3 favorable matchups for the Vikings in Week 5 vs. the Lions
By Luke Parrish
Minnesota’s WRs vs. Detroit’s CBs
I’ll be honest, the Lions do not have the cornerbacks to stop the Vikings pass game. As long as Cousins trusts his guys to make plays, it should be a busy day on the outside for Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn. That trio has been deadly this season and this could be their best performance yet.
Justin Jefferson is one of only a handful of players with five catches in every game this season while also adding the deep element that we saw a few times against Cleveland. The Lions have allowed 994 yards and seven touchdowns through the air in four games, and that’s despite having a run defense that also allows a ton of yards.
Jeff Okudah is done for the season with a torn Achilles and the depth behind him is not great. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen had relatively quiet days in Week 4 so expect them to be hungry for this one.
The passing game should also be set up nicely thanks to a big day on the ground from the running backs. Detroit does not do a great job of stopping the run, and with how much Cousins enjoys the play-action passing game, that should be a big component on Sunday.