Lions / Vikings Preview – Trap game of the week?

Lions / Vikings Preview – Trap Game Of The Week?

by Thomas Quaynor, NFL analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

Why The Vikings Can Win

The Minnesota Vikings (10-2) go on the road to face the Detroit Lions (5-7) in an NFC North clash at 1PM on Fox. This is the second meeting between these teams, the Vikings escaped with a last second 28-24 win back in Week 3, they overcame deficits of 14-0 and 24-14 before rallying to win. The Vikings are coming off yet another close win, a 27-22 victory against the New York Jets at home, while the Lions crushed the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, 40-14. 

The Vikings have owned the Lions in recent years winning 9 of the last 10 matchups dating back to 2017. In what can be considered an odd occurrence, the Lions are actually a 2-point favorite in this game despite having five fewer wins! Have we seen a line like this before in NFL history where a team with 5 fewer wins is the favorite? An overlooked storyline to this game is Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson making his return to Detroit. 

The Lions took him 8th overall in the 2019 draft and traded him for a 2023 second round pick and a 2024 third round pick on November 1st . Did the Lions give up on him? Did they think this season was a lost cause and thought it was smart to trade away players for draft picks? 

The Minnesota Vikings improved to 10-2 last week after literally holding off the New York Jets, 27-22. The Jets had 1st and goal with seconds left but were unable to score. This was their ninth win by 8 points or less, a 23-7 week 1 victory against Green Bay is their only “easy” win. The Vikings rely on an explosive offense for wins led by dynamic wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who is second in the NFL with 1,277 yards, he also has 88 catches and 6 touchdowns. 

Running back Dalvin Cook (927 rushing yards which is 5th in the NFL), tight end TJ Hockenson and wide receiver Adam Thielen are also potent weapons for quarterback Kirk Cousins. The bend-but-don’t-break defense ranks among the bottom half of the NFL because they give up a lot of yards and points, but they do make big plays late in games that help pull out the close wins. Safety Harrison Smith, linebacker Za’Darius Smith and veteran former all-pro Patrick Peterson are standouts on the defense. 

Why Detroit Can Win

After a 31-27 week eight loss to the Miami Dolphins on October 30th dropped the Detroit Lions to 1-6, it appeared as if the Lions were heading to yet another dismal season. Fast forward to Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings, the Lions have won 4 of their last 5 games and made a stunning transition into a team that has a slight chance of making the playoffs. 

The offense has been excellent for almost the entire year led by 2nd year wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (76 catches for 830 yards, 6 touchdowns) and running back Jamaal Williams, who began the season as the backup/change of pace back to D’Andre Swift, but injuries to Swift has allowed him to emerge as the Lions feature running back this year. Quarterback Jared Goff, the number 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is also playing well this year.  

The Lions improving on defense over these last five weeks has played a big role in the turnaround, rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchison (the number 2 overall pick out of Michigan who has 6 sacks), linebacker Julian Okwara and the resurgence of third year cornerback Jeff Okudah, who some labeled as a bust, are key players for the defense. The Lions also own the Los Angeles Rams first round pick, which could be in the top 5, so the Lions future could be looking bright for once.

The Lions are a great story with how their young core of players have turned their season around but due to the Vikings recent string of success against the Lions and the ‘1PM Kirk Cousins’ phenomenon, 

The Pick

I’ve got to take the points here…Vikings 31, Lions 28