5 Takeaways from Detroit's 16-14 Win over Minnesota
The Detroit Lions are back in first place in the NFC North with their 16-14 home win over the Minnesota Vikings. It was a victorythat stressed the nerves and patience of Lions fans, but in the end, Detroit seized the important win.
This was not a great performance. While the Vikings proved a quality opponent, the Lions struggled more than they should have in picking up their 10th win of the season. Film sessions figure to be unpleasant situations for the players and coaches as they review the victory.
Another Slow Start Plagues the Offense
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One of the biggest criticisms many have had about these Lions is the slow starts by the offense. While other games have been bad, this was the worst so far under rookie offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.
Detroit's offense was abysmal in the first half. The Lions netted just 89 yards before halftime, failing to pick up a single first down until midway through the second quarter.
The first-half drive chart highlights the woeful production:
| Plays | Yards | Outcome |
| 3 | 9 | Punt |
| 3 | 2 | Punt |
| 4 | 5 | Punt |
| 3 | 2 | Punt |
| 5 | 14 | Punt |
| 2 | 11 | TD |
| 7 | 21 | FG |
The scoring drives both resulted from turnovers, with the defense setting up the offense on a short field.
Matthew Stafford was not sharp, but many of the plays stood little chance because the Vikings were well prepared for Lombardi's plan of attack. Minnesota repeatedly stifled the quick screens and edge runs.
The Lions were able to overcome the slow start against the Vikings, but if they want to win in January, the offense must come out much better than in this game.
Redemption for Matt Prater
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Kicker Matt Prater made his Detroit debut in the Week 6 contest in Minnesota. It did not go well.
Prater missed two of his three field-goal attempts back on October 12. Fortunately Detroit won 17-3 and didn't need him to be great. In the rematch, however, the Lions required perfection from Prater.
He delivered.
The former Bronco nailed all three of his field goals at Ford Field, including a 33-yarder with 3:38 remaining to give the Lions their first lead and the ultimate winning margin. His Minnesota counterpart, Blair Walsh, didn't fare so well...
"Difference in today's game: Matt Prater 3-for-3 Blair Walsh 0-for-3
— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) December 15, 2014"
Prater has done quite a bit to engender confidence after his shaky start in the Honolulu blue and silver. The NFL's record-holder for longest successful kick at 64 yards, Prater has rounded into form for a Lions team desperate for kicking reliability and stability.
"Since his 2nd game w/#Lions, Matt Prater is 18-20 on FGs, which is 4th-best in the @NFL (min. 16 FGM) in that span. pic.twitter.com/BilHuOwoWi
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 15, 2014"
It's comforting to know the Lions might have finally replaced franchise icon Jason Hanson after a year-and-a-half of inadequate efforts. In this game, Prater was the difference between a win and a loss.
Joique Bell Continues to Be the Man
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Lest anyone still harbored any doubts about who Detroit's top running back is, Joique Bell effectively buried them with another solid outing versus the Vikings.
While the stat line isn't gaudy, the manner in which Bell notched his 62 rushing yards and 41 receiving yards tells the story more accurately. He also lost his best play due to a penalty, though he sent the same message in that one too:
"Joique Bell trucked Harrison Smith on a 29-yard screen pass that won't count because of holding.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 14, 2014"
Without a great deal of blocking help up front, Bell churned out over four yards every time he ran the ball. When the Lions needed him to deliver tough yards, the Michigan native answered the bell. As Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official website noted:
"Bell had four carries for 31 yards – half of his rushing total for the game – late in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, and the Lions needing to work the clock and get into field goal range to have a chance to take the lead.
"
Bell's one-handed catch to convert a third down was one of the game's biggest plays as well.
"Joique Bell snags the ball out of the air with one hand for a huge third-down conversion. What a catch.
— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) December 14, 2014"
The Wayne State product had 15 of Detroit's 22 carries. He also saw six of the eight passes thrown to running backs. Reggie Bush, the lead back last year, had just seven yards on three carries and caught one pass. Theo Riddick was even less of a factor.
"Theo Riddick gets the start at RB for the Lions and opens with a 4-yard carry.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 14, 2014"
That was his only touch of the game, a week after not playing at all.
Bell will continue to be the primary running back as Detroit advances ever closer to the playoffs. While Bush or even Riddick might start the game, the majority of the action belongs to Bell.
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Minnesota Won the Coaching Battle
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This is not a game head coach Jim Caldwell will recall fondly. Nor should he.
Minnesota's coaching staff, led by rookie head coach Mike Zimmer, definitively won the battle over their Detroit counterparts.
From the uninspiring, flat start on offense to the vanilla coverage and passive defense for most of the game, Detroit's game plan allowed Minnesota to dictate the action. That was a decided departure from the first game, where the Lions repeatedly blitzed and pressured Teddy Bridgewater while pressing the receivers.
There was little of that aggressive spirit from defensive coordinator Teryl Austin in this one. Bridgewater had hardly any trouble finding open receivers in part because Detroit seemed to be daring him to throw it with their "off" coverage and bland zones.
As Kyle Meinke of MLive noted,
"The game plan was conservative on both sides of the ball and it nearly cost the Lions. The cornerbacks played with massive cushions most of the afternoon and Bridgewater picked them apart. The offense rarely attempted anything downfield and couldn't move the ball until the second half.
"
Stafford threw one deep ball early, an overthrow on the right sideline to Calvin Johnson in heavy coverage, and didn't even try to stretch the field again. The offensive line wasn't great in pass protection, but they were good enough to enable some shots.
Even if the throw winds up incomplete, at least there's a chance for illegal contact or pass interference. Yet Caldwell played his cards very close to his vest. He got lucky on the river, avoiding a huge flop in a close game.
Jason Jones Plays the Hero
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Good teams often get big games from unexpected contributors. On a defense laden with prominent talents like Ndamukong Suh, DeAndre Levy and Ezekiel Ansah, it was Jason Jones who rose to the occasion.
Coach Caldwell recognized the veteran end's huge contribution in his postgame address:
"Coach Caldwell recognizing two clutch plays by Jason Jones in his postgame address to the team: https://t.co/gNxu6qRWtd
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 15, 2014"
It was just two plays, but Detroit does not win if Jones doesn't make both of them.
The first was a sack as the Vikings were driving deep into Detroit territory in the fourth quarter. With 2nd-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Jones blew past right tackle Mike Harris and slammed into Bridgewater. He even forced a fumble, though Harris recovered it.
Jones' next play would prove even bigger. His block on a 26-yard field goal kept the score 14-13, allowing the Lions to merely need a field goal to take the lead.
As he told Tori Petry of the Lions' website after the game, the former Eastern Michigan Eagle nearly blocked one earlier and knew he could get his hands on the next attempt.
As a Detroit-area native, this game clearly meant a lot to Jones. He's about to have a very good 24-hour period in The D.
"Jason Jones is getting his number retired @ Southfield Lathrup tomorrow night. He's got a nice story to tell now. Sack & Blk'd FG #Lions
— Denny Kapp (@DennyKapp) December 14, 2014"
Jones proved the Lions can still win on a relatively quiet day from Suh, Ansah and the rest of the front seven. Detroit is loaded with playmakers, and Jones stepped up as an important one in the win over Minnesota.
All stats are from NFL.com unless otherwise noted. You can interact with Jeff on Twitter @JeffRisdon.
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