Lions Defender Kicked Vikings’ Hornet Nest
It probably wasn’t a wise idea.
Lions Defender Kicked Vikings’ Hornet Nest
Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold stirred the pot this week, as his team faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football for the all the marbles. The Vikings take on the Lions for the NFC North crown, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It’s arguably the most important regular season game in franchise history.
Arnold spoke with the media on Wednesday and was rather confident about his team’s ability to contain the Vikings’ wide receivers in Week 18. Few teams have done so to date in 2024.
“We’re a bad matchup for Minnesota,” Arnold claimed. “They got receivers, but we got cover guys.”
There’s obviously nothing wrong with a little bravado and hubris in sports; it’s just that Arnold’s claim doesn’t quite add up per recent history. Detroit surrendered 400 passing yards to the San Francisco 49ers three days before Arnold’s declaration, allowing the NFC foe to tabulate 34 points in a Lions win on Sunday Night Football.
Detroit’s secondary did not play well against San Francisco sans a couple of crucial late-game interceptions, and in fact, it looked horrid at times.
Of course, the Lions’ foundational structure and depth chart isn’t wholly to blame. Detroit has approximately 18 players on injured reserve, so injuries have utterly rattled its season. However, Arnold has to know his team’s injury woes, and making bold statements mere days before a rather pivotal game doesn’t seem wise.
The good news? He and his peers can back up the harsh talk on Sunday night. Arnold opined that his team is a bad matchup for the Vikings. Well, he, his teammates, Vikings players, and the viewing audience will find out on Sunday. A verdict is near.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the Vikings’ first tilt with disrespect this season. Oddsmakers pegged the Vikings for six or seven wins, and Aaron Jones, for one, has a long memory. Jones told SI.com’s Albert Breer this week, “Nobody really believed in us. They were saying you’re going to win six games and finish last in the division. Everything we did was done in the dark, but it was never dark in that facility. It was always fun to come to work.”
Indeed, sportsbooks labeled Minnesota as a 6.5-win team all spring and summer. Websites like this one predicted a 7-10 or 8-9 record.
“We always believed in each other. Head coach Kevin O’Connell told us we would be right where we are right now,” Jones added.
The Lions are favored to knock off the Vikings by three points.
6 Vikings Players Voted to Pro Bowl
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.