MINNEAPOLIS — WHO: Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 5 at 12 p.m. CT
WHERE: Ford Field, Detroit, MI.
The 5-6 Minnesota Vikings are back on the road taking on their NFC North rival Detroit Lions, who are still winless this season. The Vikings are coming off a disappointing loss to the 49ers last Sunday and the Lions were defeated by the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving.
The last time the Vikings played the Lions, they needed the leg of Greg Joseph to win as time expired in Week 5. That was an ugly game, in which Minnesota lost a lead they held most of the contest, thanks to a second half offensive slump and a late 4th quarter turnover. Coming into this Sunday's match up, the Vikings are exactly where they were after the win over Detroit, a game below .500.
The loss to the 49ers ended up being more costly than the game's result. Dalvin Cook left the game on a cart after injuring his shoulder and while the injury looked scary in the moment, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Cook is day to day. Oddly enough, Alexander Mattison filled in during Cook's absence for the first time this season against the Lions and did well, with 113 yards on 25 carries. He should see a bigger role this time too.
The Vikings could be without All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson for the fourth time this season. He was placed on the Reserve/COVID List Monday. Peterson played all 70 defensive snaps against San Francisco in his second game back after a hamstring injury. He is fully vaccinated according to Zimmer, so he can return to the team after two negative tests 24 hours apart.
With Minnesota's loss and Washington's win over Seattle Monday night, the Vikings are now on the outside of the playoff picture. Time to stack wins to have a chance at the end.
Here are three keys to the game for Sunday:
Let Kirk Cook. The run game has been inconsistent this season and with Dalvin Cook's status still fluid, why not put the ball in the hands of the guy getting paid to be the franchise QB? Sunday in San Francisco, Kirk Cousins threw his first interception since the last match up against the Lions. He did not play great in the Bay, but we've seen enough of Cousins this season to believe that game was an outlier. He's thrown 23 touchdowns and only three interceptions this season. He's also in the top 7 in NFL passing statistics. By the way, Cousins is 7-0 in his career against the Lions since becoming the Vikings starting quarterback. Good things happen when targeting Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. We saw that in the first half of the game against the 49ers and in the two games prior. The Vikings are 5-0 this season when Jefferson has seven or more receptions and 0-6 when he has less. Let that thing rip, Captain Kirk. He admitted after the win over Green Bay that he doesn't want to be too aggressive with his throws, but he may not have a choice. Especially with the confidence of his head coach.
Get the defense off the field. The Vikings lost the time of possession 37:07 to 22:53 against the 49ers. The defense was also gashed by the run for 208 yards. Both are not recipes for winning football. That unit should be aided by the potential absence of Lions' dynamic running back D'Andre Swift, who scored a touchdown the last time these two teams played. Head coach Dan Campbell said, "He's pretty sore and so, right now, I would say it's hard to say you'd see him playing." The Vikings' defense played strong in back to back games before last Sunday's letdown. The hope is playing a struggling Lions team dealing with all kinds of issues right now, is just what the doctor ordered. Get Jared Goff off the field and get it back to the offense.
Don't let up. The Vikings love playing it close. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but every game with the exception of the one against Seattle, has come down to the last possession. Zimmer said, "They've shown they have a lot of heart and fight. We've basically been in every ball game, could have won several others. So, we'll just play it out and see where it goes." They should turn the Motor City into blowout city. Being aggressive works for the Vikings. How about jumping all over a bad team and allowing the fans to just relax in the second half? A concept.
The Vikings have a chance to do something they haven't done much this season: go on a winning streak. With the next three games coming against teams reeling with Detroit, Pittsburgh and Chicago, it presents an opportunity for Minnesota to handle business and really control its own destiny. Will it happen though? We haven't seen much to suggest it will, but what better time than the present? Time for this team to live up to its potential.
It's going down in Detroit. Kickoff is at noon and I'll be live tweeting (@ReggieWilsonTV) from Ford Field. We'll have all of your game day coverage throughout the evening on KARE and make sure to stay up for Vikings Extra after Sunday Night Football.
