Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions: Second Quarter Open Thread

For the first time since the season opener, the Minnesota Vikings won a coin toss, and decided to defer to the second half, giving the Detroit Lions the ball to start their Week 7 match-up at Ford Field. Ameer Abdullah took the Blair Walsh kickoff to the Detroit 25-yard line, and that's where the Lions got things started. The Lions got their offense going early, as Matthew Stafford found Calvin Johnson for a big 46-yard gain on Detroit's first third down. A couple of running plays gave the Lions a first-and-goal situation, and the Lions finished the drive with Stafford finding Johnson again, this time from one yard out for a Detroit touchdown. Matt Prater hit the extra point, and the Lions had a quick 7-0 lead.

The Vikings started their initial drive from their own 17-yard line after a short return from Cordarrelle Patterson. Minnesota got Adrian Peterson involved early, as he got the first four offensive touches for the Vikings. Teddy Bridgewater then hit Mike Wallace for a 17-yard gain, and the Vikings got Stefon Diggs the ball on an end-around for nine more to put the Vikings into Detroit territory. Bridgewater-to-Wallace was good for another first down, and a 12-yard burst by Peterson put the Vikings on the edge of the Detroit red zone. Unfortunately, the drive stalled shortly after that, and the Vikings called on Blair Walsh. Walsh connected from 37 yards out, and the Vikings cut the deficit to 7-3.

Detroit started their next drive from their own 20-yard line following a touchback from Walsh. Stafford immediately went to work again, finding tight end Eric Ebron in a terribly blown coverage for a 55-yard gain on their first play from scrimmage. Joique Bell then took the ball down to the Minnesota 16-yard line on a big run, and Ameer Abdullah put the Lions back into the red zone again. Stafford then completed his second touchdown pass of the day, finding Ebron from 7 yards out to stake the Lions to a 14-3 lead.

As we start the second quarter of play, the Vikings are looking at a 3rd-and-3 from their own 35-yard line, trailing the upstart Detroit Lions by a score of 14-3. The Vikings need to find some life in rapid fashion if they want to keep this one from getting away. Can they do it?