Lions @ Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 28, Lions 24
Writer: Brennan Rampe (@phdinnfl)
After finding themselves down 14-0 and making several questionable decisions (two missed 56-yard field goals by Greg Joseph chief among them), the Vikings pulled off the comeback win in thrilling fashion. The Lions did almost everything right and still lost, as Jared Goff was very efficient. Detroit’s running game was essentially unstoppable, and their wide receivers and tight ends were almost always open against a depleted Vikings secondary. However, they fell apart in the second half, committing several penalties, failing on fourth down conversions, and missing a field goal near the end. With no timeouts and under a minute left, Kirk Cousins threw the game-winning touchdown to K.J Osborn, completing the comeback.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 25/41, 277 Yards, TD, INT | 2 Carries, 8 Yards
Goff performed admirably but not spectacularly. The loss wasn’t entirely his fault, as the Lions had the lead throughout most of the game, including with under a minute left. The offensive line gave him tons of time to throw, and he wasn’t sacked once. He also made plays with his legs when needed. Goff and the Lions converted four out of six fourth downs, and he looked comfortable running the offense. He threw an interception at the very end which sealed the win for the Vikings, but he has played very well this season (92.4 QB rating).
Running Backs
Jamaal Williams: 20 Carries, 87 Yards, 2 TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards
D’Andre Swift: 7 Carries, 31 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 15 Yards
Craig Reynolds: 6 Carries, 13 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Jamaal Williams was the workhorse for Detroit and scored two of the Lions’ touchdowns. He picked up a lot of first downs, and with D’Andre Swift still a little banged up he more than picked up the slack. D’Andre Swift still played and contributed, but was the second running back option. He got hurt near the end of the game and wasn’t seen much after that. As the stats indicate, Craig Reynolds had some carries, but with uninspiring results. Swift’s injury status will be worth monitoring.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Josh Reynolds: 10 Targets, 6 Receptions, 96 Yards
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 73 Yards
DJ Chark: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 46 Yards
T.J. Hockenson: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 18 Yards, TD
Kalif Raymond: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Amon-Ra. St. Brown once again looked like a star in the making, catching six of his nine targets. He caught a lot of passes in critical moments and had a fourth-down catch in the first quarter where he hurdled over Patrick Peterson, almost scoring. St. Brown suffered an injury in the second half, he returned later but was limited. Goff and Josh Reynolds showed some of the same chemistry that they had with the Rams a couple of years ago, and it was Reynolds that had the most receiving yards, not St. Brown. T.J. Hockenson caught a touchdown where he was wide open in the end zone, and that was the highlight of his day. Like Swift, St. Brown’s injury is something to monitor.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins: 24/41, 260 Yards, 2 TD | 1 Carry, -1 Yards
Kirk Cousins had a slow start to the game, mainly just handing the ball off. His first couple of throws were just short completions. He threw the ball away rather than taking sacks and wasn’t afraid to take hits while throwing in the pocket. He heated up in the second quarter, throwing a touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. Then, he led them down the field, where Dalvin Cook would score to tie the game. Cousins was aided by multiple penalties on Lions defensive backs, mainly Amani Oruwariye. Oruwariye was called for penalties constantly, and he was a reason why the Vikings were able to come back. Then, with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, Cousins delivered a strike to K.J. Osborn, which was the game-winner.
We freaking like that.@KirkCousins8 @KJ_Osborn
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/Ca0DGAgQdP
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 25, 2022
Running Back
Dalvin Cook: 17 Carries, 96 Yards, TD, 1 Fumble (Lost)
Alexander Mattison: 7 Carries, 28 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
Dalvin Cook was Minnesota’s lead rusher. He never broke a big one, but he had a lot of small yet important gains, picking up a lot of first downs. He also scored a touchdown to tie the game in the second quarter. However, he fumbled late in the third quarter and got injured on the play. It was diagnosed as a shoulder injury, and he did not return. His injury status should be monitored very carefully. Alexander Mattison would finish the game, and scored in the fourth quarter, breaking tackles on his way to the end zone.
.@AlexMattison22 doesn't care about your contact 😤
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/59KgCSab5V
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 25, 2022
Wide Receiver/Tight End
K.J. Osborn: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 73 Yards, TD
Adam Thielen: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 61 Yards, TD
Irv Smith Jr.: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards
Ben Ellefson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards
Johnny Mundt: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards
C.J. Ham: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
Justin Jefferson: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards
Jalen Reagor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)
Justin Jefferson was contained for the second straight week (much to the chagrin of his fantasy owners). He did almost nothing, so Cousins had to turn to Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn to move the ball. Thielen had the first touchdown of the game for Minnesota, and he caught several key passes. Osborn was the leading receiver of the day, and he caught the game-winning touchdown. The tight ends didn’t contribute much, as Irv Smith Jr., Ben Ellefson, and Johnny Mundt all caught two passes and didn’t exactly set the world on fire.