Lions vs Vikings prediction, scouting report for NFL Week 9 recreation – Detroit Free Press

Quick info: 1 p.m. ET; Sunday, Nov. 2; Ford Subject, Detroit; Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).
Line: Lions by 8½.
The coaches: Lions — Dan Campbell (49-37-1 total, 44-30-1 with Lions); Vikings — (37-21 total, all with Vikings).
Final assembly: Jan. 5, 2025, Lions won 31-9.
With Carson Wentz now on injured reserve, the quarterbacking scenario in Minnesota has landed on former Michigan star J.J. McCarthy, whether or not he is prepared to start out or not. For what it is price, Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was very complimentary of McCarthy in his Thursday information convention.
“He is a bodily quarterback. I do not imagine he will get sufficient credit score for that,” he mentioned. “I imagine he is an incredible operating menace. That is one thing that we have now to be ready for. After which he has the moxie, I see it.”
What Sheppard sees could also be totally different than what the numbers recommend, nevertheless. McCarthy’s 67.2 passer score would rank him under all certified starters this season if he performed sufficient — even under quarterbacks who entered the season as backups resembling Cincinnati’s Jake Browning (70.5) and Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel (78.4). Outdoors of the fourth-quarter comeback in his crew’s opening recreation in opposition to the Chicago Bears, McCarthy has performed poorly, main many NFL specialists to wonder if his absence from video games was much less of an harm precaution and extra of a benching.
However the Lions actually do not wish to be the crew in opposition to whom McCarthy has a breakout, so Sheppard will possible make use of what he calls his “secret sauce” — McCarthy’s former Michigan teammate Aidan Hutchinson, who’s in a superb place to chase McCarthy throughout the backfield on Sunday.
How good is Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson? The 2-time All Professional is marking a profession low in receiving yards per recreation (86) and has zero landing catches in his final six video games … however nonetheless is fifth within the league in receiving yards (602).
He can be a problem for a wholesome Lions secondary, a lot much less a secondary nonetheless lacking beginning cornerback D.J. Reed and beginning security Kerby Joseph. Not less than the Lions will return security Brian Department from his one-game suspension and get a therapeutic Terrion Arnold again — although many Lions followers would in all probability surprise if that is an improve over “The Legion of Whom.”
Oh yeah — that is Sheppard’s nickname for gamers like Arthur Maulet, Erick Hallett and Nick Whiteside, defensive backs who broke out within the Lions greatest defensive recreation of the yr in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Count on to see extra of them in opposition to the Vikings on Sunday, particularly if Arnold would not look 100% and the Lions move rush can annoy McCarthy sufficient.
The Vikings had the second-best rush protection in 2024 permitting 93.4 yards per recreation, a giant purpose why they had been fifth within the NFL in factors per recreation allowed (19.2).
This yr, nevertheless, the Vikings are permitting 130.4 speeding yards per recreation, ninth-worst within the league — giving Lions operating again Jahmyr Gibbs a possibility for a second-straight monster recreation.
“He is a freak, man,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton mentioned on Thursday. “We’re getting a number of explosive performs from him simply getting the ball … he is very spectacular, and the extra he does it the higher he will get.”
Gibbs is averaging 75.1 speeding yards per recreation, good for eighth within the league, whereas additionally including one other 27.7 receiving yards per recreation. Count on the Lions to feed him the ball via up-the-middle handoffs and checkdown passes within the flat, taking the warmth off the offensive line with left deal with Taylor Decker nonetheless taking part in via a shoulder harm.
This Vikings offense offers up a number of sacks — 4 per recreation, to be actual, second most within the NFL.
The Lions, in the meantime, sack the quarterback rather a lot — 3.3 occasions per recreation, third most within the NFL. It in all probability would not take a math wizard to determine what the Lions defensive technique in opposition to the Vikings will likely be.
That is to not say newly-extended edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson goes to get a handful of free photographs in opposition to his former Michigan teammate J.J. McCarthy, but it surely does imply the easiest way the Lions can defend their secondary from getting burned by Jefferson is by ensuring McCarthy by no means has sufficient time to seek out him within the first place.
The Vikings would possibly have the ability to disrupt the Lions protection with an efficient operating assault, however at 93.9 yards-per-game speeding (seventh-worst within the NFL), they may must depend on a McCarthy breakout and a basic Jefferson showcase to have an opportunity in opposition to the Lions. However do not guess on it — there is a purpose Detroit is favored by greater than a landing, in spite of everything.
Only a few groups would really feel comfy dealing with a well-rested Lions crew, and the last-place Vikings are in all probability not on that record. Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs may have one other 100-yard speeding recreation, huge receiver Jameson Williams will get his third landing catch of the yr and the Lions will cruise at residence for one among their best wins of the season. The decide: Lions 31, Vikings 17.
You may attain Christian at cromo@freepress.com

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