Vikings - Lions

The Minnesota Vikings failed to wrap up the NFC North in Detroit. The Lions did good things more consistently and won 34-23. 

I believe that there was way too much talk in and around the Vikings about a “shirt and hat game.” Each time I heard a player or talking head use that damn term, I cringed a bit. I wish that there was more focus on the Lions than any sort of postgame celebration. Anyway, the Lions outplayed the Vikings in all three phases. 

The turning point in the game probably came with about a minute to play in the first half. Down 14-7, the Vikings had first-and-goal on the Lions three-yard line. Instead of just pounding the ball into the end zone and making tying the score, the Vikings tried to get cute. It looked like the intention was a little pop pass from Dalvin Cook to Johnny Mundt. Perhaps the call was right as Mundt was open and Cook had the opportunity. The execution was terrible. Cook bobbled and then dropped the ball. The Lions recovered. Seven important points just disappeared. 

The Vikings played the game without left tackle Christian Darrisaw, center Garrett Bradbury, and safety Harrison Smith. Darrisaw has missed the past 3.75 games since Micah Parsons head-butted him out of the lineup. While his absence has been significant, the offense has managed to play around it. Losing center, and line leader Bradbury was a little much. The run game did nothing. 22 yards on 17 carries. Smith’s absence, by far, hurt the most. The Lions first three scores took advantage of that absence. Jameson Williams’ 41-yard, uncontested score that opened the scoring doesn’t happen if Smith is at the back of the defense. D.J. Chark’s 48-yard score doesn’t happen if Smith is on the field. A lot of the Lions offensive success doesn’t happen if Smith is on the field. The Lions had a lot of offensive success. 464 yards. Jared Goff peppered the Vikings defense with passes to nine receivers. He even completed a pass to right tackle Penei Sewell. It was a completion that iced the game for the Lions. The Vikings defense was terrible. Getting Smith back will cure some of the problems seen yesterday but there won’t be much playoff fun if some changes aren’t made. Better pass rush, better tackling, better coverage. Coaches, players, everybody on the defensive side of the ball has to be better. 

Announcers Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma turned the game into a very pro-Lions telecast. It had the feel of one of those preseason games with the home team announcers. I wouldn’t be disappointed if I never again hear Vilma call a game.

It’s a disappointing loss. At least it wasn’t a brutal, ugly loss like those to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. It was an unfortunate loss as great games by Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson were wasted. 

Kirk Cousins:

31/41 for 425 yards and two touchdowns.

Justin Jefferson:

11 catches for 223 yards.

Jefferson’s 223 yards are a personal and franchise record. It looked like he could’ve/should’ve had 32 more yards and a 71-yard score. The officials ruled that he’d stepped out of bounds after gaining 39 yards. It didn’t look like he stepped out of bounds. There were a few occasions in which it looked like the officials were watching a different game. 

Thanks in part to Jefferson’s greatness, Cousins dealt with a limited offensive line against a varied pass rush. Jefferson wasn’t the lone productive Vikings receiver. Adam Thielen, T.J. Hockenson, and K.J. Osborn made plays. Thielen and Osborn scored touchdowns. The Lions took away the run game but the pass game worked. It just needed to work a little more often. 

This was one of Cousins’ best games. It’s a damn shame that was wasted with little else working. 

It’s a frustrating loss. The Lions are a pain. They are annoying when they are losing consistently. They are even more annoying when they’re pretty good as they are now. 

Next Saturday, the Vikings will again attempt to wrap up the NFC North. This time the attempt will come at home against the Indianapolis Colts.