Detroit Lions: Game-by-game predictions for the 2017 season
By Zac Snyder
Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings
The Lions may have swept the Minnesota Vikings a year ago but any illusions that the Lions were a vastly superior team were mostly a mirage. With less than half a minute remaining, the Lions got into range for a 58-yard field goal to force overtime in Minnesota.
On Thanksgiving in Detroit, the Lions drove from their own 2-yard line to kick a game-tying field goal with less than two minutes remaining. An ill-advised throw by Sam Bradford was intercepted by Darius Slay on the ensuing possession, giving the Lions the ball in position to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.
They were two closely-contested games that went in the favor of the Lions, who went on to finish with a 9-7 record compared to the Vikings’ final record of 8-8. Flipping just one or both results shows how fine a line there can be between playoff team and non-playoff team.
Minneapolis has historically been a near impossible place for the Lions to play and I don’t think anything that has transpired over the offseason suggests either team’s outlook has diverged from one another. We should be in store for two more close games this season and the Lions may not be as fortunate to get the results they got last season.
Prediction: Loss (1-3)