Lions vs. Vikings preview

[indianation65]

Vikes take this, 3-3 after six? Oh well, lots of teams are in this boat, still plenty of time to turn it all around. I'm not buying all that's on the shelf, despite current records. The 'boys may be 4-1, but I'm not buying they are the 4th best team in the NFL right now. There is a lot of football to be played! Go Vikes!!!!!

...wisdom

[Purple bruise]

Going to the game this weekend, have outdoor club seats for the first time so not sure what to expect there. Would like to Calvin play and Rhodes shut him down but both are unlikely

Rhodes is unlikely

[TeddyB]

Rhodes is unlikely

I meant Calvin is unlikely, and if he plays, it'd be unlikely Rhodes could stop him, just how I feel realistically haha

[808vikingsfan]

Another preview:

Players to Watch:
Teddy Bridgewater - Quarterback

The Vikings have high hopes for their rookie quarterback. We got a preview of his ability in Week 4 against the Falcons, where he went 20-31 passing and put up a 98.7 passer rating. However, he failed to complete a single pass on the rare occasion that he was pressured by the Falcons' defense. He should expect to see significantly more pressure from the Lions' defense, so he'll have to improve in that regard if he wants to lead his team to a win.

Match-Ups to Watch:
Lions’ Defensive Line vs. Vikings’ Offensive Line

The Vikings’s struggling O-line will be facing one of the best D-lines in the league this week. The Lions have to get penetration on passing plays in order to contain Bridgewater. The run blocking from the Vikings will have to be better than it has been this season in order to spark the offense and open up the passing game for Teddy. Look for the Lions to dominate the line of scrimmage on defense this Sunday. If Bridewater is pressured heavily and manages to succeed anyway, he’ll be hailed as nothing short of the second coming of Fran Tarkenton in Minnesota.

Week 6: Scouting the Vikings

[Purple bruise]

Another preview:
Week 6: Scouting the Vikings

Vikes win and shock the NFL as they stun the vaunted Lion's D-line.

[Laserman]

Got news for you. We are not a playoff caliber team. Pieces are coming together and we are on our way but we are not there yet. We still need better oline play, Dline pressure, better LB pass coverage, better corners, better running game and get the ball to Patterson somehow, someway, anyway

[Orion]

Got news for you. We are not a playoff caliber team. Pieces are coming together and we are on our way but we are not there yet. We still need better oline play, Dline pressure, better LB pass coverage, better corners, better running game and get the ball to Patterson somehow, someway, anyway

Newsflash: You don't need to be excellent at every aspect of the game to be a playoff contender. The team with Teddy at the helm is a playoff contender especially once we get Greenway and Rudolph back. The NFC north is not close to being the toughest division in the league.

Anyway you might want to try reading my post again, I didn't say we're a playoff level team, it is still a question. I know you like to be pessimistic but once you start to get wins over the Lions, Falcons, Rams (blowout), and more in the future, one has to think "gee, maybe the Vikings do have a shot at the playoffs."

[DK Sweets]

Newsflash: You don't need to be excellent at every aspect of the game to be a playoff contender. The team with Teddy at the helm is a playoff contender especially once we get Greenway and Rudolph back. The NFC north is not close to being the toughest division in the league.

Anyway you might want to try reading my post again, I didn't say we're a playoff level team, it is still a question. I know you like to be pessimistic but once you start to get wins over the Lions, Falcons, Rams (blowout), and more in the future, one has to think "gee, maybe the Vikings do have a shot at the playoffs."

The Vikings have to be considered a playoff contender/caliber team if we win tomorrow. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but we're right in the thick of things, especially if Teddy looks like a future franchise guy.

[Orion]

The Vikings have to be considered a playoff contender/caliber team if we win tomorrow. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but we're right in the thick of things, especially if Teddy looks like a future franchise guy.

Yeah thats what I shouldve said more succinctly, thanks

[J. Kapp 11]

I'll tell you this ...

Until the Vikings actually qualify for the playoffs, very few outside of Vikings fans will consider them a playoff contender.

The other day, I was watching SVP & Rusillo on ESPN. They were talking about the idea of how some teams are what their record says they are, while others are good teams off to bad starts. Rusillo asked Van Pelt, "You don't consider a 2-3 team like, say, the Vikings as the equal of teams like Kansas City or New Orleans, do you."

SVP's answer: "Of course not."

Face it, guys. Until we establish ourselves as a quality team, we're not going to be considered contenders for much of anything. And you know what? That's just fine by me.

[DK Sweets]

I'll tell you this ...

Until the Vikings actually qualify for the playoffs, very few outside of Vikings fans will consider them a playoff contender.

The other day, I was watching SVP & Rusillo on ESPN. They were talking about the idea of how some teams are what their record says they are, while others are good teams off to bad starts. Rusillo asked Van Pelt, "You don't consider a 2-3 team like, say, the Vikings as the equal of teams like Kansas City or New Orleans, do you."

SVP's answer: "Of course not."

Face it, guys. Until we establish ourselves as a quality team, we're not going to be considered contenders for much of anything. And you know what? That's just fine by me.

I (think) I understand the point of the post, but I still have to clarify: it doesn't matter what people think, the truth is that with a win today we are contenders, even if the media doesn't believe it.

[Purple bruise]

Let's hope that Prater is suffering from a hangover and misses a game winning FG.

[J. Kapp 11]

I (think) I understand the point of the post, but I still have to clarify: it doesn't matter what people think, the truth is that with a win today we are contenders, even if the media doesn't believe it.

I don't disagree with you.

Just saying, when you say we have to be considered contenders, about the only people who are going to take that notion seriously are Vikings fans. I certainly believe it, but others aren't bullish on us. Fine by me. Underdog is a nice role.

[fiestavike]

I don't disagree with you.

Just saying, when you say we have to be considered contenders, about the only people who are going to take that notion seriously are Vikings fans. I certainly believe it, but others aren't bullish on us. Fine by me. Underdog is a nice role.

Yep, doesn't matter to me what the media thinks about us. We certainly need to improve in several areas to be contenders, but I think most of those areas are places where we can realistically expect some improvement! the big concern for me is O-line. I just don't see us having the physical traits to be excellent up front on offense.

[Purple Reign]

I (think) I understand the point of the post, but I still have to clarify: it doesn't matter what people think, the truth is that with a win today we are contenders, even if the media doesn't believe it.

Yes, if we win today then as of today/this week we are contenders for a playoff spot, but you can pretty much say the same thing about every other team except for maybe a few like the Raiders, Jags and Jets since every other team is also still in contention. But realistically, it's a long season and the Lions are without 2 or their offensive weapons today, so we will see if we can say the same thing late in the season. Also I think there is a huge distinction between being a contender (such as being in a weak division) versus being a playoff caliber team.