The Lions have their toughest test yet in the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Which matchup is the key to victory?
The Detroit Lions are passing their litmus tests with flying colors so far this season, taking down two NFC powerhouses in the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. Now, they face arguably their toughest test yet, taking on the undefeated Minnesota Vikings for the lead in the NFC North. Which matchup is the key to a Lions victory?
Question of the day: Which matchup is the key to a Lions victory against the Vikings?
There are a few key matchups between these two teams. The first is along the line, as Frank Ragnow will have to face off against a red-hot Vikings defensive tackle in Harrison Phillips. Phillips doesn’t rack up a lot of numbers in the box score, but he fills interior gaps like few others in the league can.
There’s also the recent development along the Lions’ defensive line, with the absence of Aidan Hutchinson being a key opportunity for the Vikings to exploit. They’ll take full advantage to run Aaron Jones (if healthy) into whoever is filling the void between Josh Paschal, Trevor Nowaske, and Isaac Ukwu. The three players each saw a sizeable snap share against the Cowboys, with 59%, 42%, and 52%, respectively.
With the Lions now down Hutchinson and Derrick Barnes, I’d expect the Vikings to try and run full force along the edges. Their strength lies more in the left side of the offensive line than the right, led by left tackle Christian Darrisaw. That’s typically in the direction of where Barnes would be, as opposed to Hutch on the right side of the offensive line. However, with so many questions along the Lions’ defensive line, there’s no telling who gets shuffled where, or which side the Vikings may try to exploit.
Lastly, there’s the matchup between Jared Goff and Brian Flores. Flores has notoriously gotten the best of many talented quarterbacks, but Goff has been the clear winner in those matchups since Flores’ arrival to Minnesota in 2023. In the two matchups last season, Goff completed 74% of his passes for 577 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
My answer: I think the Lions’ success has to start up front with Frank Ragnow and the offensive line against Minnesota’s defensive line. If that goes well or goes poorly, Goff and the rest of the offense will likely follow suit.
While I am concerned about the lack of clarity along the Lions’ defensive line, their pass rush pressure has been much more diversified this year than in years past. The combination of guys like Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill alongside Aaron Glenn’s historically creative blitz packages gives me optimism that they can take care of business.
Which matchup is key to a Lions victory against the Vikings? Vote below and let us know your thoughts.
