Detroit offense vs. Minnesota defense

	LIONS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	27
	Pass	9
	Tot. Yds.	18
	Scoring	16
	Int's allowed	13
	Sacks allowed	57
	VIKINGS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	18
	vs. Pass	30
	Total yds. allowed	27
	# of Ints.	11
	# of Sacks	39
	Turnover differential	-9

Detroit's lack of a running game came back to haunt them again last Saturday against the Broncos. While the popular response to the near-shutout would be to bash QB Charlie Batch, such judgment is unfair. Although Batch was visibly rusty and didn't see the field like he normally does, the second-year leader was facing padded pass defenses because Denver simply didn't respect Detroit's ground game.

The Lions are contemplating a move back to Gus Frerotte, based on how each quarterback performs this week in practice. The rumored return of shifty ex-starter RB Ron Rivers didn't materialize on Christmas but the team will sorely need him this week.

This is a must-win game for the Lions because a loss would put them on the road in the first round of the playoffs. If Bobby Ross doesn't rush Rivers back into action, the fate of the ground game will again rest on Greg Hill and nickel back Sedrick Irvin, neither of whom have established a consistent threat over the past month.

After starting slowly last week against New York, defensive coordinator Foge Fazio's run defense stiffened, holding the Giants to just 76 yards on 26 carries. For the first time in weeks, the Vikings' linebacker corps was extremely active, as MLB Ed McDaniel and OLB Dwayne Rudd combined for 19 tackles.

Look for the Vikings to move DT John Randle up and down the line of scrimmage to find mismatches against the Lions' patchwork offensive line that gave up five sacks against the Broncos. A veteran Pro Bowler like Randle should wreck havoc against an inexperienced line, especially on the edges where OT's Tony Ramirez and Barret Brooks were poor last Saturday.

Aside from the pressure he faced, Batch's struggles were compounded by continued inconsistency from his receiver corps. TE David Sloan dropped a pair of early throws that would have given Detroit first downs and WR Germaine Crowell didn't come up with a perfect deep strike that would have been a sure touchdown. WR Herman Moore will replace the slumping Crowell in the starting lineup this week in order for the veteran to use his experience against some of the Vikings' young defensive backs.

Minnesota's secondary surrendered 297 yards to New York's Kerry Collins but it took him 31 receptions to compile those numbers. If the Vikings can defend the deep third of the field like they did a week ago, it will force the Lions to find rhythm in the short passing game that hasn't been present in their three-game losing streak.

Minnesota offense vs. Detroit defense

	VIKINGS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	15
	Pass	4
	Tot. Yds.	3
	Scoring	5
	Int's allowed	19
	Sacks allowed	38
	LIONS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	10
	vs. Pass	28
	Total yds. allowed	21
	# of Ints.	14
	# of Sacks	45
	Turnover differential	+9

Big plays were the name of the game for the Vikings last week in the Meadowlands in what was team's most complete game of the year. Although the Giants held more than a 15-minute advantage in time of possession, the Vikings maximized their opportunities on offense, piling up 146 yards on 18 plays in the second half.

The most encouraging sign for Minnesota was the resurgence of RB Robert Smith, who scored his first touchdown in over a year on a 70-yard run in the fourth quarter. Smith's explosion and outside threat was complimented by the short-yardage and goal line success of RB Leroy Hoard, who scored a pair of touchdowns last Sunday. The Vikings' backfield duo will present a unique challenge for Detroit's linebackers because Smith threatens the edges and Hoard pounds the ball inside like few backs in the NFC.

Although Minnesota has scored more than two-thirds of its red zone touchdowns through the air, the threat of a diverse ground game will discourage the Lions from loading up on the perimeter. Last Saturday, Denver running back Olandis Gary piled up 174 second-half yards against the strength of Detroit's defense -- its front seven. The bulk of those yards came on patient cutback runs where the Broncos caught the Lions' front four slanting to one side.

This week, Detroit's defensive linemen and linebackers must do a better job of disengaging from their blocks at the point of attack. Expect the Vikings to deploy a number of running plays that require difficult combination blocks from center Jeff Christy, who will be asked to initially double-team defensive tackle Luther Ellis before reaching instinctive middle linebacker Stephen Boyd.

The Lions won't exactly disregard the hash area but defensive coordinator Larry Peccatiello would rather force George to beat them doing something he's not comfortable with. The key to Detroit's pass defense will be the play of its linebackers. Because they don't matchup well in man coverage, the Lions will go mostly with zone looks. OLB's Chris Claiborne and Allen Aldridge must get good depth in the drops to take away the long crossing routes that are a staple of Minnesota's play book.

Special teams

	NFL RANK
	Category	MIN	DET
	Punt return avg.	18	11
	Kickoff return avg.	8	22
	Opp. punt return avg.	12	19
	Opp. kickoff ret. avg.	13	12
	Time of possession	22	26

For the first time in three weeks, the Vikings' return teams didn't commit any fumbles. KOR Moe Williams became the third Viking in the past month to score on special teams with his 85-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. Detroit's cover teams did an excellent job last week against Denver, holding the Broncos to just 17 yards on two kickoff returns. RS Desmond Howard showed tremendous burst on Christmas and was close to breaking more than one return. With the offense sputtering, Detroit needs Howard to provide good field position this week. Minnesota P Mitch Berger often out-kicks his coverage units and should give Howard the opportunities he needs.

Key matchups