(Photo: Clutchpoints)
NFC Game Of The Week
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Lions: The dominance they had on display in Arlington, Texas in week six made my heart warm. I knew they’d be angry considering how their game against the Dallas Cowboys ended back in December with that controversy at the end. If you want to see a football play from the first whistle until the last, look no further than what you saw on Sunday. I loved every second of it. On the offensive side of the ball, they were perfectly balanced. Jared Goff threw the football a total of 25 times which isn’t a bad number of attempts for him and they ran the football which is the bread and butter of this scheme. They want to pound the rock and punch you in the mouth. On the defensive side, they were locked in collectively as a unit and most importantly, they challenged the Cowboys physicality. In other words, anything the Lions wanted, they did it and got it. Everything went right for them and they were in such control of this football game that they had Offensive Linemen lining up as Wide Receivers. I’ll say this and I don’t think I’ve seen many others speak on this. The Detroit Lions are the most complete team in the NFC. They have the best Offensive Line in the league, they can move the football down the field either with the passing game or ground attack along with a nice group of weapons across the board. Defensively, they will impose their will and attack. Down the stretch, this is going to be a tough team to beat, especially when everything is clicking for them. On Sunday, they will do battle with a divisional rival.
Vikings: Who said winning football games had to be pretty? Prior to their bye week, they were in London taking on the New York Jets and a familiar face in Aaron Rodgers. In no way, shape or form were they dominant as they’ve been throughout the season, but they were the better team when they had to be and that’s all that’s important at the end of the day along with getting the win. Everybody at this point of the season expected the Kansas City Chiefs to be off to a strong start, but I don’t think many of you can say the same about the Minnesota Vikings. Last week, I mentioned that if the season were to end in this very moment, Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders would be my Coach of the Year. I can’t forget about Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota and what he’s done with this franchise has been stellar. They lose their rookie Quarterback for the season to a torn meniscus and they’re still staying afloat. The NFC North this year has been the best division in the league. These Vikings have been in control atop the division, the Lions are still floating around, the Packers are playing some good football and the Chicago Bears continue to gradually climb the ladder. It’s a good time to be a fan of any of these teams in the division and each team also has a winning record up to this point. On Sunday, the Vikings return back to the field off their bye week for a huge showdown with the Lions.
Lions X-Factor: Sam LaPorta– This is another one of the weapons for this Lions offense. Sam is a big guy that will catch anything thrown in his direction and he’s not afraid to lower the shoulder and embrace physicality. That’s what I’ve liked about his game since he came into the league. Even when you lay a hit on him, he gets right back up as if nothing happened. One thing about Sam is he’s very athletic which people won’t realize until you watch him play. He’s shifty in space, makes people miss and with the ball in his hands, he has good speed.
Vikings X-Factor: Pat Jones II– This Minnesota defense has had many playmakers from the Defensive Line to the secondary. Pat is one of those guys. Throughout his career, he’s been a reserve, but when he’s had the opportunity, he’s always delivered. One thing about Brian Flores is he will apply pressure with whoever and send it whenever the light turns green. He’s electric and always finds his way to the Quarterback. I like the extra pursuit Pat plays with. He’s a motor guy and every defense in the NFL has one.
Final Thoughts: The NFC North has been exciting this year and as I mentioned up top, each team in the division has a winning record. This is the Vikings biggest game in recent memory as they’re looking to stay atop the division, while the Lions are looking to show last year wasn’t a fluke. The key matchup in this game will be Ben Johnson, the Lions Offensive Coordinator against Brian Flores, the Vikings Defensive Coordinator. How will each unit attack the other? The Lions are relentless and explosive, plus, the run-oriented attack leads to big-time passing plays. I see Minnesota being able to handle the run which will put them in a good position to rush Goff. The key for the Vikings will be to keep Sam Darnold clean. Aaron Glenn is an aggressive Defensive Coordinator and you never know what he’s going to bring or who he’s going to send. Minnesota will win and pull ahead more if they keep Sam Darnold clean in the pocket. The absence of Aidan Hutchinson will loom large and it will take a collective unit on this Lions defense to replace him. Even without Hutch, this will be one of the better defenses the Vikings will see this year. I like Detroit in a close game on Sunday.
Prediction: Lions 27, Vikings 24
