Lions vs Vikings; Pregame

The Detroit Lions will host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and this game is anyone's guess! Yes I know many fans will say the Lions are going to crush them. Let me fill you in a little secret. The Vikings fans are saying they will do the same to us.

On paper, this is the Lions 2nd victory. Looking at the talent level across the board, this is a Detroit win. But if you look at the entire scope of the game, the Lions may be in for some big trouble.

Detroit is 1-2, while the Vikings are 2-1.  Yes the Vikings beat the Jaguars, who pretty much stink, but they also beat the 49ers. Something the Lions could not do. Yet the Lions have lost to the Titans who really are not very good.

You have faith in Stafford and Calvin and the rest do you? You remember the vast amount of points the Lions scored last year and the yards Stafford threw for? Do you remember the Lions offense stumbling along in the first half so often last year too? They are making the same mistakes and this year are not making the great come backs.

The Lions have faced Bradford, Smith, and Locker. Do you list any of them as great QBs? How about really good quarterbacks? I dont. Locker has the ability to become a great QB, but in his first season as a starter, he is decent at best. Yet all three of these QBs have completed over 60% of their passes against the Lions. Ponder this year, has completed 70% of his passes. He will likely only improve that stat against the Lions secondary.

The Lions should win this one. But that will depend solely on the coaches. Linehan will need to have one of his two or three games a year where he actually calls a good game. If he waits until the second half yet again, to get the ball moving down field, the Lions wont come from behind to win. Ponder and company are playing too well right now and the Lions secondary is so scary bad, the Lions could find themselves in a deep hole and not make it back out. But if the Lions try to help their talent deprived secondary too much, Adrian Peterson will have a field day.

Linehan needs to understand that it is the passing game this team is built around. They have needed a good running game in a bad way, but not to run first to set up the pass. They needed a run game to keep defenses honest. To extend drives on 3rd and short. If he tries to be a run first team yet again, with an under powered center and no run blocker, and Stafford continues to throw 3 yard outs and not down field, the Lions will lose this game before they ever get in it.

Lions should win this contest, 30-27, but it would not surprise me if they lose by a touchdown either.