DETROIT (3-4) at MINNESOTA (2-5)
Sunday, Noon, CBS, 790 KFGO/94.1 FM and 101.9 Jack FM
OPENING LINE – Vikings by 3
RECORD VS. SPREAD – Lions 3-4; Vikings 4-3
SERIES RECORD – Vikings lead 76-39-2
LAST MEETING – Vikings beat Lions 20-7 on Dec. 8, 2019, in Minneapolis
LAST WEEK – Lions lost to Colts 41-21; Vikings beat Packers 28-22
AP PRO32 RANKING – Lions No. 23; Vikings No. 22
LIONS OFFENSE – OVERALL (22), RUSH (29), PASS (15).
LIONS DEFENSE – OVERALL (22T), RUSH (23), PASS (19).
VIKINGS OFFENSE – OVERALL (16), RUSH (6), PASS (23).
VIKINGS DEFENSE – OVERALL (29), RUSH (19), PASS (30).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – The Vikings have won five straight games in the series, leaving Lions coach Matt Patricia winless in four matchups. … Lions QB Matthew Stafford passed for 364 yards, four TDs and one interception in his last game against the Vikings on Oct. 20, 2019, two weeks before suffering what became a season-ending back injury. … Lions RB Adrian Peterson returns to Minnesota, where he played the first 10 years of his career and became the all-time leading rusher for the Vikings. Peterson had 103 yards from scrimmage in his last visit, with Washington on Oct. 24, 2019. The Vikings are one of five teams in the league he has not recorded a rushing TD against. … Detroit WR Marvin Jones has six TD catches in his last four games against the Vikings. … The Lions have committed six turnovers, fifth fewest in the NFL. … Lions DE Everson Griffen plays his former team for the first time, after spending 10 seasons with the Vikings. … The Vikings have lost five straight home games, their longest such streak since 2011. Their last win at U.S. Bank Stadium was against the Lions last year. … Vikings RB Dalvin Cook last week became the fifth player in the NFL’s Super Bowl era with 200-plus yards from scrimmage, three or more rushing TDs and a receiving TD in the same game. The most recent of those feats was by Clinton Portis on Dec. 15, 2002, for Denver. … Cook leads the league with 10 rushing TDs in just six games played. He’s already fourth in Vikings history with 10 career 100-yard rushing games, in 35 career games. … Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins had a 138.1 passer rating last week against the Packers, his highest since Oct. 20, 2019, against the Lions (141.4). … The Vikings are hurting at CB, after missing two regulars last week and having three more players at that position leave the game in Green Bay with injuries. … The Vikings’ defense is fifth in the NFL on third downs, with a 35.4% conversion rate allowed. Since coach Mike Zimmer took over in 2014, the Vikings have the best mark in the league at 35.2%. … Fantasy tip: Lions TE T.J. Hockenson had a career-high seven catches for 65 yards last week. The Vikings have allowed 488 receiving yards to TEs this season, fourth most in the league. Packers TEs had eight catches for 125 yards last week.
*Courtesy Associated Press
