Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions: Complete Week 15 Preview for Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings are feeling pretty good after putting together a two-game winning streak and improving to 6-7 on the season. There is, however, still a glaring mark on their win/loss record in 2014.
Minnesota is the only team in the NFL to have not beaten a team with a winning record.
One could argue that the Vikings have won all the games they were supposed to win and lost all the ones they were supposed to as well. The combined record of the teams Minnesota has beaten is just 22-55-1, while they've lost to teams who are 46-32 on the season.
The Vikings will look to change that when they travel to Detroit this Sunday to take on the 9-4 Lions, who are in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC. Minnesota would like nothing more than to play the spoiler against one of their NFC North foes.
The Lions have also won two games in a row and are one game behind the Packers in the division and locked in a four-team battle for the wild-card spots.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has been on fire the past two games, throwing for five touchdowns and 701 yards with no interceptions. As well as Bridgewater has played over the past two games, with a quarterback rating of 119.2, Stafford has posted a rating of 124.7.
The Lions defense will present quite the test for Bridgewater; they rank second overall and allow a league-low 17.2 points a game.
The Lions beat the Vikings, 17-3, in October in a game that was dominated by defense on both sides, the Vikings could only muster 212 yards of total offense and held Detroit to just 255 yards.
That start was just the second of Bridgewater's career, though, and Sunday should provide a good barometer to see how far the rookie has come in the seven weeks since these two teams last met. Bridgewater has looked more poised in the pocket and is throwing the ball more accurately, but the truth is, his best games have come against pretty poor defenses.
The Vikings can certainly be proud that they're not mailing it in during a season that's given them every reason to. Mike Zimmer has the Vikings working hard and looking to get better each and every week. The players are all looking to prove that they can be a part of a turnaround that may come sooner rather than later.
Vikings' Week 14 Recap
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Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had the best of game of his career in leading Minnesota to a 30-24 overtime victory over the New York Jets last Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Bridgewater finished 19-of-27 for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the second one an 87-yard catch and run to Jarius Wright that won the game in overtime.
With really nothing left to play for this season other than pride and improving for the future, the maturation of Bridgewater is the most important facet in Minnesota's remaining games. The 22-year old recognized that the Jets were sending seven men on the rush in overtime and checked out of the play called and switched to the screen to Wright.
That's the kind of decision-making and execution that every coach wants to see from their quarterback, and that a rookie pulled it off made Vikings coach Mike Zimmer pleased, according to Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune:
"I think when Teddy decides to be the leader of this football team … this franchise is Teddy’s. I know that was a good headline for you. That’s what he needs to do, he needs to take it over. This is his team now. ... You people finally get a chance to see a lot of things I see in practice every single day — his composure and his competitiveness.
The thing the veterans really respect and appreciate about Teddy is the way he prepares, the way he studies, the way he cares about his job, and I think the way he loves playing this game. I know you guys don’t see him in practice … he missed maybe two throws in practice (earlier this week.) He practices to be perfect in the games as well.
"
A game that looked on paper that it might be a bit of a bore, was anything but. Linebacker Gerald Hodges got Minnesota on the board quickly when he intercepted Geno Smith on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.
Bridgewater then used a nice shoulder fake before throwing a perfect deep ball on a 56-yard touchdown connection with Charles Johnson that gave the Vikings a 14-9 lead.
Bridgewater and Johnson connected again in the second quarter for what would have been a 23-yard touchdown, but Johnson fumbled the ball just short of the goal line after taking a big hit. Fullback Jerome Felton fell on the ball in the end zone and Minnesota had a 21-12 lead.
The Jets would use four Nick Folk field goals the rest of the way to tie things up and set the stage for Wright's overtime dramatics.
The win was the second straight for the Vikings and improved their record to 6-7 on the season. More importantly, their quarterback looks to be figuring things out.
News and Notes
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Detroit's Dynamic Duo is Back
While the Lions beat the Vikings, 17-3, in Minneapolis two months ago, they were without their two best playmakers in wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush.
Both have returned to the lineup and will be on the field when the teams meet on Sunday in Detroit.
Johnson missed three games in October and was limited in two others with a high ankle sprain. Slowed for much of the year, Johnson is once again playing like the best receiver in the league with 19 catches for 304 yards and three touchdown in the Lions' last two games.
The Vikings have had relatively good success against Johnson, other than a game in November of 2012, when he caught 12 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown.
It's been a very quiet year for Bush, who's only played in eight games as he's battled an ankle injury all season. Bush played in his first full game in a month last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he missed Wednesday's practice this week, according to Kyle Meinke of mlive.com.
Bush has a pretty good history against the Vikings, taking two punts back for touchdowns as a member of the New Orleans Saints in 2008 and then accounting for 191 rushing and receiving yards when the teams met last September.
Stafford and Bridgewater Similarities
It's hard to believe, but Matthew Stafford is still just 26 years old. It seems like he's been the Lions quarterback forever, but he took over the starting job as a rookie in 2009, beating out former Viking Daunte Culpepper. Stafford was the number-one overall pick in the 2009 draft after starring for three years at Georgia.
The Vikings made Bridgewater the 32nd overall pick in this year's draft, taking him with the last choice of the first round after he starred at Louisville for three years.
Bridgewater has played in 10 games so far as a rookie, which is the same number of games Stafford played in during his rookie season. Here's a look at their respective numbers through 10 career games:
| G | Comp/Att | Comp % | Yards | TD | Int | Rat | |
| Stafford, 2009 | 10 | 201/377 | 53.3 | 2,267 | 13 | 20 | 61.0 |
| Bridgewater, 2014 | 10 | 192/310 | 61.9 | 2,136 | 10 | 8 | 82.4 |
While the Lions were running a more vertical passing game than the Vikings do, it's hard to imagine how noisy it would be in the Twin Cities if Bridgewater had thrown 20 interceptions and had a passer rating of just 61.
They're obviously two different quarterbacks, though. Stafford possesses a rocket arm but is prone to making poor decisions, while Bridgewater looks to be more accurate and cerebral than Stafford.
The knock on Stafford and the Lions, of course, has always been winning. Detroit's victory over Tampa Bay last Sunday clinched just their third winning season since 2000 and broke a 10-game losing streak in games played in December.
With Stafford, Johnson and the Detroit defense all playing at a high level, the Lions are hoping to make the playoffs for just the second time in 15 years. Bridgewater and the Vikings will try to deal those hopes a blow this week.
Where Art Thou, Cordarrelle Patterson?
After a rookie season in 2013 that bordered on spectacular, hopes were pretty high in Minnesota that Patterson would develop into a game-breaking wide receiver this year.
After Patterson scored on a 67-yard touchdown run in the opening-week win over the St. Louis Rams and rushed for 102 yards on just three carries, the expectations were through the roof.
Stardom hasn't happened. Not by a long shot.
Patterson was on the field for just one offensive snap in the win over the Jets and was on the field for just three offensive plays the week before against Carolina.
Patterson has lost his starting position to the emerging Charles Johnson, and while his 2014 season looks like it's going to be forgettable, he remains a huge part of the Vikings' future plans on offense.
Zimmer and Patterson had a "heart-to- heart" talk on Thursday morning, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Patterson wouldn't reveal what they talked about but said he walked away from the talk feeling good.
Zimmer had this to say on Wednesday when asked what Patterson needs to do to be more involved in the offense, per Goessling:
"Consistency. It’s being in the right place, doing the right things, running the right routes, blocking the right people, lining up in the right place, that’s it.
Again, I want this guy to be a great player. I really do. I want him to be a great player. I don’t know when it’ll happen and I’m hoping like crazy it does because I want him to be a great player.
"
The bottom line is that Patterson is blessed with too much ability not to be a great player. He's electric when he has the ball in his hands, but he clearly needs to learn how to play his position. He's got size, speed, hands and athleticism to spare but seemingly hasn't learned the nuances of route running.
It's sort of hard to put the pieces together with Patterson, because when he's running with the ball, he shows a great ability to set people up for cuts and put moves on in the open field.
Here's hoping that Patterson can get a little more involved in the last three games of 2014 and then spend the entire offseason turning himself into a wide receiver.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Anthony Barr | LB | Questionable |
| Sharrif Floyd | DT | Questionable |
| Robert Blanton | S | Questionable |
| Charlie Johnson | G | Questionable |
| Jerome Felton | FB | Probable |
| Everson Griffen | DE | Probable |
| Harrison Smith | S | Probable |
| Jabari Price | CB | Probable |
All injury reports courtesy of Mike Wobschall of Vikings.com.
Barr, Floyd, Blanton and Johnson haven't practiced all week and their availability for Sunday's game will probably be up in the air until Sunday morning.
Barr and Floyd are still nursing knee injuries. Blanton has ankle and knee issues after getting hurt against the Jets, and Johnson has a severely sore ankle after Matt Asiata fell on top of it last Sunday.
Felton has a neck issue and was limited in practice on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday. Griffen was limited in practice both days with back pain, and Smith was a full participant on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday with shoulder soreness that he's been dealing with for a couple of weeks.
Price was a full participant in both days of practice, but his sore hamstring still has him on the injury report. He could probably play on Sunday if needed.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Xavier Rhodes vs. Calvin Johnson
Don't look now, but Vikings second-year man Xavier Rhodes is turning himself into a "shutdown" cornerback.
That's a term that's probably thrown around way too much and really shouldn't be applied to a guy with just one career interception, but the fact that Rhodes is playing spectacular football is no longer a secret.
Pro Football Focus has given him the Vikings game ball for both of their consecutive wins, and Cole Schultz had this to say following the win over the Jets:
"Xavier Rhodes, CB: +2.7
Breakdown: With a phenomenal day in coverage Rhodes has now strung together four straight games above +2.0. The second-most targeted Viking, Rhodes forced a number of incompletions and allowed just 1 yard after the catch against the Jets’ wide receivers.
Signature Stat: On his five targets, Rhodes gave up two catches (neither moved the chains) for 12 yards, and broke up all three other passes thrown his direction.
Put on a clinic at cornerback, notching three pass defenses and staking a claim as one of the best young corners in the game.
"
Pretty heady stuff for the Vikings' young cornerback, but if games against the Panthers and Jets were pop quizzes, squaring off against Calvin Johnson is the final exam.
At 6'5", 236 pounds, Johnson is a nightmare matchup for defensive backs. He's fast, knows how to get open and has great hands. Johnson was probably the No. 1 guy the Vikings had in mind when they selected Rhodes to shore up their secondary in 2013.
Rhodes excels at jamming wideouts off the line of scrimmage with his long arms and great instincts. Where he's improved in his second year is learning how to stay in coverage without being too physical before the ball arrives.
Rhodes is tied for third in the NFL with 17 passes defensed and has eight in just the last three games. He's playing as confidently as he ever has and has to be looking forward to locking horns with the best wide receiver in the sport.
Matt Kalil vs. Ziggy Ansah
According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, Mike Zimmer gave his offensive linemen a not-so-subtle reminder of how things went the last time they played the Detroit Lions.
Eight sacks given up. Three turnovers. Just three third-down conversions. Three points scored.
No, the Vikings offense was far from pretty when they were whipped, 17-3, by the Lions in Week 6.
Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah, their second-year man out of BYU, had 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hits in that matchup and was awarded the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his effort. It was probably Kalil's worst game of the season.
Kalil has been playing better of late, though, and his resurgence has certainly helped the Vikings post back-to-back wins. Kalil told Vensel that he feels like he's improving:
"It’s been going well. Obviously it’s been a battle for me but I’m a competitor and I’m going to fight through any adversity that I face. I think for the most part, the second half of the season I thought I’ve been playing a little bit better. Obviously, there are little plays you give up here and there, and they’re going to be blown out of proportion. I’m under the microscope.
"
Ansah is a burgeoning talent for the Lions. At 6'6", 275 pounds with very long arms, he possesses the speed and strength to be a dominant pass-rusher for years to come.
The winner of this matchup on Sunday will go a long way toward deciding the football game.
Charles Johnson vs. Darius Slay
The Vikings wideout has come a long way, hasn't he?
Plucked from the Cleveland Browns practice squad in September, Johnson has turned himself into Teddy Bridgewater's go-to target of late.
Johnson had the biggest game of his career against the Jets, catching four passes for 103 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown catch where he torched his defender with a beautiful stop-and-go move.
Johnson could have had a second touchdown, but he fumbled after being drilled just before the goal line. Jerome Felton fell on the ball in the end zone for the score.
He has 15 catches in his last four games for 283 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In a mostly forgettable season for Minnesota's offense, Johnson has been a pleasant surprise and could have a great future.
Slay is sort of the Lions' version of Rhodes. Drafted 11 spots after Rhodes in 2013, Slay has come on quite well for Detroit this season. He leads the Lions with 13 passes defensed and is on pace to more than double his tackles total from his rookie season.
The Lions have 17 interceptions on the season, which ranks second in the NFL. Slay has just one, but he has become their best cover corner.
For Johnson, it will be interesting to see if he can stay productive now that he's a known commodity and a player other teams are looking for.
Vikings' X-Factor of the Week: Ben Tate
In order to throw successfully against a defense as good as Detroit's, you have to establish at least a glimmer of a running game.
That didn't really happen against the Jets, as Minnesota gave the ball to Matt Asiata 19 times, and he could only muster 54 yards, a paltry 2.8 yards per carry.
Zimmer talked about getting more carries to Tate and Joe Banyard during the last three weeks of the season, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
Asiata is a tough kid and is a great goal-line option, but he's clearly not a main option in an NFL running attack. Tate has struggled in his career but showed great promise in his second season with the Titans, gaining 942 yards and averaging 5.2 yard per rush.
Tate missed his first year when he broke his ankle in the preseason after being drafted in the second round in 2010. He's now a 26-year old on his third NFL team and has to be dying to get an extended opportunity to show what he can do.
That chance may come this Sunday against the Lions.
Prediction
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Will 2014 be any different for the Detroit Lions?
Last week was a pretty good sign when they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 34-17, to move to 9-4 on the season and remain just a game behind the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. It was the Lions' first December win in over two years.
Another good sign for Detroit is that they're 6-1 at home this season. Led by a defense that's been slowly adding pieces the last few seasons, the Lions now boast the second-ranked defense in the NFL and are first against the run.
Detroit has always had offensive fire power, with the huge-armed Stafford throwing to Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush and Joique Bell providing a nice one-two punch in the backfield. They've added Golden Tate to the mix this year, and he leads them with 84 catches for 1,186 yards.
The Lions have to be treating this game against the Vikings as a "must" win. They go on the road for their final two games, at Chicago and at Green Bay, where they've lost an incredible 23 straight times, a streak that dates all the way back to when the Packers still played a portion of their home games in Milwaukee.
For the Vikings, the final three games are all about continuing to get better. The defense has come a long way in its first season under Zimmer and with a couple of added pieces, could be a huge strength come the 2015 season.
The offense has farther to go, but Teddy Bridgewater's play over the last couple of weeks has been greatly encouraging. The Lions are tough to run against, and the Vikings will be pass blocking with a make-shift group that will be down two and perhaps three regular starters on Sunday.
Look for the Vikings to put up a good fight, but the Lions' urgency to make the playoffs will carry the day.
Prediction: Lions 24, Vikings 20
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