Lions dismissing rare Vegas odds against Vikings
Dan Campbell is not a betting man.
“I’ll get banned for life in this league if I bet,” he said Friday.
But the Detroit Lions coach was surprised to hear that his 5-7 team is a two-point favorite vs. the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday — the first time since the 1970 merger that a team eight or more games over .500 is an underdog against a team with a losing record (excluding games where teams rested their starters), according to CBS Sports.
“I’m shocked by that,” Campbell said. “But there again, it doesn’t — all those things don’t matter. Point spread, who’s favored. This team finds ways to win and if we’re not ready to go and we don’t handle our business, it’s going to take every one of us, coaches and players to win this game. That’s what I do know, ‘cause they’ve got plenty over there. And there again, a team that finds ways to win. Those are dangerous teams.”
The Vikings have the second-best record in the NFL and can clinch the NFC North with a win Sunday, but they needed a late-game rally to beat the Lions in Minnesota, 28-24, and have nine wins by eight points or less this season.
While gamblers have been hesitant to believe in Minnesota’s success — the Vikings also have the worst pass defense in the NFL — the Lions have been one of the league’s hottest teams (and most efficient offenses) since the start of November.
They’ve won four of their past five games, including a dominant 40-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Their only loss during that stretch was, 28-25, against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, when they blew a fourth quarter lead and gave up the winning field goal with 2 seconds on the clock.
Campbell said he does not consider the point spread for Sunday’s game a sign that his team has started to earn the respect of people across the league.
“It’s the same people that we were trash when we were 1-6, so it’s irrelevant,” he said. “If we don’t win this game then it’s back to, ‘Well, we’re not what we were and it’s a fluke and blah, blah, blah.’ So it’s all about, man, the next game right in front of us. That’s all we can worry
Dre day
D’Andre Swift played more snaps and got more touches last week against the Jaguars than he had in any game since Week 1, but Lions running backs coach Duce Staley said Friday that Swift still is managing the ankle injury that slowed him much of the season.
“I think Swift is doing fine, man,” Staley said. “I think he’s slowly, but surely getting back to the Swift we all know and he’s showing that. He’s fighting through some things and just going out there battling and this is the NFL, so he’ll tell you, man, ‘Hey, I’ve got to go out there and perform.’ And that’s what he’s doing.”
Swift had 14 carries for 62 yards and caught four passes for 49 yards against the Jaguars, when he outsnapped Jamaal Williams in the
running back rotation for the first time since Week 8.
Williams leads the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns, and Staley indicated both and third-string back Justin Jackson will remain in the playing mix going forward.
“Usually when you have two, you kind of lean towards the hot hand, but when you’ve got three and they’re all playing well you just kind of, you get them going and you have certain plays that are tagged for them and you try to get that rotation and keep that rotation,” Staley said. “It’s tough sometimes. It’s tough because you could get a guy that — like Swift since we’re talking about him, that say he broke a 30-, 40-yard run. Well, the next play it could be Jamaal going in. You kind of wish you could leave him in and kind of get going, and sometimes you can. Not saying you can’t, but how we’re programmed, we don’t do that.”
Injury report
The Lions could be without slot cornerback Will Harris for Sunday’s showdown with the Minnesota Vikings after Harris missed practice Friday with a hip injury.
Harris aggravated a hip injury in practice in October and missed a game a few days later against the Dallas Cowboys.
He re-appeared on the Lions’ injury report as a limited practice participant Thursday, sat out Friday’s practice and is questionable to play Sunday.
“Tough to say (if he’ll play or not),” Campbell said before practice Friday. “There is a chance that he’s (out), but this is one of those, man, let’s see what he looks like or how he feels today and we’ll just take it day to day.”
Harris took over as the starting slot cornerback in Week 8 and has been part of the Lions’ improved play in the secondary. If he can’t play Sunday, the Lions could turn to Mike Hughes or AJ Parker as a replacement.
Hughes opened the season at nickel cornerback, but has played better since moving outside. Parker, on the practice squad, was the Lions’ primary slot cornerback last season.
Cornerback Jeff Okudah and receiver Kalif Raymond returned to practice Friday after missing two days with an illness and are listed as questionable but expected to play against the Vikings, while guard Evan Brown is doubtful because of the sprained ankle that kept him out the past two weeks.
Guard Kayode Awosika (ankle), linebacker Derrick Barnes (knee) and cornerback Chase Lucas (hamstring) are out for the Lions, and backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld (illness) is questionable.
Campbell said the Lions kept sick players away from the building this week — backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld missed his third straight practice with an illness Friday — after a COVID-19 outbreak last season left them without nearly 20% of their roster for a December game against the Denver Broncos.
“We’re trying to alleviate it getting spread around, so yeah, that was a big part of it,” he said.
about, and it’s about playing good football.”