The Minnesota Vikings put their undefeated streak on the line Sunday against the Detroit Lions. It’s a very important game for both teams. This game determines whether these two teams tie for first place so far or if the Vikings can take a commanding lead in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings go into this game as 2.5-point favorites over the Detroit Lions courtesy of BetMGM sportsbook.
This NFC North division has proven to be one of the league’s toughest and most competitive divisions so far. This is probably Sam Darnold and the Viking’s biggest test of the season yet. The winner of this gets an early leg up in the division. Does Jared Goff continue to ball out or can the Viking’s defense continue their domination and stop this explosive Detroit offense?
Minnesota Vikings Keys To Winning Sunday’s Game Against Detroit
The Vikings may not have their star running back, Aaron Jones in the lineup Sunday due to injury. This means Coach O’Connell’s offense is stumped, as it relies on Ty Chandler or Myles Gaskin to get something going. If there’s one thing coach O’Connell learned early on in the season it’s that he cannot completely abandon the running game if he hopes to have an effective offense.
Don’t be surprised if we see him and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips dial up some unique rushing plays that get others involved including C.J. Ham or Jalen Nailor, and even Brandon Powell, among other players. This Vikings defense has beaten some good quarterbacks this season so far, but they haven’t been able to defeat Jared Goff in any of their past three matchups. Of course that doesn’t matter because of this new team, and this Brian Flores defense.
One way the Vikings may be able to get back into the winning column is by getting in Jared Goff’s face. Goff is the eighth-worst QB under pressure this season, so finding a way to make him uncomfortable could lead to winning plays. The Lions QB has only one multi-turnover game this season, which means he’s hopefully due for a few extra turnovers on Sunday considering the Vikings force the second most turnovers in the NFL, the trip to Minnesota could be Goff’s toughest test yet.
Detroit Lions Keys To Winning Sunday’s Game Against Minnesota
As mentioned before there will be a lot on the line in the Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions game this week, but if Detroit is able to beat the Cowboys and move to 4-1, first place in the NFC North is at stake. On paper, this game has all the makings of a classic and should be an interesting one. Brian Flores’ defense has been tremendous, and I think the key here is Detroit’s offensive line, one of the league’s best O-lines.
The Lions will be able to handle the pressure the Viking’s defense brings, and we’ll see if Minnesota will be able to withstand the pressure Detroit can bring, even without Aidan Hutchinson. The loss of Aidan Hutchinson is going to hurt, but the Lions still have a very potent offense and they’ve won three straight games versus Minnesota.
So we’ll see if they can keep things rolling on Sunday as they march into U.S. Bank Stadium and stake their claim for first place in the NFC North. To keep up with everything going on around the league go to GridIronHeroics.com and follow me on X(Twitter) @Crain_Sports1
