Tag: Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions

Lions final injury report for Week 13 vs. Vikings: Swift out, Sewell questionable

Lions final injury report for Week 13 vs. Vikings: RB D’Andre Swift out, RT Penei Sewell questionable

The Detroit Lions offense could be at a disadvantage on Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings visit Ford Field for the Week 13 matchup. Versatile running back D’Andre Swift is one of four Lions ruled out for the game with injury, and right tackle Penei Sewell is listed as questionable.

Swift was expected to be out after injuring his shoulder in the Week 12 loss to the Bears. He will be joined on the sidelines by starting OLB Trey Flowers (knee), starting MLB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder) and reserve DB Bobby Price (shoulder).

Sewell missed one practice this week with an undisclosed illness, as did WR KhaDarel Hodge. Sewell is listed as questionable for the game after being limited in the other two practice sessions, while Hodge carries no designation.

Reserve tackle Matt Nelson, who would project to start if Sewell can’t play, is also questionable as he returns from an ankle injury. Will Holden is the only other tackle on the roster aside from starting LT Taylor Decker, though the Lions do have veterans Dan Skipper and Parker Ehinger on the practice squad. Ehinger was active for last week’s game.

Veteran DE Michael Brockers is also questionable with a knee injury that left him limited all week. On a more positive note, starting RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai has cleared the NFL concussion protocols and will start against Minnesota.

 

Detroit Lions Podcast: What does it take to win?

The Detroit Lions Podcast asks, and answers, what does it take for the team to win?

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast featuring Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon as co-host is now available.

So here we are, 12 weeks into the 2021 NFL season, and the Detroit Lions have yet to notch a win. They’ve been close against teams that they shouldn’t even have been in games with. They’ve let games slip away against teams they should have beaten. In the last three games, no team has scored more than 16 points on them, and they’ve been outscored by only 5 points total. It feels like the Lions are close, but it remains possible that they just run out of time.

Detroit Lions Podcast Talks Wins

The Lions are facing NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday. In their last meeting as US Bank Stadium, the Lions were defeated with a last second field goal (a familiar story in the 2021 NFL season). Is Minnesota a team that the Lions can beat at home? Are there any teams remaining on the schedule that the Lions can find a win against? Where are the players right now?

The show is available on all your favorite podcast providers. You can stream the episode here, or also watch on YouTube.

Vegas watch: Lions are big underdogs at home vs. Vikings

The Vikings are favored to win but the line has come down from the opening level

The professional bookmakers expect the Detroit Lions to remain the only winless team in the NFL in Week 13. Detroit is a significant underdog for Sunday’s home date with the Minnesota Vikings.

The current line at Tipico Sportsbook sees the Vikings favored by 6.5 points in Detroit. That’s down from the opening line of 7.5 points, a drop that could be attributable to the loss of starting RB Dalvin Cook to injury and the potential absence of CB Patrick Peterson due to COVID-19.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET

  • Money line: Vikings -320 (bet $320 to win $100) | Lions +250 (bet $100 to win $250)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Vikings -6.5 (-120) | Lions +6.5 (+100)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 47.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Betting on the Lions to win has been profitable even if it doesn’t translate to the win column that really matters. The Lions are 7-4 against the spread in 2021.

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When will the Lions win? Breaking down the remaining schedule

Breaking down the remaining Detroit Lions schedule and the chances for victory against each opponent

There are just six games left for the Detroit Lions to avoid the ignominy of another winless season. Now 0-10-1 after losing a winnable game against the visiting Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, it’s getting very late in the year to try and break the seal on the win column.

It’s not going to be easy. The Lions will not be favored in any of their remaining six matchups. The teams on the schedule have a combined record of 37-29 and all but one are within a game of a postseason berth.

Here is how the Lions schedule looks for the rest of the season and their chances of winning each game.

Lions vs Vikings: Studs and Duds for Week 5

The Detroit Lions suffered another heartbreaking loss this time to the Minnesota Vikings, but amongst the duds, there were some studs today.

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In a game where most thought the Detroit Lions would have no business being in, they made it a game till the very end. After going up late in the game, the victory was snatched away by another long field goal to seal the 19-17 victory for the Minnesota Vikings.

Like the first time against the Ravens, this is just as equally heartbreaking. The Lions’ defense kept the Vikings mostly at bay throughout the game, giving them a shot to steal it from their division opponent. Unfortunately, due to miscues, costly turnovers, and yet again questionable play-calling, the Lions are walking away with their fifth straight loss of the season.

It is hard not to feel for a team you are leaving it all on the field, especially the way they were able to come back right up until the end in an all-familiar fashion. It would be wrong not to highlight the few studs this week but also putting salt in the wound for the dud section.

3 ways the Lions can defeat the Vikings in Week 5

Here’s how the Lions can stun the world and earn the first victory of the Dan Campbell coaching era.

It’s not going to be easy for the Detroit Lions to pull out their first victory of the 2021 season in Week 5. The 0-4 Lions are on the road in Minnesota to face a Vikings team they haven’t beaten since Jim Caldwell was patrolling the sidelines in Detroit.

But all hope is not gone. Even with an injury-ravaged roster, the Lions do have the ability to pull off the upset win over the 1-3 Vikings. Sure, the Vikings are favored by almost 10 points and their losses are all versus good teams that are at least 3-1 on the season. It can be done.

Here’s how they can stun the world and earn the first victory of the Dan Campbell coaching era.

Detroit Lions 3 Stars of the game: Marvin Jones continues dominance over Vikings

The Detroit Lions lose to the Minnestoa Vikings to end the season, but this weeks 3 stars did the best they could to end the season better

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It was a fitting end to what would ultimately be one of the worst seasons in recent memory for the Detroit Lions, dropping their season-ender to the Minnesota Vikings 37-35.

The Lions’ offense looked in peak form with Matthew Stafford at the helm.  He dropped dimes all over the field and the rushing attack mustered up 129 yards. However, the defense continued to struggle with tackling and gave up several chunk plays that led to points.

Even though the Vikings defense faced similar struggles, their offense overcame those issues, totaling 508 yards of total offense and doing enough to squeak out the victory.

Even though the Lions couldn’t end their season on a better note, some stellar performances this week deserve some recognition. Here are Lions Wire’s 3 stars of Week 17:

1st Star: Marvin Jones, Jr.

No one knows exactly why Marvin Jones seems to find major success against the Vikings, but he flexed his dominance once again this week. Jones hauled in eight catches on 11 targets for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He shouldn’t have a third one, but the refs made another controversial call determining he did not fully control the ball when going to the ground.

Jones also made Lions history hauling in 36 touchdowns in his Detroit career, good for third-most in team history. He has been a wonderful acquisition to the Lions when they needed him the most. Now a free agent, it will be hard to tell if the new regime will want to bring in back or not. Either way, he has been amazing to watch, and we at Lions Wire hope the best for him and his family.

2nd Star: Matthew Stafford

There is no way around it; Stafford is the heart and soul of this team. It would take an act of God to keep him from play football, and even then, that may not stop him. Lingering around with a thumb, rib, and ankle injuries, Stafford slung the ball for 295 yards and three touchdowns — and probably should have had more if not for ill-timed drops and head-scratching ref calls.

He did have a bad interception when he eyed Marvin Jones too long, but other than that, he was the vintage quarterback we have come to love.

With the season closing and a regime overhaul headed to Allen Park, Stafford’s status with the team has come up on numerous occasions with talks of a full rebuild.

No one can doubt this man’s heart for this city, and he will always take care of his team and community. It is hard to say what the new regime will do with the veteran quarterback, but Stafford has earned the right to have a say in Detroit’s future.

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3rd Star: Kevin Strong Jr.

With numerous injuries along the defensive line, Strong found his way back on the Lions roster after he was cut earlier in the season. Strong ended the season with enough good game film to warrant a look from the new coaching staff. In Week 17, he tallied three total tackles (two solo) with two quarterback hits and his first career sack.

Strong is a fringe player, but with a position group struggling to find healthy bodies, he showed why he belongs on the football field. It’s too early to tell if he will find his way back on the team next year with the several changes on the horizon, but he is proven to a rotational depth piece, and every team needs those players.

Star standings after Week 17:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 100 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Jack Fox: 80 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 100 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Romeo Okwara: 50 points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Jamal Agnew: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points
  • Kevin Strong Jr.: 10 points

It has been a tough season for everyone involved. With new ownership taking the search for a new GM and head coach very seriously, we will likely see significant changes on the horizon and create a culture that is best suited for the Motor City.

Stay tuned to Lions Wire for a full season recap of the 2020 Detroit Lions 3 Stars.

Detroit Lions pivotal play of Week 17: Baffling penalty negates 4th down stop

The Detroit Lions drop their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings, but with another controversial call to pour salt into the wound

That’s all, folks.

The Detroit Lions drop their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings 37-35, ending their season as the bottom team in the NFC North for the third straight season. They finish with a 5-11 record.

The Lions offense looked sharp with several deep throws and a complementary running game helping manage to keep this team within striking distance. Unfortunately, the defense had zero answers for the Vikings’ offense, allowing several chunk plays and showing an embarrassingly level of sloppy tackling.

They would end up on the wrong side of history, allowing a franchise record in yards and points allowed in a single-season.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins hung up 405 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping Justin Jefferson break the single-season rookie receiving record. Even though the Vikings were missing Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison churned out 145 total yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

The Lions’ defense rarely mustered up the strength to get off the field. However, the Lions did make one critical stop on 4th down in the red zone — until something all too familiar reared its ugly head once again.

The Setup

Late in the third quarter, the Vikings were up 31-29 and looking to respond after the Lions scored on their previous drive.

Starting at their own 25, the Vikings were able to dink and dunk with various runs and passes all the way down to Detroit’s six-yard line, setting up 1st-and-goal.

The first play was a Matt Boone four-yard run setting the Vikings up comfortably at the two-yard line. The Vikings feed Boone again on 2nd down, but he could only muster up one yard, after a stop by Christian Jones.

Boone ran it again on 3rd down, and Reggie Ragland and Kevin Strong forced the Vikings into a fourth-down situation.

The Vikings decided to trust their offense and see if they could put the game away.

The Lions got exactly what they were hoping for when Tracy Walker sacked Kirk Cousins, giving the ball to the offense in hopes of taking the lead in this high scoring affair.

But wait…

Walker gets flagged for one of the weakest roughing the passer calls you’ll ever see. After the game, interim coach Darrell Bevell said the referee explained that they believed Walker landed with his full body weight — but that is one major stretch.

Here are some reactions to this hogwash call:

The Vikings would score two plays later, going up 37-29, and looked to have this one wrapped up.

But wait, it gets worse.

On the Lions next drive, Matthew Stafford connected with Marvin Jones on what would’ve been his third touchdown catch of the day, but somehow the catch was overturned and ruled incomplete — even though there was no indisputable evidence.

The Lions did go on to score on the drive, but they ate up precious time to do it.

Now it is hard to say what the refs saw on those two calls, but that sequence of events had the potential of being a momentum shift that favored the Lions.

Even though this game was meaningless in every sense of the word, it was hard to watch the Lions on the wrong side of critical calls once again by the refs. The baffling calls that come with this team make you wonder sometimes.

The Lions will pick somewhere between 5-7 depending on the late games turn out in the draft with the loss. With a new regime walking in, we are not sure how this team will look next season, but strap in folks because when one season, another begins, and it will surely be a busy one for the Lions organization who has a ton of work in front of them.

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Experts ride high with the Vikings over the Lions in season finale

The Detroit Lions conclude their 2020 season against the Minnesota Vikings, where experts think the Lions will end their season with a loss

The 2020 season comes to an end with a division battle between the 5-10 Detroit Lions and the 6-9 Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Week 17.

The Lions are coming away from one of the most embarrassing games in recent history, getting manhandled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 47-7. Walking into the game with a patchwork coaching staff, Stafford was injured on the first drive, and it was quickly clear, we all knew it was going to be a rough game.

The Vikings also suffered a rough defeat that they would like to forget, losing 52-33 to the New Orleans Saints. Alvin Karama delivered on Christmas day, gifting the Vikings defense six solo touchdowns, tying the NFL record. The Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

The last time these teams met, in Week 9, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook punctured the Lions run defense for 206 yards and two touchdowns along with 46 receiving and they comfortably walked away with a 34-20 win. Matthew Stafford — who missed practice all week due to a COVID-19 close contact situation — threw two interceptions, targeting T.J. Hockenson on each of them, and Chase Daniel added another pick for good measure late in the game.

Stafford has suffered from a slew of injuries this season, and his status was up in the air for the season finale, but he looks to suiting up for the final game. The Vikings will be without star running Dalvin Cook after his father passed away this past week (condolences for the family), along with several defensive players, including starters CB Cameron Dantzler and LB Eric Kendricks.

Despite the Lions’ coaching staff back and Stafford expected to play, experts are still not convinced the Lions could steal this from the Vikings. According to NFL Pickwatch, 95% of experts are siding with the Vikings.

The type of season the Lions have had, it would be Lion-esque for them to win a meaningless game and land outside the top 10 in the draft, but it is hard to see the Lions pulling off the win when they have nothing to play for and the Vikings trying to end the season on a positive note for their retained coaching staff.

With the season coming to a close and a new regime on the horizon, the Lions’ future is in limbo. We are unaware of how much a rebuild the team will go through, leaving the future of most of the players in doubt. The Lions are doing a more thorough search this time around, giving some hope, but we’re likely still a long way from seeing results.

Detroit Lions pivotal play of the game: Consecutive picks for Matthew Stafford

The Detroit Lions lose against the Minnesota Vikings, and this weeks pivotal play explains the issues that led to this embarrassing loss

From start to finish, the Detroit Lions were manhandled by the Minnesota Vikings. They have now dropped their second straight loss — fifth overall–  and basically burying any playoff dreams.

They now sit last in the division. Again.

Outside of two terrific blocked punts, the Lions looked way in over their heads this week. The Vikings drove up and down the field with ease and the Lions put up little effort to stop them. The defense looked like roadkill on the side of the road after Dalvin Cook ran over them for 206 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 46 receiving yards.

The offense was able to sustain some drives, but due to poor play calling like Peterson’s stretch run at the goal line, to ill-timed drops, they constantly negated any momentum the Lions might’ve had to get them in this game.

Although, the biggest drive killers are turnovers, leading us to this game’s turning points.

In the 3rd quarter, the Vikings increased their lead to a 27-10 score. On the ensuing Lions drive, they were able to get into the red zone and it looked like they were on the verge of closing the gap and staying in this contest. Stafford was staring down T.J. Hockenson but failed to see Viking linebacker Eric Wilson drop into the middle of the route and nab his third interception of the season — killing that drive.

The Lions were able to force a 3-and-out on the Vikings next drive and nab their second punt block in as many weeks giving the Lions some hope. They were right at the doorstep again, but the dagger fell when Stafford threw another interception, targeting Hockenson in the endzone.

The Lions squandered 14 points that would’ve put them right back in this game with those turnovers. It is hard to tell if that would’ve made the difference considering the poor play of the defense and Stafford need ng to leave the game for a concussion evaluation, but you never know what could’ve happened on any given Sunday.

The improved defensive play the Lions managed after the bye week seems like a distant memory at this point. They have looked completely lost in the last two games, and you have to start to wonder if some changes are needed to be made at this point.

The Lions will head back home next week to face the Washington Football team, and while this could be a winnable game, don’t start counting your eggs before they are in the basket.

There are too many questions surrounding this team, and unfortunately, fans aren’t getting any answers that should give them hope for this team’s future.