3 keys to a Lions victory on Thanksgiving against the Vikings

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The Detroit Lions (6-4) are rolling on a three-game winning streak as they prepare to take on the Minnesota Vikings (8-2) on Thanksgiving Day. This is the second and final regular-season matchup between these two teams with Detroit taking the first game 14-7 in week four. Since losing to the Lions, the Vikings have won six straight games and are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North. This is a must-win game for the Lions to have a chance to win the division. If they want to win this game, they must do these three things.

STOP ADAM THIELEN

Adam Thielen has been outstanding for the Minnesota Vikings, he has 916 receiving yards and three touchdowns this season. He has looked like a Pro Bowl player so far this season and if the Lions secondary is unable to stop him, it’s going to be a long game. Thielen, the Vikings’ top receiver, is likely to have Darius Slay line up across from him throughout the game, which is good for the Lions. Slay is known to play well against top receivers and if he can stop Thielen from putting up big numbers on turkey day, then the Lions will be in a good position to win the game.

GET GOLDEN TATE THE BALL… OFTEN

It seems that whenever Golden Tate touches the ball, he creates magic. He has been stellar so far this season with 491 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If there’s one thing Tate does well, it’s making big plays. He always puts forth 100% of his effort on every single play and puts Detroit in the best position to score. The more Matthew Stafford can get Tate involved in the game, whether it be through the air or on the ground, the better position Detroit Lions will be in to steal a victory from the Minnesota Vikings.

STOP MURRAY AND MCKINNON

Detroit’s run defense has been awful so far this season, allowing 114.2 rushing yards per game. If they want a chance to beat the Vikings and compete for the NFC North crown this season, they have to stop the run. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon may not be the best running backs in the league, but they are a solid duo. The Lions need to stop them in order to win this game. If the Vikings offense can get their run game going, then it’s going to make it a lot harder for the Lions defense to stop everything else. If they can make the run not be a factor in this game, then look for the Lions to seal the deal on their fourth straight win.

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