5 things to know about the Vikings and Lions for Week 9
By Dustin Baker
Detroit does one statistical item quite well
This will probably sound ruthless, but it is irrefutably true. The Lions do not do anything offensively or defensively all that well or to the extent that the team positively stands out. In nearly every measurable football metric, head coach Matt Patricia’s bunch is either average or not-good.
Except for turnovers, or giveaways to be more specific. The Lions do not turn the ball over to the opposition very often. By the numbers, Detroit surrenders less than one giveaway per game. Their 0.9 giveaways per game are the fifth-fewest in the NFL. This means that Matthew Stafford is not tossing copious amounts of picks, and the Lions halfbacks are not fumbling.
Minnesota, on the other hand, gives the ball to the opposition 1.7 times per contest. That is a lot. Most of these are Kirk Cousins’ interceptions. And, these picks are contributing to the sixth-worst giveaway total in the NFL.