Lions @ Vikings

Win some lose some. It was a competitive game. Sucks we lost but on to the next. Detroit is the real deal. We’ll see them down the road again

Great competitive game. Heavyweight title fight. This will hurt when we have to go into their house for a win.

Under the radar —-We really missed Cashman in this game, we haven’t been beaten to the outside much this year due to him being in the right spot so much.

The game was lost in the second quarter when we gave up 3 touchdowns. Too many big plays.

Positive is that we showed toughness and got back into it after being down 11 and had a good chance to win it, just couldn’t convert the 2 point or sustain the last drive.

Lots of ways to view this match-up...

Here's one:

Excellent game from Jared Goff. He diagnosed and shredded Brian Flores' scheme. Sam Darnold has reverted back into being the Sam Darnold that we all know and love! pic.twitter.com/q78X22L1lL

— Alterraun⚡ (@Hockfan445) October 20, 2024

This is probably the first game this year (for me) where I wondered if KOC might have put a healthy JJM in - and how might he have done?

Thats a tall order for a rook vs one of the top NFC teams.

Lions QB Jared Goff
Goff didn’t throw an incomplete pass until the third quarter and finished the day 22-for-25 for 280 yards and two TDs for a 140 passer rating. He has passer ratings of 140 or higher in his past three games and has competed 82% of his passes in that span. He did not turn the ball over Sunday and got 100-yard games from running back Jahmyr Gibbs and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Each scored on a big play (45-yard run for Gibbs, 35-yard catch for St. Brown) in the second quarter, when the Lions built a 21-10 halftime lead after going scoreless in the first quarter.

Though Goff was sacked four times after going down only twice against the Vikings last season, he was composed when it mattered. Needing to drive the Lions for the winning score with 2 minutes, 32 seconds left in the game, Goff exclusively got the ball to Gibbs and St. Brown as Detroit reached the Vikings 26 to set up Jake Bates’ 44-yard field goal.

Two fourth-quarter missed opportunities
The Vikings put the game in Sam Darnold’s hands twice in the final minutes in short-yardage situations and he did not convert. They ran only one red-zone play on offense, and it was their two-point conversion attempt after Ivan Pace Jr.’s fumble return for a TD gave them a one-point lead with 5:50 left. Darnold’s pass to Jordan Addison was tipped and landed incomplete.

After the Vikings defense forced a three-and-out, sacking Goff on third down for emphasis, the offense needed to sustain a drive with 4:16 left. But the Vikings went three-and-out, too. On third-and-4, Darnold overthrew Justin Jefferson and they had to punt. Given more than two minutes and needing only a field goal to win, Goff delivered.

The Vikings’ seven offensive penalties
After the Jets game in London and in the Vikings’ return from their bye week, coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips expressed concern about the number of penalties the offense has incurred, particularly of the presnap variety. The situation did not improve Sunday. All but one of the Vikings’ eight penalties were on the offense, including false starts, illegal formations and offsides to go with several holding calls. It all leads to the impression of an offense out of sync.

Source: Startribune

If I have to name a goat for this game, it’s Jordon Addison. The guy just does not look good, it’s like he’s going through the motions out there.

2 pre snap penalties, ran the wrong route on a critical down Even on the long catch he fell down when catching the ball and didn’t have any reason to.

Don't really know what to say other than it was the hard fought, close, divisional game we expected. Game could have gone either way and we'll see them again down the line to hopefully return the favor. Have to turn the page fast with a short week playing the Rams on Thursday.

I can’t believe how close today’s game was by the numbers. Lions and Vikings had nearly identical box scores pic.twitter.com/0WKAzA14b1

— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) October 20, 2024

I'll tell you the one thing that just makes me shake my head when we play the Lions, as much success as Jefferson has against them, he is often been matched or surpassed by the success St Brown has against the Vikings every time we play. We haven't covered him since he came into the league as a rookie and you cant let him go for 12 catches for 150 every time we play. Double team his ass or do whatever you have to do to limit his impact. Make LaPorta and Jameson Williams beat you.

purplefaithful wrote:
Well, bloody hell...

I knew when we had to punt it away that last time...Sigh

Lions are a very good team, we couldn't close the door when we had the chance.

Really looking forward to getting a healthy TJH back, he could have been a difference maker. Not making excuses, the Lions won it on talent and grit too. 

IF you looked just at the statistics, yards, efficiency and even penalties, this game was razor close.

Doesnt make me feel better about losing...

5 and 1. I'll take it. 

That was a game we woulda, shoulda, coulda won, but still one helluva game. Folks tuning in across the country got their money's worth. I've been watching a lot of "other" NFL games this year, more than I typically do, and the difference in quality of play across the board is shocking. With all due respect to the lossless Chiefs, I think the Lions and Vikings are the two best teams in the NFL.

supafreak84 wrote:
I'll tell you the one thing that just makes me shake my head when we play the Lions, as much success as Jefferson has against them, he is often been matched or surpassed by the success St Brown has against the Vikings every time we play. We haven't covered him since he came into the league as a rookie and you cant let him go for 12 catches for 150 every time we play. Double team his ass or do whatever you have to do to limit his impact. Make LaPorta and Jameson Williams beat you.

Goff too! Ever since he put like 50 on Zimmer's defense with Kupp back in the day, I feel like he's owned us. I know we've beaten the Lions a few times here and there in that time but when Goff is on it's surgical, and super frustrating as a fan and I'm sure as a player.

ARSB-- yes he's really good but I agree he doesn't eat every team alive like he does us.

We held Montgomery and LaPorta mostly in check which is something, but the two above and Gibbs really had huge days.

As so many have said, we easily could have won that game. It was a lot of fun, I loved seeing the team come back and almost win it. The dark side of that coin is this will be the question that hangs over the team the entire season-- Against elite teams, do we have the engine at QB to win? Earlier in the season, notably against SF, Darnold closed the game out with poise and we won. Yesterday, it didn't happen.

Good game. Aaron Jones is amazing, along with most of the FAs KAM brought in. And JJ I'm in awe of every week. It's unbelievable how good that man is at football. Love that he's a Viking!

For me the bottom line is that seem to be a big play team. Offensively and defensively. We're not a grind it out, move the chains team, on either side of the ball. I think we need to become better at this.

MaroonBells wrote:
For me the bottom line is that seem to be a big play team. Offensively and defensively. We're not a grind it out, move the chains team, on either side of the ball. I think we need to become better at this.

I think this is right...It was very clear when we had a chance to close it out at the end and couldn't do it. 

This is a coach scheme/mindset as much as it calls for some improvement in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Its not very sexy, but its how you win today (especially post season). 

Its one of the reasons I like The Ravens and think it'll be them vs Chiefs in the AFC CG

purplefaithful wrote:

I think this is right...It was very clear when we had a chance to close it out at the end and couldn't do it. 

This is a coach scheme/mindset as much as it calls for some improvement in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Its not very sexy, but its how you win today (especially post season). 

Its one of the reasons I like The Ravens and think it'll be them vs Chiefs in the AFC CG

Think about how nice the tush push must be for Eagles fans. 4th and 1? Piece of cake. 3rd and 2? Dial it up!

Meanwhile the Vikings haven't been able to line up in a goalline-type scenario and run for a yard or two since... AP?

Darrisaw ... Wow!!!

Is this the best pass protection rep ever? pic.twitter.com/C6vhnyzxfa

— Edge (@SomethingEra2) October 21, 2024

DeepFreeze05 wrote:
Darrisaw ... Wow!!!

Is this the best pass protection rep ever? pic.twitter.com/C6vhnyzxfa

— Edge (@SomethingEra2) October 21, 2024

I can only agree with your assessment, "Wow"

FLVike wrote:

I can only agree with your assessment, "Wow"

yea wow

DeepFreeze05 wrote:
Darrisaw ... Wow!!!

Is this the best pass protection rep ever? pic.twitter.com/C6vhnyzxfa

— Edge (@SomethingEra2) October 21, 2024

This game wasn't just close in terms of the final score. It was close in every other way too...I don't know that I've ever seen a box score like this...

Vikings and lions went to war today, this is the most even box score I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/N85LfsBaUx

— Rich (@RJS676) October 20, 2024

MaroonBells wrote:
This game wasn't just close in terms of the final score. It was close in every other way too...I don't know that I've ever seen a box score like this...

Vikings and lions went to war today, this is the most even box score I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/N85LfsBaUx

— Rich (@RJS676) October 20, 2024

Games this close statistically are one or two play differences, or the turnovers tell the story....I suspect if we looked a bit deeper at 3rd down conversions etc, there may be a bit more separation in their favor. 

They made the big plays when they had to, the Vikings did not. Some of thats on Sam, I think KOC/Flores too.

purplefaithful wrote:

Games this close statistically are one or two play differences, or the turnovers tell the story....I suspect if we looked a bit deeper at 3rd down conversions etc, there may be a bit more separation in their favor. 

They made the big plays when they had to, the Vikings did not. Some of thats on Sam, I think KOC/Flores too.

Cllick on the tweet. It shows the whole breakdown and it's remarkably close across the board. Both teams were 4/10 on 3rd down conversions.

MaroonBells wrote:

Cllick on the tweet. It shows the whole breakdown and it's remarkably close across the board. Both teams were 4/10 on 3rd down conversions.

I hear you, but this game felt Kirk Cousin'esque from Sam. 

Gaudy stats, but the score-board is what matters of course. He missed some key throws, held the ball too long at times and struggles with man coverages. 

Earlier in this thread I quoted some EPA/Play and Total EPA stats and there is some telling gaps between Sam and Goff.

The D contributed to this loss as well, Johnson has pretty much owned Flores the last 4 games they coached each other. In spite of that, we had our chances to win. That's where I get a whiff of Alex Smith/Cousins.