In this episode of The Official Detroit Lions Podcast, Lions team reporter Brooke Kirchhofer and lead writer Tim Twentyman discuss how Detroit's offense can overcome Minnesota's defense and how the Lions' defense continues improving on the season, talk with Vikings ESPN reporter Kevin Seifert about Brian Flores' defense and sit down with edge rusher DJ Wonnum.
Tim first breaks down the Vikings' league-leading blitz rate on defense through six games and the challenge this defense will bring to Ford Field on Sunday. He discusses ways that the Lions' offense can overcome Minnesota's impressive defense with quarterback Jared Goff leading the charge. Brooke and Tim then talk about the impact running back Jahmyr Gibbs can have in this contest, building on his success so far in the season against another NFC North test. The two then move onto Detroit's defense, talking about how they've improved throughout the season, especially with defensive back Brian Branch returning. Tim mentions the number of players who logged 14 or more snaps in Week 7, how a group effort has been effective for the Lions and the return of safety Kerby Joseph to practice ahead of the Week 8 matchup.
Brooke and Tim welcome Kevin onto the podcast and first ask about Flores' defense in Minnesota and how it's continued being successful throughout the first half of the season. Kevin explains how from the outside looking in, Flores' defense looks hectic, but from the players' perspective, it's more along the lines of controlled, organized chaos. Kevin discusses what stands out about Goff and this Lions' offense, and how Minnesota has evolved to dissect Detroit before the snap. He also gives an update on Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr.'s injury, talks about quarterback Kyler Murray's strengths so far and breaks down what he thinks is the key to a Vikings victory on Sunday.
DJ joins the podcast and goes through what went into the special teams call that resulted in a blocked field goal vs. Green Bay. He talks about why he's more than willing to have a role on special teams even as a top producer on Detroit's defensive line. Brooke asks his football journey starting from high school and his position change to defensive end. Tim brings things back to the present day and asks DJ about what he liked about the Lions when he was going through free agency. DJ discusses his conversations with head coach Dan Campbell and how he fits into the team's culture. He also talks about Sunday's upcoming matchup.
Brooke and Tim close out this episode with their final thoughts on this Week 8 matchup between Detroit and Minnesota.
Highlights from this episode of The Official Detroit Lions Podcast:
- 0:34 – More fun on the field
- 1:26 – Up against Brian Flores' defense
- 5:23 – Goff, Gibbs and offensive strengths
- 10:43 – Defensive depth and rotation
- 12:56 – Detroit's health and Joseph returning
- 15:07 – Why Minnesota's defense succeeds
- 17:26 – Quarterback hesitancy vs. the defense
- 20:49 – The "cat and mouse game"
- 22:46 – Injury update on Jones
- 24:31 – Murray's progress
- 27:34 – Key to a Week 8 victory
- 30:36 – Wonnum's Week 7 field goal block
- 32:41 – Playing on teams and defense
- 33:24 – Wonnum's journey from high school
- 36:32 – Transitioning to defensive end
- 37:40 – Opportunity in Detroit
- 39:42 – Defensive progress and Week 8 takeaways
- 42:41 – Final Week 8 thoughts
