Will the Lions Win Their First Game in Week 5?

The Detroit Lions are the only team left in the NFC that hasn’t won a game this season. On Sunday, they’ll play the Minnesota Vikings in a divisional road game.

Currently, football betting lines have the Lions as a nine-point underdog with a +350 money line.

Will the Lions finally win their first game of the NFL season? Read on to find out what you need to know about Detroit and their matchup against the Vikings.

Lions’ Head Coach Dan Campbell is Winless in 2021

In their home opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit lost 41-33, but the Lions scored 23 points in the second half to at least cover the spread.

Quarterback Jared Goff attempted 57 passes and connected with ten different receivers to still lose the game. That sent the tone for Week 2 when the Lions lost 35-17 to the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.

The Lions led at half-time, but their defense struggled to stop Aaron Rodgers, who threw four touchdown passes in the game.

In Week 3, the Lions lost to the Baltimore Ravens after they kicked a field goal at the end of regulation. The Lions had scored all of their 17 points in the second half.

Finally, last week, Campbell’s team was defeated by the Chicago Bears and their backup quarterback, Justin Fields. Running back David Montgomery ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions’ defense.

The Lions have a lot of vulnerabilities, and their chances to win against the Vikings in Week 5 seem to be rather low.

So, do the Lions have any bright spots?

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Detroit Lions haven’t won a game, but they’ve come closer at times than what their current record portrays. Goff threw for 299 yards last week against the Bears with two touchdown passes to wide receiver Kalif Raymond.

Going into Week 5, the Lions will be dealing with some injuries, including tight end T.J. Hockenson and running backs D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.

So it’s plausible that the Lions will have to continue to rely on Goff to put a lot of points on the board. The defense has an inexperienced secondary, and their front-seven has a lot of room for improvement.

This week at practice, coach Campbell ran third-down drills every day instead of just on Thursday to change up the team’s mentality and most likely as an attempt to boost morale.

It’s no secret that their opponents have been able to pick apart the Lions’ defense. Can they stop Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is one of the best in the NFL?

Cousins is coming off a brutal loss last week against the Cleveland Browns, so he’ll be looking to redeem himself at home this week.

The Lions Have a Lot of Room for Growth

Going into Week 5, the team has a lot of room for growth. Maybe in a few months, they will have learned some valuable lessons. But they are taking things one game at a time.

This week will be a tough test against an NFC North rival whose record is also somewhat misleading.

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