Vikings at Lions
THE STORY: Ndamukong Suh was more than 2,000 miles away, yet the Detroit Lions still committed costly penalties in last week’s loss to New Orleans. It’s a disturbing trend that may derail their hopes of reaching the postseason for the first time since 1999. The Lions will try to stop shooting themselves in the foot long enough to end a two-game skid at home on Sunday against the woeful Minnesota Vikings, who have lost four straight. Detroit rallied from a 20-point deficit to win the first meeting 26-23 in overtime. The Lions have won the last two contests after losing 20 of the previous 22 meetings.
TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Lions -10, O/U 46.5
ABOUT THE VIKINGS (2-10): Minnesota’s depleted secondary is so bad it allowed Tim Tebow to have success (10 of 15, 202 yards, 2 TDs) in a 35-32 loss to Denver. Christian Ponder set a franchise rookie record with 381 yards and three touchdowns, but his second interception set up the game-winning field goal. Ponder threw two touchdowns to Percy Harvin, who had a career-high 156 yards. Ponder is expected to play despite suffering a hip pointer. Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson (high ankle sprain), who is tied for 11th with 872 rushing yards and third in rushing touchdowns (11), is hoping to return after a two-game absence. Peterson told a local radio station he's about “70 percent.” He didn’t practice Wednesday, but will test his ankle Friday. Peterson’s replacement, Toby Gerhart, ran for a career-high 91 yards on 21 carries last week.
ABOUT THE LIONS (7-5): The Lions have lost five of seven after getting off to their best start in 56 years, and many of the setbacks have featured mindless penalties. Detroit was flagged 11 times for 107 yards in a 31-17 loss to New Orleans Sunday night. It leads the league with 26 personal fouls. The most egregious one came when Suh stomped on the arm of a Green Bay lineman on Thanksgiving Day, which led to his two-game suspension. TE Brandon Pettigrew could also face punishment after he shoved an official who was trying to separate him from Saints safety Roman Harper on Sunday night. The penalties overshadowed a solid effort from Matthew Stafford, who threw for a season-high 408 yards with one touchdown and one interception. RB Kevin Smith is questionable after re-injuring his ankle against the Saints.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. "I would have bet my paycheck that he would not have beat us passing the ball.” – Vikings DE Jared Allen on Tebow, whose completion percentage rose to 47.5.
2. The Lions are seeking to win three straight over Minnesota for the first time since 1991-92.
3. The Vikings have allowed an NFL-worst 24 touchdown passes.