Oh, what a rush: Lions’ ‘ D’ dominates
LIONS 14, VIKINGS 7 Forces three turnovers and holds Minnesota scoreless in second half
MINNEAPOLIS — With Detroit defending a seven- point lead and third- and- goal from the 3, Anthony Zettel zoomed unblocked into Minnesota’s backfield to sack Case Keenum with 2: 19 remaining in the game.
The protection plan went awry for the Vikings on that particular play. Their problems against the Lions persisted all afternoon.
Zettel led a ferocious performance by Detroit’s defense with two sacks, four hurries and a fumble recovery, as the Lions forced three turnovers while holding Minnesota scoreless in the second half on the way to a 14- 7 victory on Sunday.
“We’re just tough. We’re gritty. We get after it,” Zettel said. “This year, everybody’s pulling in the right direction.”
The Lions turned two fumbles lost by the Vikings in the third quarter into 11 points, taking the lead on Ameer Abdullah’s 1- yard touchdown run five plays after rookie Dalvin Cook fumbled at the Minnesota 29.
The Vikings ( 2- 2) lost more than just possession. Cook limped off with an injury to his left knee, and the Vikings were bracing for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a promising rookie season cut painfully short.
Tahir Whitehead recovered that fumble for the Lions, plus one by Adam Thielen with 1: 43 left forced by Glover Quin at the Detroit 45 that ended the last- chance drive for the Vikings.
The Lions ( 3- 1) lead the NFL in turnover margin, at plus- 9. They’ve forced 11 turnovers. They had only 14 takeaways all of last season.
“They’re really helping us win games,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said.
Case Keenum started in place of the injured Sam Bradford at quarterback for the Vikings for the third consecutive game, going 16- for- 30 for 219 yards. He took the blame for Zettel’s red- zone sack, with a pre- snap decision to change the protection assignments and send right tackle Mike Remmers left on a double team with right guard Joe Berger.
Keenum then didn’t make the right read against the rush, going down for an 11- yard loss on Zettel’s team- leading fourth sack of the season.
“I got fooled,” Keenum said. “That’s a huge play in the game, obviously, and that’s one I want back.”
Keenum’s fourth- down heave into the end zone sailed over Thielen’s head. The Vikings had only 120 yards in the second half.
Matt Prater’s second field goal was made possible by a botched play that started with a direct snap to running back Jerick McKinnon, who faked an inside handoff to Cook and tried to take off on an option play before fumbling.
The other ‘ D’
Stafford was sacked six times for 55 yards, but he dodged the turnover trouble that dogged the Vikings and completed 19 of 31 passes for 209 yards plus the key two- point conversion to T. J. Jones to give the Lions a seven- point lead.
As dominant as their defense was, they still made some costly mistakes. Xavier Rhodes, Anthony Barr and Trae Waynes each had their hands on passes by Stafford that could’ve been intercepted.
On the last play of the first quarter, Stafford found Marvin Jones open in a hole in the zone coverage for a leaping 38- yard completion on third- and- 17 that set up the first kick by Prater.