The Minnesota Vikings will be going for their second straight win of the season as they host one of their division rivals, Detroit Lions. The Vikings are coming off of a dominant victory against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers that saw Minnesota’s running back Dalvin Cook explode for four touchdowns. With that performance, Cook was honored as the NFC’s Player of the Week and will look to hold on to that honor as he faces a Detroit defense that has given up the second most rushing touchdowns in the NFL with 11 on the season.
The Detroit Lions, on the other hand, will look to be getting back on track after a demoralizing loss to Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts last week, 41 – 21. To make matters worse, they may be without their Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford and will definitely be without Pro Bowl wide receiver in Kenny Golladay (Hip). If Stafford cannot start due to a Positive COVID-19 test, then starting in his place will be 12-year veteran backup quarterback, Chase Daniel, who has only started three games in his last six seasons.
The Lions aren’t the only team who has to worry about injuries, as the Vikings have their fair share of injured players, all whom are on the defensive side of the ball. Cameron Dantzler (Concussion), Holton Hill (Foot), Mark Fields II (Chest) and Mike Hughes (Neck) will all be non-participants in this week’s game and could possibly be out for even more, given the severity of their injuries. The Vikings will be putting all their faith into their last three corners on the roster: Jeff Gladney, Kris Boyd and Chris Jones.
Expect both teams to rely heavy on their running backs this week. Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison will be taking the blunt of the carries this week as the Vikings will try to continue their dominance on the ground. For the Lions, expect a joint effort by former Viking Adrian Peterson, Kerryon Johnson and rookie D’Andre Swift. This will not only be Adrian Peterson’s first game back against his former team, but will also be Defensive End Everyone Griffen’s first game back after being traded from the Dallas Cowboys last week.
With a Minnesota win, the Vikings can leap frog Detroit and claim the third-place spot in the NFC North. A Minnesota loss, however, will put them in an even deeper hole as they will take on another division rival, the Chicago Bears.
Today’s contest will kick off at 12:00 pm GMT/1:00 pm EST with the game being broadcasted nationally on CBS. Kevin Harlan and Trent Green will be on the call. For radio, tune in to KFAN 100.3-FM/KTLK 1130-AM in Minneapolis / St. Paul as Paul Allen and Pete Bercich will be providing the sights and sounds for this division matchup.
