Amid multiple issues, the Vikings defense thrived in one area that nearly won them the game
The biggest game of the National Football League season up to this point was on Sunday afternoon when the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Detroit Lions. It was a back-and-forth affair with kicker Jake Bates hitting a 44 yard field goal to give the Lions a 31-29 victory over the Vikings and take control over the […]
The biggest game of the National Football League season up to this point was on Sunday afternoon when the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Detroit Lions. It was a back-and-forth affair with kicker Jake Bates hitting a 44 yard field goal to give the Lions a 31-29 victory over the Vikings and take control over the NFC North.
The game was excellent and delivered from start to finish, including the Lions finding a way to crack Brian Flores' defense, and, even in a loss, the Vikings answered a big question about themselves in the process. Among all the negatives that stood out, the Vikings found a way to minimize the biggest strength the Lions had.
The Vikings stifled the Lions' running game
Don't let the raw numbers fool you. The Vikings did a really good job stifling the Lions' running game overall on Sunday afternoon. The Lions ran the ball 27 times for 144 yards (5.3 ypc), but if you take out the 45-yard touchdown by Jahmyr Gibbs, it's just 99 yards on 26 carries.
Most importantly, they limited the running game from being incredibly explosive. When you take a look at neutral situations (win probability between 10-90%), the Lions were far and away the best team when running the football.
Weeks 1-6:
0.203 EPA/rush: 1st in NFL
Success rate 54.6%: 1st in NFL
Week 7 vs. Vikings:
EPA/rush: -0.392 20th/24
Success rate: 26.9%: 18th/24
The Vikings didn't just slow down the Lions' running game, they limited it throughout the game. Their rush defense going into the game was second in EPA/rush allowed and fifth in success rate allowed on the ground. There were issues in the passing game, but stifling the Lions' rush offense was huge in keeping the Vikings in the game.
There are many issues the Vikings had on Sunday afternoon against the Lions, but holding up in the running game when the game was in question the entire time was great to see.
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