6 NFL Teams in need of a Week 2 win

Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings

Week 2: at Minnesota

An initial reading of the Week One game at Qualcomm Stadium provides that both the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers played their stereotypical games.

The Chargers dug themselves a hole, were flaccid on both sides of the ball in the first half then engineered an improbable — and barely sustainable —  comeback.

The Lions found the right way to hurt their fans the most; they quickly grabbed an 18-point lead before letting the Chargers rip of 30 unanswered to win the game

Looking a little bit deeper, the problems in Detroit seem to pop up on the defensive side of the ball, namely with making adjustments. Keenan Allen’s glorious first week – 15 catches for 166 yards including some key third down conversions – was aided by the fact that Rashean Mathis was continually left on an island and positioned to play off of Allen, allowing him to cultivate yards after the catch. Throw in poor tackling and a lack of pressure from the front four, and the Chargers had no trouble churning out 30 quick points.

While the Lions flashed their promise before collapsing, the Minnesota Vikings failed to build up anything worthy of a collapse. Going up against a depleted San Francisco 49ers roster, the Vikings played to a sloppy stalemate in the first half, then got pummeled in the second.

The worst element of the Vikings game was in their inability to prevent the 49ers from sealing off the edge on running plays. Carlos Hyde was able to crank out 168 yards on the ground and two touchdowns – the first stemming from a ridiculous “B”-button spin move where the defense had no one protecting the backside, and the second a one-cut run heading straight into open territory – and he looked as good as the Vikings were lackluster.

Thanks to the right side of the line, the Vikings offense stalled with penalties, late sacks and the complete absence of a running game. Neither team looked lethal enough to challenge for a playoff spot, but the Vikings were downright dreadful at executing even the simplest of plays.

Next Sunday will produce a matchup that is a must-win for both teams. Even with Ndamukong Suh gone, the Lions were prime candidate to return to the playoffs, while the Vikings were going to let their playbook open up after Teddy Bridgewater got one more year under his belt – this time with Adrian Peterson behind him.

The Lions have to be worried about making adjustments to contain an offense with the dynamic talent that Bridgewater and Peterson bring. San Francisco got pressure on third down, but Detroit may struggle.

Meanwhile, if Hyde’s performance is any indication, then Lions rookie Ameer Abdullah could put the Vikings in in for a long afternoon. The Lions have the same ground-and-pound capabilities that the 49ers showed Monday night, and they’re better at stretching the field. Detroit beats Minnesota 35-13, meaning that the Vikings get to enjoy a daunting four-week stretch (v. San Diego, @Denver, v. Chiefs and @ Detroit – where they could go down 0-2). An 0-6 start isn’t likely, but isn’t out of the question for a popular preseason playoff selection.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles