Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
- Kirk Cousins: 24/34, 337 yards, 4 TD | 4 carries, -3 yards
As far as the day is concerned, Kirk Cousins had a great statistical day. In spite of losing one of his top receiving options for the day, Cousins still managed 337 yards and 4 touchdowns. The day could have been better, as at least two of those 10 incompletions were drops on very catchable passes. A couple of drives needed to be saved by his teammates because he was flushed out of the pocket with no defender within 5 yards of Cousins.
Running Backs
- Dalvin Cook: 25 carries, 142 yards, 2 TD | 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
- Alexander Mattison: 7 carries, 18 yards
- C. J. Ham: 1 carry, 9 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards, 1 TD
Another week, another 100+ yards and a touch for Dalvin Cook. Unlike other weeks where the Vikings were in control all day long, this game remained close until the fourth quarter, so Cook saw 76% of the carries. In Cook’s 25 carries, only two of them were for a loss of yardage (of which one was a 1st down at the Detroit 3), while the rest of runs always seemed to accumulate 4-6 yards against a stout Detroit front seven. Cook is a set and forget RB1 at this point, barring injury. On the drive where Cook was stuffed at the Detroit 3, C. J. Ham comes up with a 5-yard TD reception to put the Vikings up by 7 to start the second half. Alexander Mattison did see the field today and managed 7 carries, though the only one of note was a second-quarter carry for 9-yards, which was half of his total for the day.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Stefon Diggs: 8 targets, 7 receptions, 142 yards
- Adam Thielen: 2 targets, 1 reception, 25 yards, 1 TD
- Olabisi Johnson: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 40 yards, 1 TD
- Kyle Rudolph: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD
- Irv Smith Jr.: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 60 yards
As mentioned earlier, Kirk Cousins spent most of the game without one of his elite Wide Receivers, Adam Thielen. In Minnesota’s second drive, Thielen caught a 25-yard touchdown streaking through to the back of the end zone and was in visible pain to end the play. What is being discussed as a hamstring strain led to Thielen missing most of Sunday’s contest.
However, the Vikings have two stud Wide Receivers and Stefon Diggs made sure to pick up the slack for Adam Thielen. Diggs had 7 catches for 142 yards, one of which was a 66-yard deep post where Diggs escaped two defenders and move the ball to the Detroit 4 yard line, setting up an easy 4-yard TD for Dalvin Cook. The most aggravating part of the day for Diggs was that he left quite a few points on the table, dropping a 27-yard touchdown on the first drive of the fourth quarter and just missing another deep pass from Cousins in the second quarter – one that saw that drive ending with the other Dalvin Cook TD. Most owners will happily take 142-yards, but the extra 63-yards and two touchdowns would have been game-breaking. Diggs did make the final catch of the day, catching a yellow flag thrown in the final drive by the referees.
In Adam Thielen’s absence, rookie Wide Receiver Olabisi Johnson saw quite a few of the targets that would have gone to Thielen, converting 4 of the 8 targets into 40 yards and a TD. Johnson doesn’t have the same route running prowess as Adam Thielen, but he showed good ball skills, especially on his touchdown catch as the ball was thrown behind him, forcing him to make a mid-air adjustment to get the score. Both Tight Ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. saw plenty of action as well, both catching 5 of their 6 targets respectively. They both saw nearly 60-yards of receiving, with only the easy pitch-and-catch TD to Rudolph differentiating them.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
- Matthew Stafford: 30/45, 364 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Yes, Matthew Stafford did throw a game-losing interception, but the game was already in the last minute with the Lions down by two scores so let’s give him a pass. Despite his best Wide Receiver being blanketed all day, Stafford had a field day targeting the rest of his weapons in this divisional slugfest. Throughout the afternoon, Stafford kept drives moving without a competent run game, adding 4 touchdowns and 364-yards to his 2019 register, despite facing one of the best defenses in the NFC.
Running Backs
- Kerryon Johnson: 5 carries, 23 yards | 1 target
- Ty Johnson: 10 carries, 29 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 28 yards
- J. D. McKissic: 5 carries, 29 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 31 yards
Kerryon Johnson missed the whole second half of 2018 due to a knee injury, which is important now because he ended this Week 7 contest in a knee brace. Through a quarter of action, Kerryon showed some good running – both in between the tackles and outside, but by the end of the Lions third drive, his day was effectively over.
In Kerryon Johnson’s absence, both Ty Johnson and J. D. McKissic saw an extended run. Starting with McKissic, you can see a bit of what Theo Riddick used to bring to the Jim Bob Cooter offense in how he operates. Officially, McKissic only had three targets (a fourth was wiped away due to penalty), but he looked like he was the type of running back that could easily flex out wide and run actual routes. Ty Johnson saw most of the carries in relief of Kerryon Johnson – unfortunately, he isn’t Kerryon Johnson. Too often Ty would make one cut and run downhill right into the second level of defense. Sure, there would be 3-4 carries on that play, but if he looked to either side he probably would have sprung free for more. If Kerryon Johnson sees an extended absence, Ty Johnson is the pick-up, but only as a Flex play.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
- Kenny Golladay: 2 targets, 1 reception, 21 yards
- Marvin Jones Jr.: 13 targets, 10 receptions, 93 yards, 4 TD
- Danny Amendola: 11 targets, 8 receptions, 105 yards
- Marvin Hall: 2 targets, 1 reception, 47 yards
- T. J. Hockenson: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards
- Jesse James: 4 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
Kenny Golladay was absent today to pave the way for a huge day by Marvin Jones Jr. Golladay saw a heavy dose of Cornerback Xavier Rhodes, which led to Stafford looking elsewhere all-day. It turns out that the Vikings weren’t ready for Jones Jr., who went on to catch 4 touchdowns on the afternoon. Each touchdown by Jones Jr. had its own unique flavor, starting with an easy 16-yard reception where Cornerback Trae Waynes just missed him. The second touchdown of the day was a comeback route in the endzone where Jones Jr. made the catch just inside the pylon. For his third YD of the afternoon, Jones Jr. dropped a sure TD on the play before and then caught a pass on the very next attempt surrounded by a Cornerback and Safety. The final touchdown of the afternoon for Marvin Jones Jr. was a contested hands catch falling backward to bring the Lions within 5.
The Lions saw another notable non-Golladay performance, specifically Danny Amendola, who accrued 105-yards on 8 catches. One of the 3 incompletions where Amendola was targeted was a just missed touchdown in traffic during the fourth quarter. In between two defenders, Amendola just missed the catch between the hashes as Stafford led him just a little too much. You can’t count on Amendola as a starter, but he might be a boom-or-bust play whenever Golladay is up against an elite corner.
On the Tight End side of things, T. J. Hockenson wasn’t very active earlier in the game, ceding work to Jesse James, but when the game was tight late, Stafford was continually looking in his direction. On the first drive of the fourth quarter for the Lions, Hockenson picked up 26-yards on two catches to help keep the drive alive (one of those catches was 16-yards on the third-and-18) to no avail. The next Detroit drive saw Hockenson pick up another first down on the way to a score. Hockenson, who disappeared after showing so much promise in Week 1, is starting to get himself back into the conversation as a starting Tight End.
- David Fenko