookie. He was targeted once more and dropped the pass. Other than that, his snaps were limited. He did do a good job of drawing away defenders on the Justin Jackson touchdown run, as Minnesota had two defenders ready to defend him instead.

The other rookies of Detroit’s 2022 class also made their fair share of contributions to this big win.

Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston continue to make history as a duo of rookie pass rushers. Each of them recorded a sack in the last two games and are currently the first and second sack leaders of this rookie class.

Rookie safety Kerby Joseph was given the impossible task of covering Justin Jefferson. While he wasn’t lined up directly on him, he did have to cover the deep middle of the field and struggled to prevent Jefferson from making plays. At the same time, he did not have the cornerback help he usually gets there.

Joseph had five total tackles on the day and came through in a big way after recovering a goal-line fumble forced by Isaiah Buggs.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez also had five tackles in this game, one of which went for a loss of yardage. The rookie has been instrumental for Detroit’s run defense this season.

Rookies James Mitchell and Josh Paschal were both active and took snaps, but were not able to make impacts in the same way their fellow first-year players did.

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