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11-02-2025, 11:31 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-02-2025, 11:33 AM by MaroonBells.)
https://vikingsterritory.com/2025/news/t...ings-lions
1. Win the Damn Turnover Battle
The Vikings intercepted opponents’ passes 24 times last season — 24 times. This year, Minnesota has logged three picks. The discrepancy is glaring. The mission and outcome are pretty damn clear when O’Connell coaches a football team: when his squad wins the turnover battle or breaks even, it wins. When it doesn’t, they lose.
2. Run the Football, Do It Efficiently, and Don’t Abandon the Run
No Vikings tailback, fullback, or quarterback has topped 57 rushing yards in a game since Week 3. Put another way — it’s been six straight weeks without anyone cracking 60 on the ground. When the team has fallen behind on the scoreboard — and even when it hasn’t — the Vikings abandon the run and throw the ball with a mediocre passer like Carson Wentz under center. This doesn’t work. Minnesota must run the ball efficiently and run it often. If McCarthy is asked to throw 40 times or more, the purple team will lose.
3. Competent Play from J.J. McCarthy
Speaking of McCarthy, good lord, does this man need an impressive game to tame the fears of Vikings fans. Everyone’s last memory of him was a heinous Week 2 showing, in which McCarthy looked lost, silly, and unprepared. Folks can dissect Minnesota from head to toe this season, hoping to find out why it has a losing record. But the fact remains that quarterback play is the smoking gun. For example, if Wentz had not failed to see a couple of open receivers against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, his team would be 4-3 right now, not 3-4. The vibes would be markedly, markedly different.
4. Defensive Containment
Perhaps the magic potion is holding Detroit under 30 points. That would mean defensive containment is the answer. Fans should understand that the Lions will “get theirs,” but anything at 30 or more will result in another loss.
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The last two games against the Vikings, Goff is completing 84% of his passes ... insane. Putting some pressure on him would be nice.
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(11-02-2025, 11:59 AM)NorseFeathers Wrote: The last two games against the Vikings, Goff is completing 84% of his passes ... insane. Putting some pressure on him would be nice.
Covering St Brown would also be nice. He owns us
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I agree with all of the keys the writer highlights in this piece. I just want to add one more.
Don't start by having McCarthy run the full offense, just hoping he gets enough time to run it, and then adjusting if he doesn't. I want to see him start out with a quick, high-percentage game and only when he proves he can be successful doing that should they open up the deeper game.
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1. Won't happen
2. Won't happen
3. Will happen
4. Will happen
I think we keep it close, cover the spread, and lose.
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(11-02-2025, 12:40 PM)pattersaur Wrote: 1. Won't happen
2. Won't happen
3. Will happen
4. Will happen
I think we keep it close, cover the spread, and lose.
Well, maybe not so much
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(11-02-2025, 11:31 AM)MaroonBells Wrote: https://vikingsterritory.com/2025/news/t...ings-lions
1. Win the Damn Turnover Battle
The Vikings intercepted opponents’ passes 24 times last season — 24 times. This year, Minnesota has logged three picks. The discrepancy is glaring. The mission and outcome are pretty damn clear when O’Connell coaches a football team: when his squad wins the turnover battle or breaks even, it wins. When it doesn’t, they lose.
2. Run the Football, Do It Efficiently, and Don’t Abandon the Run
No Vikings tailback, fullback, or quarterback has topped 57 rushing yards in a game since Week 3. Put another way — it’s been six straight weeks without anyone cracking 60 on the ground. When the team has fallen behind on the scoreboard — and even when it hasn’t — the Vikings abandon the run and throw the ball with a mediocre passer like Carson Wentz under center. This doesn’t work. Minnesota must run the ball efficiently and run it often. If McCarthy is asked to throw 40 times or more, the purple team will lose.
3. Competent Play from J.J. McCarthy
Speaking of McCarthy, good lord, does this man need an impressive game to tame the fears of Vikings fans. Everyone’s last memory of him was a heinous Week 2 showing, in which McCarthy looked lost, silly, and unprepared. Folks can dissect Minnesota from head to toe this season, hoping to find out why it has a losing record. But the fact remains that quarterback play is the smoking gun. For example, if Wentz had not failed to see a couple of open receivers against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, his team would be 4-3 right now, not 3-4. The vibes would be markedly, markedly different.
4. Defensive Containment
Perhaps the magic potion is holding Detroit under 30 points. That would mean defensive containment is the answer. Fans should understand that the Lions will “get theirs,” but anything at 30 or more will result in another loss. I think you got all 4, with the possible exception that KOC as usual tends to abandon the run at times, but Mason wasn't running as well as Jones.
It was a great team win in light of how poorly things had been going prior.
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(11-02-2025, 11:31 AM)MaroonBells Wrote: https://vikingsterritory.com/2025/news/t...ings-lions
1. Win the Damn Turnover Battle
The Vikings intercepted opponents’ passes 24 times last season — 24 times. This year, Minnesota has logged three picks. The discrepancy is glaring. The mission and outcome are pretty damn clear when O’Connell coaches a football team: when his squad wins the turnover battle or breaks even, it wins. When it doesn’t, they lose.
2. Run the Football, Do It Efficiently, and Don’t Abandon the Run
No Vikings tailback, fullback, or quarterback has topped 57 rushing yards in a game since Week 3. Put another way — it’s been six straight weeks without anyone cracking 60 on the ground. When the team has fallen behind on the scoreboard — and even when it hasn’t — the Vikings abandon the run and throw the ball with a mediocre passer like Carson Wentz under center. This doesn’t work. Minnesota must run the ball efficiently and run it often. If McCarthy is asked to throw 40 times or more, the purple team will lose.
3. Competent Play from J.J. McCarthy
Speaking of McCarthy, good lord, does this man need an impressive game to tame the fears of Vikings fans. Everyone’s last memory of him was a heinous Week 2 showing, in which McCarthy looked lost, silly, and unprepared. Folks can dissect Minnesota from head to toe this season, hoping to find out why it has a losing record. But the fact remains that quarterback play is the smoking gun. For example, if Wentz had not failed to see a couple of open receivers against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, his team would be 4-3 right now, not 3-4. The vibes would be markedly, markedly different.
4. Defensive Containment
Perhaps the magic potion is holding Detroit under 30 points. That would mean defensive containment is the answer. Fans should understand that the Lions will “get theirs,” but anything at 30 or more will result in another loss.
Brilliant. Pretty much the formula for any game. Lol
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