Tag: Sam Darnold

Five things to watch as Lions face Vikings with No. 1 seed on the line

Coach Dan Campbell built this Lions team for games like Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. It’s not just another game, it’s two 14-win teams vying for the No. 1 seed, a week off and home field advantage until the Super Bowl.

After losing the NFC Championship game at San Francisco last January, the Lions’ goal became to earn the No. 1 seed. Even though they’re perfect on the road, getting the bye and staying home until the Super Bowl is the goal. 

“You come out of that game and feel like it gives you the best odds to get to where the ultimate is, which is, as well all know what the prize is, and that’s the Super Bowl, well, you just – you try to set yourself up the best you can and that’s why you put those goals out there,’’ Campbell said. “So yeah, it’s been there for a while, so certainly this is something we want to do and we’ve had in our minds – division and one seed and all that, and it’s right here in our hands.”

The Lions beat the Vikings, 31-29, in their first meeting on Oct 20  and beat them both games in 2023. 

The Vikings have won nine straight, scoring more than 30 points just once – 42 in a win over Atlanta.

“They’re well-coached, got a lot of good players – a lot of good players and they create issues, really, in all three phases that we’re going to need to be prepared for, but it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to,’’ Campbell said. “So, like I said after the game, these are exciting times, to be able to play these types of games, so we’re looking forward to it.”

 FIVE THINGS TO WATCH:

ONE: Offense must pile on the points because the Lions defense is still the weak link due to injuries. In the last four games the Lions have averaged 37.5 points and outscored opponents 150-120 and overall they have a 533 to 333 advantage in points scored. In the first matchup against the Vikings, the Lions won 31-29. Last year the Lions beat the Vikings twice, scoring 30 points in each game. Goff was 22 of 25 for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first game. He has thrown just one interception in the last seven games. Goff has a 77-percent completion percentage and 90.9 QBR vs. the  Vikings blitz under Brian Flores, defensive coordinator. The Lions scored 30 or more points in all three games.

TWO: Contain Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. “Man, he is a special one. He’s my type of guy and you see the way he’s playing is starting to permeate to some of those other receivers,’’ Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “I think he’s one of the toughest guys playing that position. He’s an old school player, in my opinion, it’s almost like he’s a defensive guy playing receiver.’’ Jefferson had 7 catches, for 81 yards and a touchdown in the first game against the Lions.

THREE: The defense must make impact plays. “I thought that our top players outwilled their top players (in San Francisco) and to me, that’s what the focus is on for us. How many impact plays we can make and how our top players are going to outwill their top players,’’ Glenn said. In the first meeting, QB Sam Darnold completed 81.5 percent of his passes with 1 touchdown and 1 interception (by Brian Branch) with 244 passing yards in the first matchup. The LIons defense also gave up139 rushing yards in that game.

FOUR: Keep the run game going. Jahmyr Gibbs has done a good job with David Montgomery sidelined for the past two games. In those contests, Gibbs has a combined 226 rushing yards with two rushing TDs and 8 catches for 91 yards. He’s getting help from Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson and Vaki Stone. In the first matchup, Gibbs had 15 carries for 116 yards with two rushing touchdowns.

FIVE: Kicker Jake Bates could be the not-so secret weapon. In Monday’s win at San Francisco he kicked field goals of 57 and 42 yards, He did miss on two extra-point kicks – one was blocked. It’s something that was worked on this week. 

LIONS INJURY REPORT: CB Emmanuel Moseley (illness) and WR David Montgomery (knee) are out; LB Alex Anzalone (forearm), WR Kalif Raymond (foot) and RB Craig Reynolds (back) are questionable.

VIKINGS INJURY REPORT: OLB Patrick Jones II (knee) is out); LB  Kamu Grugier-Hill (illness) and CB Fabian Moreau (hip) are questionable.

PREDICTION: Lions 34, Vikings 31.

Lions comfortable at home or on the road for playoffs, but Vikings are the focus this week

ALLEN PARK — Owning a perfect 8-0 road record, could give Dan Campbell some comfort heading into Sunday’s huge game against the Vikings. But the Lions coach does not see the game, pitting 14-win teams, that way.

The winner earns the No. 1 seed, a bye week and home field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser heads out on the road and has to play in a wild-card game.

“We’re very comfortable on the road, it comes with preparation, time on task, guys do it for long periods of time, the way we train, guys handle those things well,’’ Campbell said on Wednesday. “We’ll do what we’ve got to do. Our mindset is wholly on this game right now.

“You don’t see it another way, it’s about this next game and finding a way to win, no different than what we just did. We had to find a way to win that game in San Francisco against a team that gave us what they had. They played hard. We had to do it in Chicago the week before so it’s the next one in front of us. We have to find a way to win this game, period. I really don’t care what it looks like we’ve just got to win.’’

Got that?

The Vikings (14-2) have won nine straight and quarterback Sam Darnold is having a career season.

However, the Lions (14-2) defeated the Vikings, 31-29, in Week 7 and have not lost an NFC North contest. Detroit bounced back with a 40-34 win at San Francisco on Monday night after beating Chicago the previous week.

Campbell said he feels the Lions have been in playoff mode since the loss to Buffalo on Dec. 15.

“That’s what this last stretch has been – the way we’re going to have to play. It’s more about finding a way to win and that’s really the objective here is do what we have to do, put our guy in position to make plays and find a way to win no matter what it looks like and we’ve been in that mode for a few weeks now,’’ Campbell said. “Same thing this week.’’

All season the NFC North ratings have been snug.

“It seems like we’ve been playing kind of  that way all year, feeling like we have to win every game. I’m sure they felt the same way,’’ Jared Goff said. “When you’ve got two teams like we’ve been going – every three with Green Bay for most of the year where it’s been 1, 2 you have to feel like you have to keep winning.’’

The Lions’ only two losses have come at home, but it’s a place they love to play. 

“We always look forward to that, we’ve got the best fans in the League. Look, you talk about the 1 seed because you feel like you have an advantage when you play at home,’’ Campbell said. “Not everybody can say that, we can because we do. The way our fans and our stadium is set up, it’s a special environment.’

INJURY UPDATE: LB Alex Anzalone, who has been out since Week 11 with a broken forearm, returned to practice on Wednesday which was actually a walk-through. “We’ll see how he does. Tomorrow will be a big day to see where he’s at,’’ Campbell said. Anzalone could provide a huge boost to the injury-depleted defense. In the Lions win over the Vikings in Week 7, Anzalone had a team-high eight tackles. …. WR Kalif Raymond, who missed the last five games with a foot injury, also returned to practice on Wednesday.

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.