Four weeks into the 2021 season and lady luck has not been kind to the Detroit Lions. Record-setting kicks that bounce off the crossbar aside, the injury bug has plagued this team in a massive way. They will be without multiple key contributors for this Sunday’s tilt against the Minnesota Vikings.
With that said, the Vikings have had their own struggles through the first portion of the season and currently have a record of 1-3. I took a look at two pivotal matchups (one on each side of the ball) where the Lions will be relying heavily on the “next man up” mantra that players and coaches have been saying all week.