6. Matt Patricia vs the NFC North: Oof.
This makes nine consecutive Lions losses against divisional rivals and a 2-13 record against the NFC North for Patricia. They haven’t won a division game since the end of 2018 and will probably be double digit underdogs in at least two of their three remaining North matchups this year. Patricia’s teams are now 0-5 against both Minnesota and Chicago, with the Vikings winning by two touchdowns or more all five times.
7. I’m officially worried about Matt Prater now.
Despite a rough patch with some bad misses, I’ve held off on concern about Prater so far because he’s still made all of the big ones when the game is on the line. He gave us game-winners on the final snap of both the Arizona and Atlanta games, so what was the big deal if his 50+ kicks weren’t quite connecting yet?
It’s getting hard to ignore now though. Prater keeps on missing field goals, with it happening from closer and closer and the kicks getting more and more erratic. His left hook from 46 yards away on the opening drive gives him six misses already this season. That’s more than he’s missed for an entire season at any point in his seven years as a Lion.
8. For “All Day”, that day is just about over.
Watching Adrian Peterson’s facial expressions on the sideline was interesting and revealing. As Dalvin Cook ran wild for his former team in the second half, it was like the Hall of Famer had that changing of the guard moment, that final undeniable snapshot coming into focus and showing that his time is up.
Peterson ran the ball about as well as he has for at least a month, and still ended up with under 30 yards rushing and less than four yards a carry. Losing four yards on a simple 3rd down run at the goal line was a momentum killer, and a play that probably should have gone to the Lions’ young gun Swift. Meanwhile, the young gun for the Vikings went ballistic on the Lions the same way Peterson used to go ballistic on the Lions for a solid decade when he was in Minnesota. Strange days for A.D.