Minnesota Vikings Vs Detroit Lions: 3 Keys To Victory

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions will travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota. This could be the toughest test for the Minnesota Vikings so far this year considering that the Detroit Lions currently have the #1 defense in the NFL, giving up only 282.4 yards per game to opponents. They have the #5 pass defense and the #4 rush defense, so the Minnesota Vikings offense will have their work cut out for them.

In order for the Minnesota Vikings to come away with a win on Sunday, they’ll have to outplay the Lions in several phases of the game. Here are three of the keys to success for the Vikings in that game:

Sep 21, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is sacked by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley (98) during the third quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Handle the vicious Lions pass rush. The Lions can win battles at the line of scrimmage with the best of them in the NFL. They will enter Sunday’s contest with 12 sacks on the year, which ties them for 6th in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings offense struggled badly against the Green Bay Packers pass rush on Thursday, and Detroit has a much stronger defensive line. The Vikings will have to keep a clean pocket for their quarterback and give the passer time to complete passes down the field. This won’t be easy, since the Lions only allow first downs on 31.8% of passing plays, which is 5th best in the NFL.

Sep 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Matt Asiata (44) carries the ball during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Falcons 41-28. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Establish a run game. The Minnesota Vikings have taken advantage of the middle of opposing defenses early this year, but will likely not be able to do that against the combination of Suh and Fairley. Both those players have clogged up running lanes and made picking up yards hard for running backs. When you add in the fact that the Minnesota Vikings have a bowling ball in Matt Asiata and a rookie in Jerick McKinnon as their running backs, and it could be a long night for the boys in purple to try picking up yards on the ground.

Oct 5, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush (21) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Stop the Lions running backs. It’s weird, because normally when you think of Detroit’s offense, you think of their insane passing game. However, with Calvin Johnson‘s status for Sunday’s game in doubt, the motor city kitties could find themselves relying on the run game as well as screens and short passes to their running backs. The Minnesota Vikings have struggled lately when it comes to making tackles and taking good angles, and guys like Reggie Bush and Joique Bell can both be dangerous with the ball in their hands.