Lions-Vikings Key Matchups
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Will Ragatz covers the Minnesota Vikings for Inside The Vikings. He answered five questions heading into the Lions-Vikings NFC North divisional matchup Sunday.
1.) How is the team handling its performance on Monday Night Football?
Will Ragatz: They're staying optimistic. It was a poor performance, with the defense getting roasted in the first half and the offense struggling with inefficiency and interceptions. But, a few plays here and there, including a dropped touchdown pass by Irv Smith Jr., could've made it a closer ballgame. It was also encouraging that the defense adjusted and held the Eagles scoreless in the second half. Plus, Philadelphia might be the best team in the NFC, and has one of the toughest road environments to play in. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell placed the blame for the loss on himself, and pledged to put his players in better positions to have success. We'll see what kind of adjustments they make this week, but there's no panic after a road loss to a great team.
2.) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Vikings?
Ragatz: Their biggest strength, in theory, is their offense. They've got a good veteran quarterback in Kirk Cousins, elite skill position talent led by Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen, as well as a bright offensive mind leading the way in O'Connell. The offensive tackles are also good, with the interior O-line representing the biggest question mark on that side of the ball.
There are more weaknesses on defense, the secondary being the biggest one. The Vikings' cornerbacks group -- Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, and Chandon Sullivan -- is shaky at best. Safety Harrison Smith isn't playing this week, which is another issue. The defensive front has plenty of talent, but the run defense has been bad, which is a major concern against the Lions. Special teams are a major strength.
3.) Kevin O'Connell is a first-time head coach in the NFL. How have you assessed his gameplans and coaching through the first two games of the season?
Ragatz: Everything worked for O'Connell in Week 1 against the Packers. The Vikings drove down and scored a touchdown on the first possession of the season, and cruised to a 23-7 victory. Jefferson had a huge game, which O'Connell deserves plenty of credit for. His head coaching debut went about as well as it could've.
That didn't continue against the Eagles, though. The Vikings went three-and-out on four of their five possessions in the first half, and couldn't score at all in the second half (although Cousins' three interceptions weren't really O'Connell's fault). The Vikings got away from the run game too much, which O'Connell took credit for. I think he'll bounce back this week.
Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports
4.) What are the one-two key matchups you are watching for?
Ragatz: When the Vikings have the ball, how will the Lions attempt to stop Jefferson? He might be the best wide receiver in the league, and he'll be hungry to have a big game, after being held in check by Darius Slay on Monday night. When the Lions have the ball, will the Vikings be able to put up any resistance against the run? It's a huge mismatch on paper, as the Lions have a dominant running game and the Vikings have been awful against the run (some of which is by design). Ed Donatell's two-high safety defense invites the run and tries to limit explosives. But, the Vikings may want to adjust this week and bring more defenders into the box to slow down D'Andre Swift. I'll also be watching Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson and how the Vikings try to limit their effectiveness.
5.) How do you see this Week 3 game, between the Lions and Vikings, shaping up?
Ragatz: I think it'll be a very close game. The spread (Vikings at -6) seems too high for this matchup, in my opinion. The Lions should be able to run the ball effectively and put up points on the Vikings' defense. However, Minnesota should be able to score plenty of points, too. I think we could see a good, old-fashioned shootout at U.S. Bank Stadium between Cousins and Jared Goff (which of course means it'll actually be a low-scoring mess). I've got the Vikings pulling out a narrow win at home. Let's say 33-30 for the score.
