Lions vs. Vikings Week 3 Preview: 4 Keys to Early Divisional Confrontation

As the Detroit Lions prepare for a Week 3 divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, they’ll need to focus on four specific areas.

For the most part, the Lions just need to keep doing what they’re doing. Detroit won decisively on both sides of the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and thoroughly dominated every phase of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This week, the Lions need too keep the momentum rolling as they kick off division play. Minnesota has been unimpressive thus far, but with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears both off to solid starts, every divisional win is precious in the NFC North.

The Lions are the more talented team, they simply need to focus up and take care of business on the road.

Stop Adrian Peterson

In the past, the Detroit Lions have struggled to stop Adrian Peterson.

In the past, the Detroit Lions have had the likes of Jordon Dizon and Landon Johnson starting at linebacker.

The Lions haven’t been able to contain Peterson in recent years, mostly because their personnel wasn’t physically capable of the task. With Stephen Tulloch and Justin Durant joining DeAndre Levy in the Detroit linebacking corps, the Lions have tacklers that can bottle up the Vikings’ sparkplug.

However, bottling up Peterson certainly won't be easy. He has already torched two solid run defenses, Tampa Bay and San Diego, for a total of 218 yards and two touchdowns.

So far this year, the Lions have been below average against the run, allowing 4.6 yards per carry, still, the Detroit defense has the talent to limit Peterson. In this game, the scheme will be paramount.

The Lions defensive line will need to be disciplined in their lanes. While the ends have done an outstanding job of rushing upfield to pressure the passer, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril need to maintain responsibility in the run game. They can’t simply play the run on their way to the quarterback; they need to make a conscious effort to stay in a lane and force Peterson back inside, where the rest of the Detroit defense will be waiting.

This shift in scheme is a bit out of character for the aggressive Lions defense, but against a force like Peterson, Jim Schwartz and his staff can’t let pride stand in the way of intelligence.

Exploit the Vikings Pass Defense

So far in 2011, the Minnesota Vikings have allowed 280 yards per game through the air. While 280 yards would be a subpar game for Matthew Stafford, based on his 2011 results to date, it's clear that Minnesota can be thrown on.

Jared Allen leads an excellent Minnesota pass rush, but if the Lions are able to give Stafford time to throw, he’ll be able to go to work against a weak secondary.

Stafford has found a remarkable rhythm with his top receivers this season, and he’s been on point with nearly every throw. The Lions will likely have to leave the occasional running back or tight end in to chip on Allen, but even with fewer receivers in the pattern, Stafford has shown the ability to fit the ball into tight windows.

Corners Cedric Griffin and Antoine Winfield are beatable, and safeties Husain Abdullah and Jamarca Sanford are unproven. Sanford has yet to intercept a pass in his NFL career.

Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and Titus Young will have no trouble getting open against the Minnesota secondary. Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler will be able to stretch the field against the Vikings slow-footed linebackers. Stafford must continue to deliver the ball on time to exploit Minnesota’s weakness.

Pressure Donovan McNabb

Though Donovan McNabb is an established NFL veteran, he’s a relative newbie in the Minnesota Vikings offense. McNabb has been adequate thus far, earning a quarterback rating of 71.2 through his first two starts.

Clearly, there are still physical talents present in McNabb’s 34 year old body, but mentally, he’s far behind. Without a full training camp, McNabb hasn’t been able to completely ingrain the Vikings’ system in his mind. When forced to make a quick decision, he thinks, rather than just reacting to the situation.

This is a huge opportunity for the Lions.

If Detroit can get quick pressure on McNabb, they can force quick decisions that McNabb just isn’t prepared to make. That leads to turnovers and turnovers lead to points.

The key will be pressuring McNabb while still containing him in the pocket. McNabb is at his best when he’s out on the run, simultaneously threatening the defense with both his arm and (surprisingly still effective) legs. The Lions will look to pressure McNabb up the middle with Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams, while keeping the defensive ends in a disciplined, containing position. This will keep McNabb trapped in the pocket, while also helping the line to stay effective against the run.

Utilize Jahvid Best

Ever since the Williams Wall took root in Minnesota, the Vikings have had one of the best run defenses in football. Even as players throughout the Vikings D have turned over, the run-stuffing mentality has remained. So far this season, Minnesota ranks tenth in the NFL in rush defense.

Jahvid Best’s effort in the run game has been admirable, but the results haven’t been there in 2011. Best has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on 37 totes this season.

Things aren't looking bring for the Lions running attack in this matchup. However, there are other ways for the Lions to integrate Best into the game plan.

Best has reeled in ten catches in the first two games at an average of 10.8 yards per reception, over three times his per-touch production on the ground.

Don’t be surprised if Best receives less than 15 carries against Minnesota, and don’t be surprised if he catches more than eight passes.

The Lions know that they need to take advantage of Best’s explosive speed and agility, but in this case, he’ll be more effective in open space than face-to-face with the impregnable Vikings front.

Look for plenty of screens and swing passes on Sunday. Those plays will serve the dual purpose of getting Best involved in the game, while also slowing the Vikings upfield pass rush.