More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (81), is congratulated by teammate guard Stephen Peterman (66) after his touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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• My thoughts go out to Chris Spielman and his family, as his wife, Stefanie, passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight with breast cancer.
• I was a bit surprised that Stephen Peterman wasn't one of the players placed on injured reserve earlier this week, because the ankle injury he suffered during the Vikings game looked pretty serious.  Peterman was in an immense amount of pain and though he managed to walk off the field without any help, he had to be carted off to the locker room from the sideline.  It was apparent the injury was serious, but nobody was really sure just how serious until today.  I say that because the Lions have now placed Peterman on IR, ending his season.  He will probably have to undergo ankle surgery, which is why the Lions went ahead and ended his season.
• Replacing Peterman on the roster is wide receiver Eric Fowler, who was activated from the practice squad.  A replacement for Peterman was really already signed earlier this week when Melvin Fowler joined the team, so the Lions decided to promote Fowler to fill the latest open spot on the active roster.
• Kalvin Pearson and Ernie Sims are out this week.
• It was thought that Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs might be out as well, but now it looks like he will play on Sunday against the Lions.
• The reason Louis Delmas' absence from last Sunday's game was so unexpected was because Delmas himself thought he was going to play despite having a root canal and dental surgery on the Friday before the game.  All was fine up until kickoff was approaching, which is when he realized he was in too much pain and couldn't play.  It happened so soon before kickoff that he wasn't even on the inactive list, which actually ended up hurting the Lions' depth because so many other players got hurt during the game.
• Jim Schwartz made some adjustments to the team's schedule this week in order to get ready for playing two games in five days.
• The fate of the Silverdome will be decided by a judge by Monday at the latest.
• Ernie Sims and a few of his snakes visited a class of fourth-graders earlier this week to talk about reptiles.
• Shaun Rogers talked about his time in Detroit earlier this week.

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel. 

Lions - 1 score on 1 chance (1 touchdown)

Once again, the Lions' offense spent very little time in the red zone.  That has been the offense's biggest problem in the last month or so.  They do quite well in the red zone, but they only make it inside the 20 a couple times a game at most it seems like.  Against Minnesota, the Lions' lone red zone trip produced a touchdown on a pass to Will Heller.  At the end of the first half the Lions could have possibly had another trip inside the red zone and got to the 20, but they immediately kicked a field goal, so I'm not going to count that.

Vikings - 4 scores on 6 chances (2 touchdowns, 2 field goals, 1 fumble, 1 turnover on downs)

The defense was also not much different than it has been this season.  The Vikings had a whopping 6 trips to the red zone, but the Lions only gave up a couple touchdowns.  On top of that, twice Minnesota didn't even score any points.  That was because of a fumble and a failure to gain a yard on fourth down.  The fumble was Adrian Peterson's fault when he lateraled the ball behind Percy Harvin and Sammie Hill ended up with it, but the other time the Vikings were kept off the scoreboard was when the defense made a stand on fourth down.  All in all, I will take only giving up 2 touchdowns on 6 red zone opportunities every time.

Overall

It seems like I'm beating a dead horse because it's the same thing every week, but I'll say it one more time.  The Lions' offense needs to get into the red zone more often, and defensively, the Lions need to keep their opponents out of the red zone.  The defense's bend but don't break style works quite well when you consider that opposing teams' red zone efficiency based on touchdowns isn't all that great against the Lions, but the fact that teams are consistently getting into the red zone as many as 6 times a game is very concerning.

As expected, Sunday's game between the Lions and Browns has officially been blacked out.  The Lions didn't announce how many tickets are still available, meaning the number probably isn't much different from what we heard yesterday.  With around 7,000 unsold tickets and based on the fact that the attendance for the Rams game was just more than 40,000, I wouldn't expect a very big crowd at Ford Field on Sunday.

Like usual, Pride of Detroit will have play-by-play updates in the game threads.  If you are in the blackout zone, your most reliable option to track the game outside of checking out POD is by listening to it on the radio, because whether or not there will be streams is always a guessing game.  POD will do its best to keep track of ways to watch the game, but there are no promises since it is usually hit or miss.

• According to John Niyo, the players listed below missed practiced today for the Lions.
  

  Quick injury update from practice: Guard Stephen Peterman (ankle), linebacker Ernie Sims (hamstring), defensive end Dewayne White (toe), safety Kalvin Pearson (hamstring) and receiver Derrick Williams (hip) all are sitting out today.

  Also according to Niyo, Daniel Loper has stepped in for Peterman at right guard.
• Louis Delmas, who didn't end up playing against Minnesota because of an infected tooth, did practice, as did Larry Foote and Phillip Buchanon, who are both recovering from injuries. 
• According to Jim Schwartz, Anthony Henry is going to be active this Sunday and will be "in a lot of different roles."  Schwartz specifically mentioned that Henry can play at outside cornerback, nickel cornerback, and safety.
  
• Joshua Cribbs, perhaps the Browns' best player, missed practice today because of an injury that happened on the last play of Monday's game against the Ravens.  The game was basically over, but Cribbs was still out there playing and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after receiving a big hit.  Why you would have a player like that out there when the game has already been decided is beyond me, but this is Eric Mangini we are talking about.  He may be one of the most incompetent coaches I've ever seen (the NFLPA is reportedly going to Cleveland to investigate his practice methods for crying out loud), and if you don't already think that, wait until you read the next bullet.  As for Cribbs, he merely hopes to play on Sunday.  For the Lions' sake, I hope he takes this game off, because he owned Detroit in the preseason.
  
• Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp talked up Calvin Johnson yesterday, calling him the "best receiver in the league, hands down."  He also said this about Megatron:
  

  "He's like the LeBron James of football because of his size, speed and his knowledge of the game."

  What's funny is that if Eric Mangini had it his way, LeBron James would be the LeBron James of football.  James talked on Tuesday about how he could become a football player if he was committed to it, and Mangini said this about the possibility of him playing for a different Cleveland team:
  

  "I think he should come on down," Mangini said.

  Shaun Rogers was a bit more skeptical, but for marketing reasons alone I wouldn't hesitate to sign LeBron James if he truly wanted to become an NFL player.  Still, Mangini must be pretty desperate if he has no qualms about an NBA player joining the team.  Then again, without Joshua Cribbs, the Browns' top receiver is Mohamed Massaquoi, who was one of Matthew Stafford's targets at Georgia last year.  Maybe signing James wouldn't be such a bad idea considering how little talent the Browns currently have, especially since Mangini thinks that the Cleveland Cavalier could play outside linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
  
• The Lions have already been eliminated from contending for the NFC North title. 
  

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It looks like Sunday's game between the Lions and Browns is headed for a blackout.  7,000 tickets are still available for Sunday's game, and the deadline to reach a sellout is 1 p.m. tomorrow.  Of course, if the Lions somehow sell a few thousand tickets and show that they can reach a sellout, then a 24-hour extension will be granted on the deadline.  If that doesn't happen, though, the game will almost certainly be blacked out.

So far this season there have only been two blackouts -- when the Redskins and Rams came to Detroit.  Before the Rams game was officially ruled a blackout, there were around 10,000 tickets, so having only 7,000 available is at least an improvement.

The Lions have another home game a week from tomorrow, but considering that is the Thanksgiving game and the Packers are Detroit's opponent, there is no chance that will be blacked out.  Even last year the Lions sold out the Thanksgiving game against the Titans, so with Green Bay coming to town, I'd bet on it being sold out.  I'd also bet on seeing a lot of cheese heads at Ford Field.  It's less than ideal to have opposing fans take over your team's stadium, but if that means I can actually watch the game, I'm fine with it.

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is stopped by Detroit Lions safety Marquand Manuel (40) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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The repercussions from Sunday's injury-filled game are now being felt, because at least two players are out for the season and have been placed on injured reserve.  Cornerback Jack Williams and safety Marquand Manuel have already been placed on IR, and it's possible that Stephen Peterman could end up joining them at some point. 

Williams was just claimed off waivers by Detroit a week ago and tore his left ACL on his first play with the Lions.  The injury is disappointing not only because of how soon it happened, but also because Williams has a lot of potential that will go unseen until 2010.  The hope was for Williams to come in and continue to develop as a pro cornerback, but the knee injury will be putting that development on hold.

Manuel hurt his shoulder against the Vikings and is being shut down for the rest of the season as well.  It seemed like Manuel had hurt something in every game this season, but up until now, none of his ailments had been serious.  That is no longer the case, and the Lions have lost another defensive back because of an injury.

To replace the two open spots on the roster created by the injuries to Williams and Manuel, the Lions signed safety DeAngelo Smith and offensive lineman Melvin Fowler.  Smith was a fifth-round pick by the Cowboys this year and was most recently on the Bears' practice squad.  Fowler is a veteran that most recently was on the Cardinals.  He spent exactly a month in Arizona right before the start of the season and was cut loose on September 4.  He actually took Donovan Raiola's spot on Arizona's roster when he was originally signed.  Donovan is Dominic Raiola's brother, and at some point Fowler could be lining up next to him in Detroit. (Another odd coincidence is that Donovan Raiola is currently on the Bears' practice squad, which is where the Lions got Smith from.  It's definitely a small world.)

Right now there is no specific word on just how serious Stephen Peterman's ankle injury is, but considering he was carted to the locker room after it happened, I wouldn't expect him to be back anytime soon.  To steal Jim Schwartz's favorite word when describing injuries, Peterman's ankle problem seems significant.  The Lions haven't placed him on IR, but it doesn't look like he will be returning in the immediate future.

More photos » by Jerry Holt - AP

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball while being tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Peterson (59) after picking up a first down in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Jerry Holt)

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(Note: Apologies for the lack of posting the last couple of days.  I've been swamped with class-related things and have had quite a few technical issues as well.  Expect a bunch of posts in the next 24 hours or so as I catch up on everything.)

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Vikings beat the Lions by a score of 27-10 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

• The Vikings got the ball first and quickly moved down the field, picking up a pretty decent amount of yards on each play.  Eventually they ended up with the 3rd and 7 inside the Lions' 10-yard line, and the defense came up with a big stop, bringing Adrian Peterson down at the 4-yard line.  Ryan Longwell connected on a 22-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.
• For the second straight game, the Lions moved the ball well on their first drive of the game and had it end on a missed field goal.  After picking up one third-down conversion thanks to a 7-yard pass to Calvin Johnson, the offense stalled.  Matthew Stafford found Derrick Williams for a gain of 6 on 3rd and 10, which actually proved to be an important play.  On the ensuing punt, a Vikings player jumped offside, giving the Lions free 5 yards and a first down.  The offense didn't pick up another first down on the drive, but the penalty extended the drive helped put them in field goal range.  Unfortunately, like last week, Jason Hanson made another rare mistake, kicking the 48-yard field goal just wide right.

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More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

5 days ago: Detroit Lions safety Ko Simpson (30) brings down Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice after a nine-yard pass from Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass around 54 times today, and he was hurried, hit, or sacked on about 70% of those plays.  That stat alone sums up how today's game against the Vikings went for the Lions, because Minnesota pummeled Detroit and beat them up both statistically and physically.  The Vikings out-gained the Lions in the total yards department by a whopping number of 492-297 and won the game by a score of 27-10.  It seemed like at least 10 different players got hurt for the Lions during this game, including a few defensive backs, a receiver or two, and also Stephen Peterman, who had to be carted off to the locker room.  There were others who got banged up but either returned to the game or stayed in, and in general it's evident that this team is hurting right now quite a bit.  It was a rough day for the Lions in more ways than one, and I imagine the injury report will be quite big next week.

The Lions' biggest problem in the first half of this game was a lack of offensive production.  The defense gave up a ton of yards, but Minnesota only managed to score 10 points because of turnovers and a big fourth-down stand by the Lions' defense.  The issue was that Minnesota's defense was playing an amazing game, containing the Lions' rushing game and not even giving Matthew Stafford a chance to effectively pass the ball.  He had defenders in his face about 1 second after the snap on most plays, and although he managed to escape pressure on a few occasions, the Vikings just didn't let him do anything.  The offensive line played terrible and Stafford paid the price.

Minnesota came out and started the second half with a fumble recovery on the first play of the third quarter and a touchdown run on the very next play.  It looked like the Lions were going to fall apart and get blown out like we have seen so many times this season, but Detroit answered with a solid drive that was capped off by a touchdown pass to Will Heller.  That got the Lions within 7 points of Minnesota, but the Vikings eventually put the game out of reach thanks to more solid defense and a bunch of big plays made possible by Brett Favre.  It didn't help that Lions receivers dropped quite a few passes yet again, because the offense needed to play perfect to have a shot at winning on this day.

Next up for the Lions is a home game against one of the teams that is just as bad as them, the Cleveland Browns.  There will be a quick turnaround after that game with Thanksgiving coming up the following week.  The Packers will come to Ford Field just four days later, making for what will be the Lions' third game in 11 days.  With the way injuries piled up today, it will be important for this team to get healthy quickly and not get banged up any more next week against Cleveland.  If that happens, Detroit may have a tough time even fielding a team when Green Bay comes to town.

More photos » by Andy King - AP

5 days ago: Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith, center, runs against Minnesota Vikings' Madieu Williams (20) and Kevin Williams (93) in the first quarter of their NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy King)

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After three quarters of play in Minnesota, the Lions are down 17-10 to the Vikings.

At halftime, the Lions trail the Vikings by a score of 10-3.