The Minnesota Vikings (0-2) have allowed just 14 points a game over their first two games. With last year's Minnesota offense, that would easily be good for a 2-0 record. Unfortunately, with this year's Vikings' offense, they're sitting at 0-2. Allowing 14 points a game doesn't do very much good when your offense is only scoring 9.5 points a game, after all.
The passing game for the Vikings has struggled mightily through the first two games, with Brett Favre already more than halfway to last year's interception total after only two weeks. Favre threw only seven interceptions in all of 2009, but already has four this season, including a three-interception debacle this past Sunday against Miami. He also lost a fumble in the end zone that was recovered for a Dolphins touchdown.
The lone offensive bright spots thus far have been running back Adrian Peterson, who is currently third in the NFL in rushing with 232 yards through the first two games, while averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota's lone receiving threat to this point. Shiancoe has more catches for more yards than every member of the Vikings' receiving corps combined after two games, and trails Dallas Clark by one yard for receiving yards by a tight end after the first two weeks.
Minnesota's defense, despite being short-handed in the defensive backfield, has played quite well over the first two weeks of the season. Viking opponents have had twenty-two possessions through the first two games of the season, and have only managed to convert three of those possessions into scores. Currently, the Vikings are seventh in the NFL in total yards allowed per game at 267, seventh in the NFL against the pass, and ninth in the NFL against the run.
This week, they'll face a Detroit Lions team that appears to be getting better. They've lost two close games thus far this season. . .a 19-14 decision to the Bears that they would have won, if not for what's now universally known as the "Calvin Johnson rule," and a hard-fought 35-32 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday. Now, they have to face a team in the Vikings that has beaten them in 16 of their last 18 match-ups, and the Lions haven't won a game at the Metrodome since Barry Sanders was still toting the rock, back in 1997. But with promising rookie running back Jahvid Best, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and a vastly improved front four led by 2010 first-round pick Ndamakong Suh, the Lions are going to be a much tougher out than the Vikings have had to deal with in the past.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon Central time at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. The game will be carried by Fox, and your announcing team will be Kenny Albert, Darryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa.