Lions @ Vikings
Final Score: Lions 31 – Vikings 29
Writer: Zach Whetsel
In the best game of the early window, this divisional matchup perfectly showcased the hard-fought, knee-biting, playoff-caliber football that the NFC North has brought to the table all year. These two squads played like they knew nobody else would be taking out their division-mates for them – both sides knew they needed the win today just as much as those that will come in December. And the Vikings almost had it handled if they could have just executed the last few steps. Unfortunately for them, Goff and the Lions were ice cold when it mattered most, and the Vikings lost their throne atop the NFC, stumbling to second place as they dropped their first game of the season.
Three Up
- Jared Goff – Jared Goff was on fire again today, almost posting another perfect stat line through the air. When that offensive line can give him time and space to work in the pocket, Goff will deliver a perfect ball practically every time he throws. He’s also cautious with the football through the air, even if he did fumble twice today. The coaches trust him, his team trusts him, and the most impressive part is that he has the whole Lions offense playing like they know how to win.
- Amon-Ra St Brown – Goff’s #1 favorite receiver came through in a special way today. The Sun God made every play when they needed it, seemingly always open and ready to catch any throw that he was targeted with. This was a classic performance that should make any fantasy manager feel thrilled about the role he plays as a core piece of the Lions’ impressive offense.
- Aaron Jones – Old man Aaron Jones is familiar with high-stakes NFC North matchups at this point in his career, even if he’s new to playing them in purple and gold. And just like always, he proved himself as a weapon in this game. Jones doesn’t get a ton of volume but he makes the most of his touches and has the ability to gash a defense for a big play on every touch he gets. As long as he stays healthy and active, Jones has about as reliable a role as you’ll find.
Three Down
- Jameson Williams – I’ve seen lots of people screaming from the rooftops that we can’t call Jameson Williams Boom/Bust anymore, but here was the bust. He was invisible this game, catching only one ball for negative yards on one lone target. That’s a disappointing bust day, no doubt, but you just have to roll with it and be happy for the booms when they come.
- Sam LaPorta – As the second disappointing piece of the Lions offense in fantasy today, Sam LaPorta continued his concerning trend of limited usage in the passing game. This team just operates best with low-volume passing, earning their bread on the ground rather than through the air in ways that LaPorta would benefit. And without touchdowns to save him, this season is shaping up to be quite the bust for managers who drafted LaPorta in fantasy football.
- David Montgomery – The typically dependable stud rounded out the list of busts from the Lions offense today, as this game just was not David Montgomery’s time to shine. He went out with an injury early in the game, rode the bike for a while, and worked his way back into the game. But when the offense started to lean on him again, he coughed up an uncharacteristic fumble. Although today would never be enough for the team to reduce his role in future games, it does not help those who expected more out of him on a big day from the Lions offense as a whole.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 22/25 passing, 280 yards, 2 TDs | 2 carries, -4 yards, 2 fumbles
Goff looked cool, calm, and collected, all day long as he quarterbacked his offense up and down the field. He honestly played even better than his stat line might suggest – he hit almost every pass that he should have and shined in every big moment where he was needed. It felt like the same absurd efficiency that we saw in his historic perfect game against Seattle, and it was during the first half. And although he wasn’t perfect after halftime, he fit what felt like his best throw of the day into an extremely tight window on the last drive to seal the deal with Amon-Ra St. Brown. This performance capped off the best three-game run I’ve ever seen from Jared Goff. It was a gutsy win that required Goff to be great when it mattered most to lead his team to first place in the division.
Notes
- One of Goff’s fumbles was a play later in the game that could have been ruled a throwaway if the outcome had mattered more. It was certainly close, but it was on third down anyway and his lineman recovered the ball, so they punted away all the same. No point in looking any closer. Regardless, neither of his fumbles were ultimately difference makers, while the rest of his play was, so they can be easily and quickly forgotten.
Missed Opportunities
- Goff missed one deep shot to Kalif Raymond in the fourth quarter that he had wide open. Goff had to step up with a hand in his face to get the throw off, so it’s a forgivable miss for sure, but the big play was there and it hurt to see Goff sail the pass just out of bounds over Raymond.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: 15 carries, 116 yards, 2 TDs | 4/4 receiving, 44 yards
Jahmyr Gibbs carried the Detroit offense today. In a rare example of a day when Montgomery was not Mr. Reliable, Gibbs came through in dominating fashion and ran all over the Vikings’ defense. He kept the offense moving starting from the second quarter on and cashed in on a couple nice scores that really capped off his day. At the end of the game, as Greg Olsen called the Lions crazy for milking the clock while they were behind, Gibbs took what he wanted and the team waltzed into field goal range to win the game. It was a fantastic day overall for the running back, although I’d expect Montgomery to resume his normal programming next week, and for Gibbs to return to earth a bit.
David Montgomery: 9 carries, 31 yards, 1 fumble | 3/4 receiving, 39 yards
Even on a day when Montgomery was about as off as he’ll ever be, he still made some truly impressive plays that make you respect his immense talent. He demonstrated incredible hands on a catch after he returned from injury, reeling in a spinning, one-handed grab while staying on his feet for a nice gain after. Unfortunately for the day overall, he had some difficulties that just proved too great to overcome, and he was left on the bench when the game mattered most in favor of Gibbs.
Montgomery started the game with a leg injury, being ruled questionable and getting examined in the tent for a while. Thankfully, he was okay, and after warming back up on the sideline and on the bike, he came back in a bit later on. Of course, the touches did not end up being enough to save his day, because he fumbled on a run near the very end of the game. Gibbs looked incredible in his stead anyway, so Detroit rode the hot hand to close things out and let Monty rest up for next week. It’s not a performance that will get him in the doghouse, but it was disappointing today nonetheless. Expect him to be back at things like normal next week!
Jaylen Reeves-Maybin: 1 carry, 1 yard
This game had EVERYTHING – even a linebacker getting the carry on a failed fake punt. Dan Campbell went for one early and unfortunately, it did not pay off.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 8/8 receiving, 112 yards, 1 TD
The Sun God has resumed his role as the most reliable receiving option on this offense by far. He was the Lions’ bread and butter today in the passing game, coming through in all the right moments and getting the bulk of the low-volume but lethal passing attack. He showed his reliability and receiving chops in a big way late in the game as he reeled in the pinpoint-accurate pass from Goff between two defenders to put the team into field goal range for the win. St. Brown also seemingly came open all throughout the second and third quarters over the middle, catching passes for back-breaking 15-yard gains again and again. It was a vintage game for the Sun God today.
Kalif Raymond: 3/4 receiving, 39 yards, 1 TD
To any fantasy manager insane enough to start Raymond, you got lucky – he reeled in Goff’s second touchdown pass today on a wide-open catch and run on a mesh route. Kalif wasn’t even the team’s #2 receiver today – it was Gibbs – but he did his job with the opportunities that were given and had the second-most productive day of the Lions receiving corps. It’s just too low-volume of an attack to expect anyone to rake in targets who’s not named Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Sam LaPorta: 1/2 receiving, 25 yards
LaPorta is another name that sadly did not benefit today from the Lions’ highly effective offense, but unfortunately for fantasy managers in this case, I don’t see that changing week-to-week. He is just not a core piece of this passing attack, and with the Lions throwing so little by design, he won’t be anytime soon.
Tim Patrick: 2/2 receiving, 25 yards
The well-liked veteran Tim Patrick did his job today when called upon. He caught a couple mid-range balls over the middle of the field, as the Vikings were giving those up all day, and otherwise retreated back to obscurity at the bottom of this receiving unit. He’s a good wide receiver to have as a third or fourth option because he’s so reliable in that role, but he’s not one that’s well-suited for much more.
Jameson Williams: 1/1 receiving, -4 yards
This is the bust week, as I said earlier. There’s not much to say about a game where Williams just did not get looks. The Vikings’ secondary was showing its age, as well, and is the weakest unit on their defense – it just didn’t seem to matter for Williams as he was MIA. That won’t happen every week but it was certainly disappointing for this one.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 22/27 passing, 259 yards, 1 TD 1 INT | 4 carries, 39 yards
Sam Darnold was not at fault for the Vikings’ loss today – far from it, really. He played well enough to win for most of the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his best day, and there were a few costly mistakes that were made. His interception was his fault, and ultimately left the Vikings down by 11 for the second time on the day, and he missed on the throw to Jefferson that would have let the Vikings convert on their last drive and keep the ball from going back to the Lions again. Still, again, the Vikings lost due to poor clock management and play call decisions late more than anything Darnold did, and he was on target and accurate for most of the day.
Notes
- Darnold had a couple nice runs and hit on a few very nice balls that made you see exactly why this offense has been rolling early. For the most part, he seemed accurate all day – it was just his decision-making that left a little to be desired. There were a few instances of him making the wrong decision with the ball, although largely none of his mistakes were severe enough to cost the team in any big way. It’s just that, for a stat line as similar on the surface as his was to Goff’s, they sure felt like very different performances. Goff was in control all game long, while Darnold seemed to struggle when things mattered most. Even on the last drive, he sat on the ball for what felt like an eternity before throwing to the middle of the field…the Vikings were very lucky to have been able to run another play after that. It was mismanagement of the moment by Darnold, in my eyes, but the Vikings mismanaged the clock before that anyway, so it might be a coaching thing in part as well.
Running Back
Aaron Jones: 14 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD | 3/3 receiving, 23 yards
When healthy, Jones is a weapon. He runs routes better than almost any other running back and can pop a big gain anytime he’s given the ball. It would be nice, in my eyes, to see the Vikings give him a little more volume; of course, it’s probably good for his longevity that he’s limited to what they give him. He feasts either way and is an every-week fantasy football starter until proven otherwise. The offense runs much more smoothly when he’s on the field and he will continue to rip off back-breaking plays for this team as the season goes on.
Ty Chandler: 2 carries, 4 yards
Ty Chandler seemingly proved himself a capable backup last year, but he’s not getting much run now that someone with real talent is around the backfield. The offense struggled when he was starting in Jones’ absence, so it tracks that Chandler would not be siphoning touches from Jones, even as he is limited to low volume as well.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 7/8 receiving, 81 yards, 1 TD | 1 carry, 3 yards
Justin Jefferson is simply the best wide receiver in the NFL. He caught another ridiculous ball today for his touchdown and continued to prove how even on his mediocre weeks he’s still a locked and loaded WR1. We’ve seen it many times and we’ll continue to see it moving forward. It’s tough to even say much more about a day like this- the offense was chugging for the most part and Jefferson did exactly his job as we’d expect.
Jalen Nailor: 4/5 receiving, 76 yards
Jalen Nailor will not be silenced just because Jordan Addison is back from injury. Unlike years past when people were excited about the opportunities available for KJ Osborn as the #3 wide receiver in this offense, Nailor actually has the talent to take advantage. He’s done a lot with limited looks and has proved that he belongs in a role in this offense. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Addison is talented as well, so the two are taking each others’ lunch more often than not. Jefferson is the top dog without a doubt, so expect too few targets for Nailor to contribute in a fantasy lineup on a consistent basis. However, he had a good game today, and the talent is there should the situation change.
Jordan Addison: 3/4 receiving, 66 yards
Addison is the other piece of the deadly WR2/3 combo the Vikings are thankful to have this year. Fortunately for his standard fantasy production, Addison slots in as the primary deep threat, so he’ll have boom games that make it more worth the gamble than Nailor. Unfortunately, it did not come today – he reeled in one deep pass from Darnold that was perfectly placed, but it only got the offense to about mid-field, and Addison never threatened to score. He’s just not going to get enough volume to be a consistent producer, but he’s certainly fast and talented.
Johnny Mundt: 4/5 receiving, 8 yards
Minnesota’s backup tight end is nearing the end of his reign as a non-factor in this offense. Hopefully, there will be a dedicated role in the passing game available to TJ Hockenson upon his nearing return, but there’s nothing meaningful being given to Johnny Mundt right now. He’s fine, but a backup.
Josh Oliver: 1/1 receiving, 5 yards
Josh Oliver is not in a position to be a consistent contributor in this offense, ever. He’s a fine depth tight end in real life though. The Vikings are certainly comfortable with him in a depth role.