The NFC North matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings is one that involves a number of shifting realities in terms of player health and availability. A complex decision awaits.
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, October 12th – 1:00 PM ET
Odds: Detroit (-1.5)
Why The Lions Will Cover
The Lions are banking on a few things to carry them in this game, and there’s good reason to believe that they can get the job done against the Vikings. First of all, Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be returning to the field after being out with an injury for a Thursday game on Oct. 2 against the Green Bay Packers.
Bridgewater’s return might give Minnesota a boost, but he’s also been away from the playing field for two weeks. It took time for Bridgewater to build a rhythm as a quarterback. He was tolerable but not particularly able to break open big plays in a loss to the New Orleans Saints. He then played well against the Atlanta Falcons, but the injury bug got him in the second half of that game. Now Bridgewater has had to sit with an injury. As he goes back onto the field, will he still have rhythm, or will he be back to the sluggish player who took the field against New Orleans? With the disruptions and bad breaks that have crept into Bridgewater’s season, should it be assumed that he’s going to play well? Probably not.
Detroit has a strong defensive line with a pass rush that could make life very difficult for Bridgewater. If the rookie isn’t fully ready, the Lions should get a number of turnovers and eventually take this game. The Lions also have to like that they picked up kicker Matt Prater from Denver, a big acquisition after they missed three field goals this past Sunday in a loss to Buffalo.
Why The Vikings Will Cover
Bridgewater might only be a rookie, and there are certainly no guarantees about the way he’s going to play on Sunday. However, Minnesota’s option was playing Christian Ponder at quarterback, and as everyone in the NFL got to see last Thursday, Ponder is just not a starting-level quarterback. He might not even be a second-string-level quarterback. He was a total mess against Green Bay in prime time, and so with Bridgewater in the game, the Vikings get a huge upgrade at quarterback. Bridgewater can open up the field, whereas Ponder can’t. That’s a big plus for the Vikings.
The other big thing working in Minnesota’s favor here is that the Lions’ offense, which didn’t score much to begin with last Sunday against Buffalo (only seven offensive points), might not have Calvin Johnson in the lineup. The Lions suffered against Buffalo without much production from Megatron, who caught one pass for seven yards and was physically hampered. If Johnson has to sit in this game, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford has not shown the patience needed to get the ball to receivers other than Golden Tate. Minnesota will be able to defend the pass a lot better.
Outlook
If Calvin Johnson can’t play and be more effective as a player, Minnesota has the offense and the quarterback needed to win this game. Take the Vikings.
Pick: Vikings (+1.5)
