Caldwell Previews Vikings Game, Says Lions Have Their Hands Full
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and his team faced the Minnesota Vikings once already this season and won, 17-3. Caldwell said that victory has no bearing on how the Lions prepare to face the Vikings again Sunday.
"Things change so much between games, no matter if it's one week between the games or five weeks between them," Caldwell told Scott Anderson and Dan Leach of 97.1 The Ticket. "You learn something about that particular day, but that's about as far as it goes because teams get better, they become a little bit more familiar with what you're doing, they approach things maybe a little bit differently, they found maybe a little different combination, which I think you'll certainly see with Minnesota. To try to draw upon something from that game to use as a benefit or to think that you have an advantage is a mistake that's made too often, and that's why you find scores in the National Football League that are a lot different than what one might think, so we look at them for who they are today.
"What we see is a really good football team that does a tremendous job on offense and defense," Caldwell continued. "Their quarterback is more settled in now, he's got a great rapport going with a couple guys out there on the flanks. He's got talent and really coming along. The system they use from a defensive standpoint has been one that's very difficult to handle, and their special teams is excellent with two outstanding return men, so we've got our hands full."
The Vikings have won four of their last six games, including two straight. Caldwell said the progression of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has aided the team's turnaround.
"I think he's developed a great rapport with the guys he's playing with," Caldwell said. "The more and more he runs that system the more familiar he's going to get with it. I think it's underestimated how difficult it is to play that position in this league. Everybody thinks you should come in as a young player and have an immediate impact, and that just doesn't happen very often ... For the most part, it's going to be a learning process for him, and I think he's kind of accelerated that process where he's become very, very effective.
"What you have to do against him is you better be sound, you better be sound in a number of different ways, not only against the pass," Caldwell added. "He and Charles Johnson now have kind of hooked up for some really explosive yards, and he does a nice job ... He can anticipate his cuts, and it shows. Charles Johnson is a great route-runner, extremely good at double moves and things of that nature, and then he's got [Jarius] Wright, who's just a speed demon, that they put into situations where they try to get him one-on-one and just outrun you down the field, which he does most often, so against Teddy, the thing about him is that he can run, he can run to gain yardage, he can run and escape the rush to look down the field and find open receivers, and he can deliver the ball on time, so he's got, I think, a great repertoire that can create problems for you."
