Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions (8-7) and Minnesota Vikings (7-8) will square off in a Week 17 NFC North battle on Christmas Day. Because the Lions and Vikings have already played this season, this week’s Honolulu Blueprint will look a bit different. Instead of starting from scratch, we will revisit the keys to victory from Week 9, examine what worked and what didn’t, then identify what the Lions need to adjust in Week 17.
If the Lions want to salvage their season by proving their identity remains intact, they’ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint.
For a detailed look at the opposing scheme, make sure you check out our complementary breakdown piece: Lions (from Week 9) Preview: Breaking down Vikings’ offensive and defensive schemes.
Did it work? Nope.
Overall, the Lions rushed the ball 20 times and produced just 65 yards on the ground, a paltry 3.3 yards per carry. I went back and charted their rushing plays and discovered that they only ran three runs behind a true Duo blocking scheme (all three were run by Jahmyr Gibbs, who turned them into just eight yards), but they did run a lot of inside zone with front-side double teams. Per usual, they favored outside zone plays, but the speed of the Vikings’ defense made that approach challenging.
What’s changed?
The Lions’ rushing attack is coming off their worst performance in the coach Dan Campbell era, producing just 15 yards on 12 attempts, and abandoning their efforts late in the second quarter. With attrition at the tight end position, the Lions supplement their blocking scheme with a sixth offensive lineman (Dan Skipper), but they largely moved away from that approach in their last two games—because they were playing from behind—and it’s negatively impacted their rushing attack.
Adjustments?
The Lions pride themselves on their rushing attack, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them throw a lot of effort toward establishing it early in this game. I still maintain that Duo offers them an opportunity to bully their opponent, but reintroducing jumbo sets with Skipper would also be a benefit here.
Did it work? Nope
On a day when the Lions’ rushing attack was minimally effective, the Lions attempted nearly twice as many passing attempts (37) as runs (20), and succumbed to pressure on over half their opportunities (20 pressures and five sacks).
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores ran a multitude of “Cross-Dog” blitzes with his...
