Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings: Full Report Card Grades for Detroit
The Detroit Lions entered TCF Bank Stadium to play the Minnesota Vikings tied for the lead in the NFC North.
And they're still in first place with a 4-2 record after a 17-3 win.
The offense didn't help out much, but did score on its opening drive. It was a lead that Detroit would never relinquish thanks to a dominant defense.
The story of the game was simple. The performance of the players was not. Click through for the details and a grade for each positional unit.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Matthew Stafford came out sharp. He was dictating the terms of play, spreading the ball around and the Lions scored on a nine-yard touchdown catch by Theo Riddick.
And then the wheels came off:
"Stafford just took a bad sack. Inside the 20 again, now back around the 25. Long FG attempt could be upcoming.
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 12, 2014"
That sack was late in the game, but it's indicative of how the Vikings defense controlled his play. Yes, pressure affects every quarterback, but even when he had protection, he threw poorly.
By my count, he had at least four passes that weren't pressured and missed the mark badly. The only way the offense moved the ball was either on the ground or using short passes and screens.
It's tough when your offensive line regresses as much as this one has. However, Stafford must do his part by getting rid of the ball quickly and accurately. He's just not doing it considering he went 19-of-33 for 185 yards and a single score.
Grade: C+
Running Back
2 of 10
The offensive line had a tough time handling the Vikings, but the running backs had their best day in some time.
Joique Bell returned to pounding the ball, breaking tackles and methodically picking up yards. He threw in a late touchdown to put the game out of reach.
"Joique Bell looks like his old self. Hit the hole hard for another first down.
— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) October 12, 2014"
Theo Riddick saw some action before leaving with another injury, but he was still Detroit's leading receiver with 75 yards. George Winn then took his spot and finished with 16 yards on five carries.
But this was all about Bell, who finished with 97 total yards.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
You can't convince me that there were any wide receivers or tight ends out there. Maybe the grade here should be incomplete.
Golden Tate was the leader among this group, but he finished with just 44 yards on seven catches. He wasn't able to shake free all day, and the Vikings did a good job tackling him quickly after every catch.
Oh, and he did the unthinkable. Twice:
"Golden Tate drops a pass. He is human after all.
— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) October 12, 2014"
Jeremy Ross and Corey Fuller combined for three catches for 20 yards, and Eric Ebron added 23 more on two receptions.
And that's it.
The offensive line, game plan and Stafford's inaccuracy hurt this unit's chances, but nobody was able to break a tackle either.
Grade: C
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
What was once a concern is now a possibly season-derailing problem. In short, the offensive line is bad.
The most talented player along that line (Larry Warford) didn't build on last week's decent performance.
"Warford has already blown three blocks in as many drives. Sophomore slump is deeply distressing.
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) October 12, 2014"
The rest of the offensive line was just as poor, but the interior was atrocious. When Detroit was trying to run out the clock with just under four minutes left, fullback Jed Collins had to pick up his block three yards in the backfield.
And pass protection was even worse. The Vikings finished with four sacks, and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was presumably too scared to throw deep because the line wouldn't be able to protect that long.
Throw in multiple drive-killing holding penalties and Detroit might be better off asking defenses to count apples. Still, the unit gets a small bump because the Lions actually rushed for 100 yards.
Grade: C-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
I should copy and paste the first line of the defensive line slide every week, because it's always the best unit on the field for either team.
The Vikings had 44 yards rushing on the first drive, but ended the first half with only 77 total yards. That's all on the defensive line and Ziggy Ansah.
"Ansah has 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 FF. Still 8:44 to go in the second quarter.
— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) October 12, 2014"
The second half brought more of the same with sacks, pressure and run-stuffing penetration coming from seemingly everyone. No seriously, everyone:
"@BrandonAlisoglu @nickkostora Jim Caldwell straight Oprah Winfrey'd that Dline today. You get a sack! And you get a sack!
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) October 12, 2014"
In all, the defense finished with eight sacks, including seven from the line.
I could probably copy the closing line too: Ndamukong Suh occupied multiple blockers, C.J. Mosley stuffed holes, everyone got sacks and the defensive line is the engine that drives this team.
Grade: A+
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebackers helped the pass rush as well. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin blitzed the rookie quarterback often, with DeAndre Levy picking up a half-sack in the process.
And Tahir Whitehead did his best Levy impression with two interceptions off tipped balls. He gets credit for being aware of the football and making those plays.
"Darryl Tapp with the tip on Whitehead's INT.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) October 12, 2014"
In fact, that tweet points out that the defensive line deserves even more love than its A+.
But this unit wasn't that impressive.
The Vikings only had 69 yards rushing, but averaged 3.8 yards per carry. And nobody should be surprised if Whitehead missed twice as many tackles as he had interceptions. Even Levy wasn't as sure of a tackler as usual.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
The secondary settles in somewhere between the linebackers and the defensive line.
Darius Slay was often his sticky self, but there were times when he was a little too attached to his target. I still haven't figured out how he was able to escape a flag on his pass deflection.
"We kind of stopped talking about it at one point, but Darius Slay is not getting nearly enough credit for this defensive resurgence.
— Dean Holden (@Dean_Holden) October 12, 2014"
And James Ihedigbo joined in on the sack party with half of one himself.
But the secondary's main contribution was tackling. The Vikings didn't have a single pass longer than 18 yards because the defensive backs didn't miss tackles and let short crossing routes result in long gains.
Lastly, Glover Quin gets the Whitehead treatment by being on the ball with his interception. Teddy Bridgewater never saw the safety and it ended Minnesota's deepest drive of the day.
Grade: A-
Special Teams
8 of 10
Punter Sam Martin does not mess around:
"Sam Martin with a 63-yard punt. He's been one of the Lions' best weapons this seasons, and no, that's not a joke.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) October 12, 2014"
The former fifth-rounder continued to laugh at those who ridiculed his selection by averaging 48.7 yards per punt, including downing two inside the 20.
You noticed that I was stalling, huh?
Matt Prater continued Detroit's miserable place kicking. He did nail a 52-yarder to everyone's delight and surprise, but missed two from 50 and 44 yards out.
It was a bit windy at TCF Bank Stadium and he hasn't kicked in a game since 2013, so it's too early to cut him. But he has to get betterand quickly.
Grade: C+
Coaching
9 of 10
Penalties have been creeping back into the picture since last week, and this game was no different. As always, that falls squarely on the coaching.
Most of those were holding penalties, which would suggest it's a player problem, but the coaches must do a better job getting this team ready. Their lack of discipline cost them multiple drives and a fumble recovery deep in Minnesota territory.
However, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin called another great game. He blitzed with impunity and kept the Minnesota offensive line in a state of chaos.
On the other side of the ball, it's tough to figure out what offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi should do. He's missing multiple weapons and can't depend on the offensive line for any plays that take time to develop.
Lastly, some credit needs to be given to Caldwell for pulling the trigger on fourth down. The one-yard conversion kept alive the last touchdown drive that put the game away, although he might have only done it because he was scared to send Matt Prater out there.
Grade: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
QB: C+
RB: B+
WR/TE: C
OL: C-
DL: A+
LB: B+
Secondary: A-
ST: C+
Coaching: B
Cumulative Grade: B
Yet again, the defense picked up the offense's slack and allowed Detroit to move to 2-1 on the road.
The defensive line was absolutely dominant and the rest of the defense contained the passes that were actually completed. It's too bad Detroit gave up a late field goal to miss out on its first shutout in 20 years.
But the offense needs to figure out how to move the ball and score points.
The offensive line has the resistance of a colander, Matthew Stafford doesn't look comfortable and points aren't coming. While the defense is good enough to win games, the offense needs to find its direction if the Lions are going to roar in January.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
