The Minnesota Vikings are in jeopardy again, which makes it a perfect time to visit the Detroit Lions.
After last week’s loss, the Minnesota Vikings are back on the playoff bubble.
At 5-6, the Vikings are in a log jam for the final playoff spot in the NFC. If the season ended today, they would be on the outside looking in behind the Washington Football Team. Their defense is tattered. Their offense is having an identity crisis and their head coach is on the hot seat.
What a perfect time to play the Detroit Lions.
Since arriving in Minnesota in 2014, Mike Zimmer has produced a 13-2 record against the Lions. That dominance has taken off in recent years, winning the last eight matchups against Detroit.
With the Lions coming into the game looking for their first win of the season, this feels like a game where the Vikings should smash. But it’s also a team that never seems to make things easy.
Here we’ll make our five bold predictions to see if the Vikings can continue their rule over the Lions.
Nwangwu will have five or more offensive touches
Despite Mike Zimmer’s belief that Dalvin Cook is day-to-day, it’s unlikely he will suit up for Sunday’s matchup. That leaves the tandem of Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu to take control over the backfield.
Mattison has performed well in Cook’s absence this season and had 153 total yards in Week 4’s victory over Detroit. But 48 of those yards came on one play and with a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, he doesn’t have the explosiveness to make defenses keep their eyes in the backfield.
Enter Nwangwu.
The fourth-round pick has dazzled on special teams including his second kickoff return touchdown last week. With a 4.32 second time in the 40-yard dash, some fans have questioned why Nwangwu hasn’t gotten more snaps on offense. That could change in the wake of Cook’s injury.
With Zimmer telling reporters that he’s looking for more ways to get Nwangwu involved, there’s a good chance he’ll be on the field for just more than special teams.
Jefferson will have over 150 yards receiving
One of the most maddening aspects of the Vikings’ victory over the Lions last year was the disappearing act of Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson dominated the Lions’ secondary with seven catches for 124 yards in that game but had just one catch after halftime. With Jefferson out of the picture, the Lions roared back and made the game much closer than it should have been.
But the Vikings are a much different team than they were earlier in the season. With a recent motive to get Jefferson the ball as much as possible, Kirk Cousins has thrown the ball in his direction an average of 10 times over the past three games.
Even if the Lions drop two safeties back in coverage, Jefferson should be able to handle the duo of Amani Oruwariye and Ifeatu Melifonwu.
That should mean a big day for Jefferson and the Vikings offense.
Williams will run for over 125 yards
The Lions have had their own offensive adjustments recently as they’ve looked to take the ball out of Jared Geoff’s hands. With D’Andre Swift likely to miss this game due to a shoulder injury, there’s a good chance the Lions will use Jamaal Williams as the centerpiece of their game plan.
Williams has been a solid if not spectacular back during his career but that’s not why he’ll have a big game. Instead, it’s the struggles of a Vikings rushing defense that allowed 206 yards and 5.3 yards per carry against the 49ers.
The Vikings could get Michael Pierce (elbow) and Dalvin Tomlinson (COVID-19) back for this game but they haven’t made much of a difference. On the season, the Vikings rank third with 134.4 rushing yards allowed per game and lead the league with 4.9 yards allowed per carry.
This creates a similar scenario to what the Vikings had last week. If they get off to a slow start this week, Detroit could try to pound the rock to stage an upset bid.
Minnesota will allow another touchdown in the final two minutes of the first half
This isn’t even a bold prediction but it’s worth mentioning. According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the Vikings have allowed 66 points in the final two minutes of a half, which is the most in the NFL.
At this point, it’s impossible to tell why the Vikings are hellbent on hemorrhaging points before halftime. It could be the offense that sputters at inopportune times. It could also be the brutal clock management that saw the Vikings take all three timeouts into the half in last week’s loss to the 49ers.
But it could also be an undermanned defense that has been asked to be too aggressive in this situation. With Patrick Peterson likely out due to COVID-19, the Lions could be able to move the ball when they choose to be aggressive.
It’s another aspect that could make this game closer than it should be.
Vikings will win another close game against the Lions
This should be a game where the Vikings crush their opponent. But by now, Vikings fans should know that this team does everything it can to make their games much harder than they should be.
The Vikings have not had a game decided by more than one possession since Week 3. In a similar situation against the Lions earlier this year, Minnesota had multiple opportunities to bury the Lions but wound up needing a last-second drive by Cousins to come away with the victory.
Although Dan Campbell’s Lions are 0-10-1, they’ve had multiple opportunities to win games. At some point, they’re bound to break through but it’s unlikely to be Sunday.
Even though they’ll be down several key players, the Vikings just have more talent. With their recent dominance over Detroit, it’s easy to see them racing out to a lead only to have it come down to the final play.
Expect more of the same on Sunday as the Vikings climb back to .500.
Prediction: Vikings win 23-20