Vikings-Lions Preview: Inside Scoop From Detroit

Ahead of the first meeting of 2020 between the Vikings and Lions, I posed five questions to John Maakaron, the editor and publisher of Sports Illustrated's All Lions.

Adrian Peterson returning to Minnesota for a third time will be a big story, but how do you expect the snaps and touches to be divided between AP, D'Andre Swift, and Kerryon Johnson?

At first, Peterson was getting more snaps and carries. In the past couple of games, Swift's snap counts have steadily increased and he has been on the field more than Peterson. Unfortunately, against the Colts the running game was abysmal and ineffective. Against the Vikings, I expect Peterson to get the early carries, but Swift will end up with more playing time overall. Swift can be used better in the passing game to try and exploit the Vikings defense. Johnson's role has been to be the blocking third-down running back to spell both Swift and Peterson. He has excelled in that role, despite it basically being a demotion.

With no Kenny Golladay, who steps up in the Lions' passing game?

The odds-on favorite to get the most targets is second-year tight end T.J. Hockenson, who has emerged as a reliable target for Stafford and the offense. Detroit can also spread the ball around pretty well. The offense features several talented wide receivers including Marvin Jones, Marvin Hall, and Danny Amendola. The biggest question mark will be if rookie Quintez Cephus [a fifth-round pick out of Wisconsin] gets on the field. After filling in for Golladay early in the season and being targeted heavily, Detroit's rookie wideout has been inactive the past few weeks.

It seems like No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah has gotten off to a slow start. What do you think has caused his rookie struggles?

Playing against elite wide receivers to start your rookie season would impact any rookie's performance. Okudah got welcomed to the NFL by Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, and Julio Jones. In the past few weeks, his performance has steadily improved. Last week, he game up the fewest yards of his rookie season. At first, he was struggling with overthinking techniques and lost sight of fundamentals. As he has progressed, he is now getting to the point where he can adapt to different gameplans and react more naturally out on the field. He still has a long way to go, but he is getting better every week.

Outside of Okudah and edge rushers Romeo Okwara and Everson Griffen, who are a couple players Vikings fans should know on the Lions' defense?

Jamie Collins has been Detroit's most productive linebacker. He will attempt, along with the others, to try and stop Dalvin Cook. Defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand can get into the backfield and disrupt things for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Detroit's best player in the secondary has been safety Duron Harmon, a veteran defensive back from New England who has made plays when needed. The player to pay attention to is cornerback Amani Oruwariye. He has quietly been Detroit's best corner this season. Veteran Desmond Trufant is returning, so that may impact Oruwariye's playing time a touch, but look for Detroit's secondary to play better than they did against the Colts.

What's your prediction for this game? Can the Lions snap a five-game losing streak against the Vikings?

It is hard to imagine Detroit playing without Golladay and Trey Flowers and still winning this game. Everyone in Detroit is wondering how Matthew Stafford will perform, since he was not able to practice all week due to being on the COVID-19 reserve list. He has been available to attend all meetings virtually, so the veteran quarterback should be able to adapt and play well. I just don't trust Detroit's defense enough to stop Cousins and Cook at key moments. I believe Minnesota wins this one 27-23.

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