The Detroit Lions Play Will Play Their Final Home Game Of The Season This Sunday Against Minnesota.
Last week the Detroit Lions had their final playoff hopes dashed by rookie quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. There is still something to play for as the Lions head into their final two games of the regular season however. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense need to find some sort of rhythm and the team has to find a way to carry some momentum into next season.
It’s also worth noting that the Lions did have a pro bowl cornerback for the second consecutive season in Darius Slay. Safety Quandre Diggs was named as an alternate at the safety position and the biggest snub on the team has to be defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison who has yet to make a pro bowl in his career.
This Weeks Opponent: The Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota comes into this game against Detroit as a heavy favorite and rightly so. Despite having a relatively disappointing year, the Vikings still find themselves in position to secure the final wild-card spot in the NFC. This game against Detroit will mean a lot for them as they have a tough match-up with the vaunted Chicago Bears coming up in week 17.
It’s no secret that the Vikings have been ravaged by injuries this season. It has really contributed to their down year in relation to their outlook going into the season. They appear to be gaining their strength back as their only star missing from practice on Wednesday was linebacker Eric Kendricks. Despite the down season, Minnesota still had four of their players named to the pro bowl, those being linebacker Anthony Barr, defensive end Danielle Hunter, wide receiver Adam Thielen, and safety Harrison Smith.
Watch Out For The Vikings
There’s no denying that Minnesota is a hungry team after underperforming for most of the season. Now that the playoffs are on the line and the team is finally getting healthy, they may be a sleeper team. Defensive end Everson Griffin and the rest of the Minnesota defense were able to get to Stafford for a whopping 10 sacks when the two teams met in Minnesota. The Vikings will undoubtedly be trying to replicate that performance on Sunday.
Detroit will be without rookie running back Kerryon Johnson once again as he was officially put on injured reserve as of Wednesday. With injuries piling up and not much on the line, Detroit may be in for a rough afternoon when the Vikings come to town. It will be important for the Lions to keep their composure and stay positive no matter what players end up taking the field for the team these last couple of games. Those guys need to go out there and set the tone for next season, even if it occurs in a losing effort.
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