3 favorable matchups for the Vikings in Week 5 vs. the Lions
By Luke Parrish
Which matchups should the Minnesota Vikings be able to exploit in Week 5 against the Detroit Lions?
After an ugly loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, the Minnesota Vikings need to bounce back in Week 5 against the 0-4 Detroit Lions. Cleveland did not play a great game on the road, but the Vikings still could not find the end zone enough to overcome the 14 points allowed, and now they come stumbling into a matchup with the struggling Lions.
Detroit’s defense has been horrendous so far this season, ranking in the bottom 10 in pretty much every major category. Jared Goff has done a pretty solid job leading their offense and leaning on two good running backs in D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.
The Lions have not won a game, but they are not an easy victory automatically, either. They have the playmakers to keep this game close if the Vikings do not come out with a purpose. Minnesota has to be ready to attack the Lions all afternoon and put them away early before they make the mistake of losing a very winnable game.
That said, there are a ton of areas that favor the Vikings in Week 5. On paper, this should be a big day for the offense but a long day defensively if they cannot stop the run. Which matchups should the Vikings attack this week?