Minnesota Vikings vs Lions in Week 9: The Detroit perspective

1) The Lions are in the cellar of the NFC North. With a new coach and a talented roster, why is Detroit struggling so much to get wins this season?

Detroit has struggled to stop the run defensively all season, which has been their Achilles heel. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week Eight, they struggled to stop the pass as well.

Offensively, the Lions’ own passing game hasn’t looked as clean as it has been in the past. Part of the reason is an offensive line that has been a bit of a rollercoaster this season. But the addition of a rushing attack has made them more balanced.

After the disaster that was their Week One loss to the New York Jets, Detroit has been in every single game. But they have also been their own worst enemy as mental mistakes and turnovers have really hurt them. The Lions are a team still struggling to find their identity under new head coach Matt Patricia.

2) The Vikings look a little different after adding Kirk Cousins, Sheldon Richardson, George Iloka and others to the team. What is the overall impression of Minnesota this season?

With so many new faces in key positions, specifically Cousins under center, I expected the Vikings to struggle to match last year’s success. Still, they are a massively talented group who are starting to flex their muscles.

Although I believe there has to be some concern that their schedule through the first half of the season has been very favorable with three of their four wins coming against the 2-6 Arizona Cardinals, 3-5 New York Jets, and the 1-7 San Francisco 49ers.