minnesota vikings – Page 11

Lions Jared Goff earns MVP talk; Dan Campbell expects the best from his QB

With a 5-1 start to the season, Lions coach Dan Campbell often credits complementary football when the offense, defense and special teams all step up.

No argument here.

Still, quarterback Jared Goff has been playing lights out. He’s not doing it alone, but he’s accomplishing feats that are remarkable.

“I guess I’m just not surprised, I guess is the best way to say it. I hear these numbers and yeah, he’s playing good. He’s a good quarterback,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “I don’t see this like I’m blown away, I expect that from him. He’s playing at a high level. There are so many little things he does.’’

In the 31-29 win at the Vikings on Sunday, Goff completed 22-of-25 passes (88.0 percent) for 280 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 140.0 passer rating.

“We put a ton on his plate this week – we put a ton mentally. We asked him to do so much particularly on third down because it’s such a unique defensive scheme that we faced and the amount of pressure and he handled it so good,’’ Campbell said. “Because of that, that helps the rest of the team, it helps the rest of the offense perform at a high level. To me, that’s him.’’

With such stellar play, Goff has worked himself into the conversation for NFL MVP.

Statistics don’t tell the whole story – as ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said, “Stats are like bikinis. They show some things but not all things.”

Stats don’t show the heart, the fire in the belly and the ice in the veins. Nonetheless Goff is putting up the numbers.

The Lions offense is the only team with more offensive touchdowns (18) than incompletions (16) in a four-game span since the merger. Think about that.

— In any four-game span in NFL history, Goff is the only one to produce a completion percentage of 80.0 percent and a passer rating of 140.0.

— In each of his last four games, Goff has completed at least 72.0 percent of his passes, thrown for two touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 110.0. The only other player to have a four-game streak with these numbers in a single season was Tom Brady in 2007.

Not done yet:

— Goff is the fourth quarterback in NFL history to produce a passer rating of 140.0-or-higher in three-straight games, joining: Aaron Rodgers (2011), Kurt Warner (1999) and Roger Staubach (1971).

— Oh, and at the Vikings, Goff tied the franchise single-game completion percentage record (88.0 percent) in a game with at least 25 attempts.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Campbell was asked about critical comments from Chris Christie following the Lions 47-9 rout at Dallas a week ago. The coach smiled, shook his head and said: “The last time someone called me classless I was drinking wine from the bottle.”

UP NEXT: Tennessee Titans (1-5) at Lions (5-1), 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.

Detroit Lions take first place in NFC North with 31-29 win at Vikings

For many teams, heading into MInnesota to play the undefeated Vikings might seem like a no-win situation. On Sunday the Lions proved they are not like most NFL teams, they are better.

Detroit pulled off a 31-29 win with a game-winning field goal with 15 seconds left.

With the victory they find themselves 5-1 and atop the NFC North. The Vikings fell to 5-1 and 1-1 in the division.

It was the second big road win in two weeks for the Lions. Last week was a 47-9 rout at Dallas, this week was just enough to win. They all count the same.

“I told the team to say that I was proud of them is a massive understatement,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “We knew that team was playing good football and they have been for five weeks. Coming off a bye we knew they were going to be ready.

“It was going to come down to the wire, the team knew this. We talked about patience, keep your composure, communication and then attitude. Our guys did that, we hung in there,’’ the coach added.

Things went south when the Vikings scored the first 10 points and then late in the fourth when it looked like the Lions had won, running back David Montgomery fumbled (his first in 247 carries) and the Vikings picked it up and ran into the end zone.

“We didn’t bat an eye,’’ Campbell said.

The Lions offense got the ball back with 2:32 left at their own 30, needing a field goal to win. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 14 yards and caught a 16-yarder. A 14-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown got the Lions in field goal range. After bleeding the clock, kicker Jake Bates nailed a 44-yard field goal for the win.

“That’s a huge win on the road, tough environment. You don’t want to say must-win, but we needed that in a big way,’’ Campbell said.

Five reasons the Lions won:

ONE: Jared Goff was a perfect 15 of 15 to start the game and finished 22 of 25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and a 140.0 rating. He’s been on fire for the last three games and is the biggest reason the Lions are 5-1. “The guy’s got arm talent, there’s no question but it’s what he’s got here (between his ears) and here (in his heart). It’s what makes him a dangerous player,’’ Campbell said. “It makes him one of these guys you can build around because he’s a winner. He will find a way to win, he’ll find a way to put the offense in position to win a game. He doesn’t get frazzled, he’s tough, he’s competitive and he’s reliable. I love the guy, man.’’

TWO: Sure the Lions were missing pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson but the defense came up big when needed including Trevor Nowaske’s sack of Sam Darnold to finish the game. Safety Brian Branch was definitely the standout with an interception, a pair of pass defenses and four tackles. “(Branch’s) confidence is going sky high, he’s getting better. He’s still kind of young and new to the safety position for us. You can tell how fast he’s growing in the position,’’ Campbell said. “The sky’s the limit for him. He’s the ultimate football guy, he understands how to play the game. He’s instinctive, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s a great tackler, he’s a ball guy, he’s got radar. And he’s one of those guys that can change the game for you.’’ And he did.

THREE: The Lions did not want to start in the hole and before they knew it they were down 10-0, but patience and composure paid off. “I think they’ve got a really good coached team, I think coach (Brian) Flores is one of the best on defense in the league,’’ Goff said. “They adjusted well and we adjusted back. It was a little chess game there going on and it’s a lot of fun but they’re a good team.’’

FOUR: Running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a breakout kind of game with 160 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns. Campbell saw it coming. “We feel like Gibby’s been so close to exploding, we felt this was the game,’’ Campbell said. “He really came to life when we needed it most.’’ Gibbs finished with 15 carries for 116 yards and four catches for 44 yards, along with his two TDs. David Montgomery had nine carries for 31 yards. He injured a knee in the first half but got back into action. Because Gibbs was hot, he got most of the second-half work.

FIVE: Kicker Jake Bates, who was signed from the UFL, did not let the pressure get to him in just his sixth NFL game. It was all on the line when he sent the 44-yard game-winning field goal through the posts. Campbell was confident in Bates who was a perfect 9-for-9 in the first five games. “We’ve had five NFL games with him and then when you see him everyday in practice, you give him the crowd noise, move the spot and I’m yelling at him, you’re just applying pressure and watching him. He continues to make these kicks,’’ Campbell said. “You feel pretty good when he gets thrust into it.’’

UP NEXT: Lions (5-1) vs. Tennessee Titans (1-5), 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 at Ford Field.

Five things to watch as Lions face Vikings in NFC North road game

Patience is key for Detroit; also injury updates, prediction

Composure and patience are two words Lions coach Dan Campbell is preaching heading into the Lions’ first divisional game of the season at Minnesota. The undefeated Vikings have a head start in the NFC North, with a 1-0 record after beating the Packers at Green Bay.

“They’re playing really well, so are we. We’re on the road, they’ve already got a division win on the road at Green Bay, this is big, this is a real big game,’’ Campbell said. “That’s the way you have to approach it.”

Campbell found a common denominator between all five teams that they beat.

“They lose their composure and communication is not there and things start going sour and it snowballs and it gets worse. Nobody has taken them down to the wire really, I know the Jets game there was an opportunity there,’’ Campbell said. “But that’s what we have to do we have to take this thing to the fourth quarter and make it a game. If we don’t do that it’s going to be hard, you’re going to be running uphill. That’s the focus here – keep your composure, communicate and then you’ve got to battle.

While the Lions beat the Vikings twice last year, traditionally road games in Minneapolis have spelled trouble for Detroit.

“It’s a loud environment, as you know they play pretty good at home as most teams do, it just goes back to everything else,’’ Campbell said. “We’ve got a pretty veteran team particularly offensively. That’s where you’re put under fire. Our defense isn’t getting all of that. I feel like we’ll be able to keep our composure, keep our head about us and then it’s about being patient, we’ve got to be patient on offense, it’s hard to say but that’s what you’ve got to do.’’

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Vikings’ blitzing defense has improved in the second year under coordinator Brian Flores. The Lions can’t count on their success from last year over the Vikings.

“They don’t make it easy and that’s part of this defense. They’re trying to stress you out, they’re trying to strain you, the clock’s running, this game we’ll be on the road, and they’ve – it’s worked. They’ve gotten on some people,’’ Campbell said. “They’ve gotten on all these offenses and they’ve been able to play their game. Offense, defense, and really because of the defense because they’ve gotten up. These multiple score games, they’re up two scores, they’re up three scores early, and you are out of your offense so fast that you can’t – now you’re totally playing into their hands.”

TWO: Campbell said the Vikings’ 13 takeaways are fueling the team right now. It isn’t lost on the Lions who had five takeaways (3 interceptions, 2 fumble recovered) in the 47-9 win at Dallas. Jared Goff is keenly aware. “That’s typically going to be the difference in a game and those guys have been thriving off of it. So yeah, we’ve got to do a good job taking care of it and, like I said, they are extremely ball-aware, they’re trying to take it away, you can tell, and we’ve got to be even more aware this week,’’ Goff said. The Lions have a 4/10 ratio of giveaway/takeaways.

THREE: No one player can step in and fill the shoes of edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson who broke his leg on Sunday. Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator, said he puts together a plan each week that is about the players not just the scheme. “I say this every week, we do everything we can to put the players in the best position that we can to where it shows their strengths, and it limits their weaknesses. So, that’s what we plan to do and that’s my job. Even when we had Aidan. We moved Aidan around to put him in position so he can be successful too,’’ Glenn said.

“So, that’s my job and that’s the fun part about being a coordinator is being able to do that week in and week out. It’s also a tough job because you also have guys on the other side of the ball that you have to make sure you take care of. But I’m excited about the guys that we have. Those guys are going to go out there and play well,’’ Glenn added. The Lions added Isaiah Thomas from the Bengals’ practice squad this week but won’t make a big trade unless it’s the perfect deal for them.

FOUR: Ben Johnson’s trick-play bag is not empty even though he went to it often against the Cowboys. The offensive coordinator won’t be afraid to go there against the Vikings. “We’re not just calling plays to call plays because we think they look cool. It’s really by design and intent and then our guys carry it the rest of the way,’’ Johnson said. Along with the skill on the offense, Johnson’s creativity is another reason they are so successful at scoring. “This game’s been around for a long time and our challenge as a coaching staff, and I say it to the offensive staff quite a bit, is we can run a million different types of plays and because of that, I don’t like to run the same one twice. I don’t like to do it within a game, I don’t like to do it within a season,’’ Johnson said. “We certainly do have some staples that I will repeat at times, but we’re charged with let’s have a little creativity.’’

FIVE: Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs now want to be known as Sonic & Knuckles (like the video game). Hey, call them what they want. Between them they’ve scored 10 touchdowns in the first five games. Six rushing for Montgomery and three rushing and one passing for Gibbs. Montgomery’s eight consecutive games with a rushing TD is a Lions franchise record and he’s tied for most consecutive games with rushing TD active NFL streaks with Rams’ Kyren Williams. Only Baltimore’s Derrick Henry has more rushing TDs this season with 8. With 13 touchdowns in 20 career games, Gibbs ranks third in franchise history behind Barry Sanders and Sims who each had 18.

LIONS INJURY UPDATE: G Christian Mahogany (illness) is out; CB Carlton Davis III (quad) and G Kevin Zeitler (groin) are questionable.

VIKINGS INJURY UPDATE: TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) LB Blake Cashman (toe) and CB Akayleb Evans (hip) are out; OLB Pat Jones II (shoulder), RB Aaron Jones (hamstring), G Dalton Risner (back) and DL Harrison Phillips (shoulder) are questionable.

PREDICTION: Lions 31, Vikings 28