PLAYER NOTES
–G Colby Gossett was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off Minnesota’s practice squad. Gossett was a sixth-round draft pick by Minnesota this year out of Appalachian State. The Vikings signed G Landon Turner, who has spent parts of three seasons on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad and played in seven games in 2016, to the practice squad.
–DE Ifeadi Odenigbo was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday (Oct. 31). Odenigbo spent the 2017 season on the practice squad for Minnesota and was with the team in training camp this year. He was released during cuts to 53 players and spent three weeks with the Cleveland Browns to start the season.
–WR Stefon Diggs was added to the injury report on Wednesday as he was held out with a rib injury. Diggs was on the field for 64 of the 73 offensive snaps in Sunday’s game but did appear to be talking to the team’s trainers on the sideline at one point. Diggs hasn’t missed a game this season. He missed two last year.
–LB Anthony Barr’s hamstring injury kept him out of Wednesday’s practice. Barr missed last week’s game with the issue, the first game he’s missed in the past three seasons. Minnesota started with three safeties in Barr’s absence.
–G Tom Compton missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury. Compton hasn’t practiced since he was injured during the Week 7 game. Danny Isidora started in place of Compton in Sunday’s loss.
–RB Roc Thomas didn’t practice on Wednesday as he deals with a hamstring injury. Thomas played three offensive snaps in Sunday’s game.
–RB Dalvin Cook returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday. Cook, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, didn’t practice last week and missed his fifth game in the past six weeks because of the injury. Latavius Murray has started for Cook and has four rushing touchdowns the past three games.
–DT Linval Joseph was limited again in practice on Wednesday to start the week. Joseph has been dealing with ankle and knee injuries. He was limited last week but played on Sunday and played 75 percent of the defensive snaps.
–LT Riley Reiff practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday with a foot injury. Reiff has dealt with the injury for several weeks and he’s missed three games in a row. Reiff was limited on Wednesday and Thursday of last week before being held out of Friday’s practice. Rashod Hill has started at left tackle in his place, with rookie Brian O’Neill starting in Hill’s spot on the right side.
–CB Xavier Rhodes returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday with a foot injury. Rhodes missed last week’s game because of the injury and undrafted rookie Holton Hill got the start. Rhodes has missed just three games the past five seasons.
–S Andrew Sendejo made his return to practice on Wednesday. Sendejo, sidelined since Week 5 with a groin injury, was limited in practice. George Iloka has started in Sendejo’s place, but Iloka played just five defensive snaps in Sunday’s game.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: CB Xavier Rhodes. It’s Vikings versus the Lions, so it’s Rhodes’ time to be in the spotlight. Rhodes was drafted, in part, because of the presence of Detroit in the division. Rhodes was Minnesota’s answer to Calvin Johnson. Rhodes first started shadowing the opponent’s top receiver when Johnson was still with the Lions. Rhodes missed last week’s game, which put the spotlight on undrafted rookie Holton Hill against the Saints. Hill held his own but having Rhodes back will go a long way against Detroit. Rhodes could play his side or shadow either Kenny Golladay or Marvin Jones Jr. Golladay is emerging and could get the Rhodes treatment on Sunday.
GAME PLAN: Like Kirk Cousins noted, the NFC North is filled with quality quarterbacks and strong defenses with top pass rushers. Those are the keys on Sunday. Cousins will try and find some success going against Detroit’s seventh-ranked pass defense. Latavius Murray, and Dalvin Cook if healthy, will be running a Lions’ defense that has allowed the second-most rushing yards per game. As Murray has gotten the run game on track, Minnesota has been more balanced and will likely look for the same on Sunday.
Defensively, the Vikings will try to get quarterback Matthew Stafford to make mistakes. Stafford has matured and doesn’t make as many mistakes as he did in the past. He has 14 touchdowns to six interceptions this season. In 16 career games against Minnesota, he has 23 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. Minnesota will try to slow a Detroit running game that is finally complementing Stafford’s passing. With rookie running back Kerryon Johnson, the Lions are 16th in the league in rushing with 109.7 yards per game a year after finishing last.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Vikings DT vs. Lions interior OL. RB Kerryon Johnson has given Detroit opponents something else to think about other than Matthew Stafford’s passing. The Lions’ 70-game streak of not having a 100-yard rusher was finally snapped when Johnson had 101 yards rushing in a Week 3 win against New England. He had 158 yards rushing on just 19 carries and Detroit had 248 as a team in a win against Miami in Week 7. Minnesota’s DL Linval Joseph and Sheldon Richardson will play a role in trying to shut down Johnson and put all the attention on Stafford again. Richardson mentioned the play of Detroit’s offensive line as a big reason for the running success with first-round draft pick G Frank Ragnow standing out in his first season along with C Graham Glasgow and RG T.J. Lang. The Lions only ran for 34 yards in last week’s loss at Seattle.
–Vikings LT vs. Lions DE Romeo Okwara. Surely you expected to see Ezekiel Ansah here, the player known as Detroit’s top pass rusher. But, no, Ansah has been limited to one game this season and was limited in Wednesday’s practice with a shoulder injury. Instead, the Lions have gotten pass rush from an unexpected source in Okwara. Okwara, in his third NFL season, was waived by the New York Giants in September and claimed by Detroit. He’s started six straight games and has sacks in four straight. Minnesota LT Riley Reiff started the week practicing on a limited basis. If Reiff can’t go, it will be up to Rashod Hill to slow Okwara and the pass rush for Kirk Cousin’s blind side.
