ClutchPoints
The Detroit Lions are not playing the same kind of dominating regular-season football that they did a year ago. Head coach Dan Campbell’s team resembled a steam roller as the Lions won the NFC North title. They also finished the season as the No. 1 seed in the conference’s playoff structure.
They were clearly the best regular-season team in the conference, but that did not carry over into the playoffs. The Lions lost their divisional playoff matchup with the upstart Washington Commanders by a 45-31 margin. The defense had been torn apart by injuries and that kept the team from performing at a peak level in the postseason.
This season, the Lions dropped their opening game to the Green Bay Packers, a road game to the Chiefs and lost their Week 9 home game to the Minnesota Vikings. That was something of a shocking performance because the Lions were coming off their bye week. They had beaten the Vikings in their five previous meetings.
However, the Vikings were fighting to rescue their season and they evened their record at 4-4. If they had fallen to 3-5, their season would have almost certainly have been an attempt to regain respectability and their playoff aspirations would have been nothing but a desperate longshot.
The Vikings had been beaten physically in their previous losses to the Lions. Campbell’s team had taken it to the Vikings in each of those games. They pushed the Vikings around and getting the best of them with their strength and skill.
Minnesota was not going to let that happen in a make-or-break game for their season. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell found a way to rally his team and not let the Lions intimidate them. The Vikings were able to match Lions physical game by scoring on their first possession, much as the Lions had done on their opening possession. The Lions had sent a message for the last three seasons that they were the toughest team in the NFC North and that anyone who wanted to compete had to stand up to the Lions.
The Vikings did that in one game, but it doesn’t mean they have gained control of the series.
The next time the Lions play the Vikings, Packers or Bears, Campbell will almost certainly have his team whipped into a frenzy. That means their offensive and defensive lines will be playing at peak efficiency.
As a result, their key playmakers on offense will be able to make a statement. Jared Goff is one of the most accurate passers in the league and he can deliver the ball in a position that allows his receivers to make game-changing plays. He has completed nearly 75 percent of his passes.
Amon-Ra St. Brown may be just as good as Justin Jefferson of the Vikings and Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals. He runs crisp patterns and can outfight bigger opponents for...
