5 keys to a Detroit Lions victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14

In Week 14, the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings in a divisional showdown that has playoff implications.

Let’s take a nearer take a look at the key issues the Lions want to do in opposition to the Vikings to proceed their successful streak. Check out the odds for this recreation courtesy of our buddies over at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Viking primary schemes

We already talked about Vikings’ plans for this season in our Week 3 Honolulu Blueprint, however a fast refresher would not harm.

On offense, Coach Kevin O’Connell is a descendant of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay’s teaching tree, so a wholesome dose of West Coast offense with built-in pre-snap motion is on the listing. Play-action, end-arounds, screens, and outside-zone run ideas are all staples, however we have seen the Vikings obtain some success by executing some gaping scheme ideas after they have some energy with their working backs needed to declare.

On protection, coordinator Ed Donatell runs a modified 3-4 based mostly on co-adapting Vic Fangio’s ideas — Donatell spent three seasons as Fangio’s defensive coordinator at Denver earlier than becoming a member of the Vikings.

While technically a 3-4, it operates extra in a 2-4-5 sub-package with a “fangio shell” protection scheme behind a four-man onslaught.

Because they normally take cowl seven, cowl the area laterally, and make use of a bend-don’t-break philosophy, their greatest weak point is a lightbox, inclined to offensive traces that like to bully individuals.

The Lions’ offensive line benefit was the greatest issue contributing to Key #1 in the Week 3 Honolulu Blueprint, a recreation plan that also stands eleven weeks later.

Repeat week 3 recreation plan

While the Lions have seen some drastic modifications – significantly on protection – since the final time these two groups met, the Vikings function in a lot the similar method. And to be sincere, they’re successful, so there was little purpose to change.

“They’re still winning, so I’d say it’s a better version of what they were because they’re still winning,” Lions coach Dan Campbell stated Monday. “This is a successful workforce. They discovered methods to win, that is what they do. And these are the robust groups, as a result of they did it in other ways in opposition to a number of opponents. Special groups, offense, protection, they discover methods to win.”

In Week 3 the Lions have been in management late in the recreation and had a possibility to win, however a teaching mistake that we want not repeat created a possibility for the Vikings they usually capitalized on it and secured the win.

Coaching errors apart, the authentic 5 key method to attacking the Vikings stays a stable plan and needs to be reinstated:

Key #1: Lean on the offensive line’s patchy method in quick assault

Even with an injured D’Andre Swift in Week 3, the Lions nonetheless managed to rush for 139 yards and as the working recreation is beginning to discover its rhythm, getting again to the century mark on the ground needs to be the floor expectation.

new fold: Hooking up a now-healthy D’Andre Swift early on. Swift could make a distinction when he is snug, and early touches will assist facilitate that.

Key #2: Grab the seam beneath the Fangio shell cowl

All three beginning large receivers have been additionally injured throughout the Week 3 recreation, however the trio nonetheless managed 215 yards via the air. The Lions really spent extra time throwing to the touchline in Week 3 than I’d have favored and a refocused assault down the center can be preferable – particularly given how Amon-Ra St. Brown was there currently Time has cut up the protection.

“To me, it’s hard for a defense to take away a slot receiver,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson stated Thursday. “I actually consider in that, particularly once we (St. Brown) transfer and check out to generate some matchups for him, however simply his expertise, it is distinctive. He’s nicely constructed. He’s sturdy, he is bought pace, he is pretty much as good as anybody on the workforce, popping in and out of the breaks to create separation at the prime of the route. No, it is superior, and he is bought elite fingers to go above and past so he could make some aggressive catches too, so it is a enjoyable little toy to play with once we get into the gameplan session stroll.”

new fold: The Lions will want to use the pace of DJ Chark and Jameson Williams to stretch wrapper protection, which solely opens up extra room for St. Brown to prepare dinner.

Key #3: Stop the run first, then cross the rush

Stopping the run stays a precedence, and in accordance to the DVOA, it’s solely Place in their metric the place the Vikings have a bonus (Vikings Rush DVOA: 16, Lions Run Defense DVOA: 25). If the Lions can decelerate Dalvin Cook, who ran for 96 yards the final time they met, they will put the Vikings in awkward conditions.

new fold: Setting the rim was a problem at the final assembly, however the Lions have improved in that space, significantly with modifications in rim personnel – transferring Aidan Hutchinson to open finish and elevating John Cominsky/Josh Paschal to closed finish.

Key #4: Bracket protection of Justin Jefferson

The Lions’ cross protection has come in leaps and bounds over the previous 5 weeks and their cross protection DVOA is seventeenth finest (Vikings’ cross offense DVOA is nineteen). Despite their enchancment, the Lions should retain a few of their Justin Jefferson-centric reporting ideas.

The Lions used Jeff Okudah in man protection whereas additionally strategically leaning on bracket protection with a security over the prime in sure spots (bear in mind issues modified a bit after Tracy Walker in that recreation was injured). The technique labored and the Lions held Jefferson at a career-low 14 yards.

“I’ll tell you this, it’s hard trying to keep that player (Jefferson) at it right now,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn stated. stated. (*5*)

new fold: Keeping Jefferson in examine at this stage once more is unrealistic, however the idea labored and needs to be a part of the recreation plan at sure factors. The Vikings will await the Lions to take that method once more and they’ll definitely have a counterattack, so Glenn wants to disguise his intentions earlier than the snap and preserve them off guard when utilizing bracket ideas.

Key #5: Make Kirk Cousins ​​uncomfortable with the flash

Cousins ​​stays a extremely environment friendly passer whose best weak point is when groups blitz him. Now a veteran, he’ll modify if the Lions go to the nicely too typically, however Glenn, if he can get inventive, could make incompletes and turnovers.

new fold: Bring the flash from distinctive positions and in uncommon locations. When Glenn simply blitzes at odd occasions, Cousins ​​are up for it, so creativity and timing are required.