6 Lions Players to Watch against the Minnesota Vikings
The Lions (0-4) are heading on the road to face the Minnesota Vikings (1-3) in Week 5, with the two teams set to duke it out in the basement of the NFC North.
Let's take a look now at the six Lions players that Detroit fans should pay attention to this week.
QB Jared Goff
Hopes were somewhat high that Detroit was going to see the Goff of 2017-18, but it appears that may have been a pipe dream.
Watching Goff play has been like watching the movie, “The Notebook,” which features an old couple reminiscing about what life used to be. As for Goff, watching him vacillate between what he used to be and what he has become is frustrating, to say the least.
To Goff’s defense, he does not have a bunch of proven wide receivers to throw to. Now, with Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson being questionable, the offense itself is potentially even less stable. If Hockenson can not go, Goff will probably do even more dink-and- dunk throws to running back D’Andre Swift (the Lions' second-leading receiver, with 23 catches). However, If there was ever a time Goff needed wide receivers Quintez Cephus and Amon-Ra St. Brown to step up deep, this would be the game.
TE Darren Fells
With Hockenson’s status (knee) being up in the air, it turns the spotlight potentially more to Fells. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound Fells is a reliable big frame for Goff to throw to. He is no Hockenson, but he does have a decent history of production. In fact, Fells even caught 17 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns for the Lions in 2017.
RB Jamaal Williams
He is the other running back, outside of Swift, who is taking advantage of having a former running back in Anthony Lynn for an offensive coordinator. Williams has emerged as the team's leading rusher, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. And, he is one of the more reliable receiving options, as well (13 catches on 14 targets). Minnesota’s run defense is trending toward the bottom-third of the league, giving up 135.5 yards per game. So, the holes should be there for Williams to run wild.
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OL Evan Brown
Brown will be one of those offensive linemen opening holes up for Williams. From obscurity to the starting lineup, Brown will now be making the offensive line calls at center, with Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow out with a toe injury. Brown will not show up on the stat sheet directly. But, watch him, because indirectly he will, as he will be snapping the ball to Goff.
WR Kalif Raymond
Truly, he's been one of the unsung heroes of this team so far this season. Raymond has come out of nowhere, emerging as the team's leading wide receiver (14 receptions) through four weeks. As an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross in 2016, Raymond managed to catch only 19 balls, prior to the 2021 campaign. Minnesota’s secondary ranks 18th in the league, having given up 1,014 yards through the air so far this season. So, the opportunities should be there.
CB Jerry Jacobs
Cornerback is one of the loneliest positions, and everyone can see when defensive backs get beat. That was definitely the case with Bobby Price last week, and now, the undrafted Jacobs' playing time will subsequently increase.
“I will say this, going into training camp, that’s when we first started to notice what type of player he was," Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn told reporters earlier this week. “He’s a young player, obviously, a free agent of ours, (who) still needs a lot of work. But, the only way to get those guys a chance to really see how they operate in game situations is to give them a chance, and he had his chance last week and he operated very well. So, between him and Bobby (Price), both of those guys are going to play. Jerry is going to get a little bit more than he’s been getting, but we have to see exactly what we have in these young players. Again, as I said before, the only way you figure that out is just to put them out there."
Cousins’ back is against the wall, and Minnesota has a couple of big-play targets to get the ball to in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. This will be a big test for Jacobs.
