Halfway through the season and the Lions are sitting at .500 at the bottom of the NFC North. Perhaps the most disappointing of the four defeats from the first half of the season was the home one to the Vikings and its impact on the season can be lessened with a result reversal in this fixture. A win would also leave the Lions at 5-4 with five of their remaining seven games to be played at Ford Field. Sadly the quality of the opponents that will be heading towards the Lions home is such that whatever advantage home field brings will be needed if they are to be overcome. As we head into the second half of the season the Lions form appears to be improving which is a good sign. The Vikings conversely, after a great start to the campaign, have struggled of late and will be looking for a win to get their season back on track.
Much was made after the win at Jacksonville of the Lions run game and the four TD's it produced. What wasn't trumpeted quite as much was the better balanced play calling which put more faith in the ground game. Regular readers to this blog will know that I have been calling for a greater commitment to the run and I think the Jags game provided a little evidence of why I have been so vocal on this matter. It's unfortunate that Jahvid Best will not be playing this year as he has the perfect game to take advantage of a tiring defense that has been worn down by a pounding run attack like that which LeShoure and Bell bring. The concussion problems of Best were highlighted before we drafted him and it is to be hoped that the caution other teams observed, in not drafting him for fear he would be forced to retire before he was able to make much of an impact, does not prove to be the right decision. It is a measure of the greatness of Calvin Johnson that his production this season has come under such scrutiny and personally I have every confidence that by seasons end his stat line will be very in keeping with that of the rest of his career. I do think we will continue to see the emergence of Young and Broyles with the latter of those two becoming the reliable check down guy that Stafford needs to keep drives alive. For this game the Vikings D will be keen to give the home fans something to cheer about and Jared Allen appears to enjoy playing against the Lions so Backus and Cherilus will need to be at the best otherwise Stafford could find himself eating the Metrodome's atroturf.
After being so dominant for much of the game against the Jags the Lions D went decidedly off the boil as the second half progressed last week. The much maligned Secondary has been receiving some praise in recent weeks and as a unit they should be gaining in confidence despite the ongoing changing lineup due to injuries. They do remind me a touch of how I felt whenever Papa Grande took to the mound to close out a Tigers game the last couple of seasons namely looking like an accident waiting to happen. With 2nd year QB Ponder struggling for form it is imperative that the D-Line prevent Peterson from offering the Vikes a get out of jail free card. Allowing the Vikings to consistently gain yardage on the ground would be criminal and putting them in a position where they are forced to get Ponder to throw the ball surely has to be the game plan. Pressurising an already jittery QB could well provide our Secondary with more opportunities to enhance their growing reputation.
The Special Teams unit no doubt gave a huge collective sigh of relief when it was announced Harvin would not be fit for this game. The coverage unit has stepped up its game in recent weeks and even without the recognised start return man to face they cannot afford to let their level of play slip back to what it was. I'm tired of banging on about Stefan Logan and now just hope we start from our 20 yard line. Jason Hanson may well be required to be the difference maker should this game remain tight or head in Overtime.
The Vikings lost to the Bucs in their last home game while the Lions interminable road losing streak now seems like distant memory so perhaps home field will not be that great an advantage here. Despite the Vikings currently having a winning record this has to be seen as one of the better chances of victory for the Lions from their remaining fixtures and so it is vital they grab the win. The declining form of the Vikings coupled with the improving form of the Lions has me cautiously believing the Lions will get the win and whilst I think there is the potential for the win to be a big won I shall err on the side of caution and say the Lions will win a close one.
Prediction: LIONS 28 Vikings 24
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