5 Reasons The Vikings Beat Detroit After Week 1 Loss
For whatever reason, the Minnesota Vikings were sleep walking during most of their season opener at San Francisco Monday night. They were embarrassed on national television in a 20-3 loss in a road game where they were actually favored to win.
The light bulb apparently turned back on Sunday. Maybe it was being at home, maybe the Vikings players were fired up after Monday's pitiful performance. Maybe the Week 1 loss was just a clunker that happens every season and that fans just need to forget ever happened.
The Vikings led Sunday's contest the whole way and got a big defensive performance in a 26-16 victory over the Lions to get their first win of the season. Here are five things that changed in less than a week that were the difference in the win.
Adrian Peterson Back To His Normal Self
Adrian Peterson got just 10 carries Monday night for 31 yards. They made a concerted effort to get him the ball more Sunday, especially in situations where he could succeed. The end result was 29 carries for 134 yards. His longest run went for 25 yards, and he appeared to score a touchdown on a short run that was later taken away after a review showed he was just short.
He also caught two passes for 58 yards, including a 49-yard reception. He didn't get in the end zone, but it was the Peterson most fans were used to seeing. You can practice all you want, but it will take time in game situations for Peterson to find his rhythm again the Vikings offense. If he can continue to take forward steps, the Vikings' offense will get tougher to defend with every week.
Teddy Bridgewater Made A Big Improvement
Teddy Bridgewater had a rough season opener, struggling to stay patient in the pocket and be consistent in the Vikings' passing game. He was 23-of-32 and had 231 yards, but was intercepted after badly overthrowing Kyle Rudolph.
Sunday against the Lions, it was a completely different Bridgewater behind center. It was the one fans got used to seeing towards the end of last season. He was calm, poised an on-target all day in leading the Vikings to victory. He finished 14-of-18 passing for 153 yards passing and a touchdown to Rudolph. He also ran for a touchdown. Bridgewater completed passes to five different receivers in the win. The Bridgewater that played Sunday can lead the Vikings to the playoffs, and the play of the offensive line had a lot to do with it.
Vikings Defense Stopped Detroit Run Game
The Vikings defense got gashed Monday night, allowed 230 yards rushing and two touchdowns. They were embarrassed on national television.
It's funny how one week makes a difference. The Vikings allowed just 38 rushing yards and forced Matthew Stafford to abandon the run game. It's not good, especially in Detroit, when your quarterback is your top rusher. The Vikings front seven dominated the game at the line of scrimmage and forced the Lions to throw, they got after Stafford and they punished the Lions' offense. Minnesota's secondary was ready for the challenge against Stafford and his favorite weapons, Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.
Xavier Rhodes Limited Calvin Johnson
On paper, it might not look like Xavier Rhodes had a good game against the Lions. He had one job: shadow Calvin Johnson, one of the top receivers in the NFL. Johnson was targeted 14 times and finished with 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Johnson regularly gets more than 100 yards receiving per game. Rhodes tackled him immediately after catches and made him work for every yard. The touchdown was an extremely tough catch on the sideline.
Vikings Got Off To A Fast Start
The Vikings needed a fast start against the 49ers to get a win on the road, but it didn't happen. They had a chance to score early after a blocked field goal, but couldn't return it for a score. The drive ended with a missed field goal by Blair Walsh. The Vikings trailed 7-0 at half and didn't score until Walsh's fourth quarter field goal.
Sunday was a completely different story. The Vikings got out to a 14-0 lead and were ahead 17-10 at the half. The Vikings stretched that lead to 26-10 in the second half and forced the Lions to play from behind the entire game. The Vikings played the whole game with an edge that just wasn't there, for whatever reason, at San Francisco.
It's only two games and they couldn't have been more opposite, but Sunday's win serves as the template for this team if it wants to be a serious playoff contender.