The Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions will duke it out Sunday afternoon in what could be a season-saving win for one team, while the other needs redemption after having two crucial back-to-back losses.
Detroit (4-4) resides in the third place with only a game and a half from first and a win over the Vikings could put them in second place give or take a win or loss from Green Bay. With the first half of season in the books, the Lions have split their eight games equally, although looking back at their wins they seemed to skate by. In their four wins, they’ve only outscored opponents 114-103.
In playing the Houston Texans last week, Eric Ebron returned after missing three games with ankle and knee injuries and had seven catches for a team-high 79 yards receiving. Theo Riddick had missed two games with an ankle injury and had 56 yards rushing and 77 yards receiving with a touchdown against Houston.
The Lions have a chance to pull through this season and possibly make the playoffs in a wild card most likely. Time will tell this Sunday when facing Minnesota, and the remaining opponents in their schedule which include the Vikings again along with two other division match-ups and the top-ranked Dallas Cowboys in the NFC.
This Sunday the Lions need to find all means to protect QB Matthew Stafford since the Vikings have the second-ranked best defense in the league. Minnesota (5-2) seemed to have shocked many early on in the season going 5-0 before the bye week, despite the loss of two key players: Adrian Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater and adding on former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford. The Vikings in their five wins managed to take down their division rival, Green Bay Packers and last season’s Super Bowl contenders, the Carolina Panthers.
After the bye week, things took a different turn as they have lost two straight games. The first to the Philadelphia Eagles and the other to the Chicago Bears only scoring 10 points in each game. But despite the losses, they still have the second-best record in the NFC. How long will that record hold without Norv Turner, who recently resigned Wednesday as the offensive coordinator? Turner told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune “…it just got to the point where I didn’t think it was going to work with me. So I removed myself.” A new plan needs to be restored if they intend on being the threat they started out as and not have their season slip away from them.
