Vikings-Lions scouting report

Sunday: Noon at Ford Field (Ch. 9, 100.3-FM)

• Detroit (2-2-1) lost on Monday night after a game-winning field goal from Packers kicker Mason Crosby at Lambeau Field. Detroit blew a 13-0 lead in the 23-22 loss, aided by a late, controversial hands-to-the-face penalty on Lions defensive end Trey Flowers.

• Flowers, a former Patriots star, has one sack in five games since signing a five-year deal worth up to $90 million in March. Flowers had a sack and a couple of pressures in the Patriots' win against the Vikings last December.

• Under first-year offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell — the former Seahawks and Vikings OC — the Lions are running the ball again. Detroit's 28.6 rushing attempts per game rank ninth, led by Kerryon Johnson's 285 rushing yards.

• The Lions defense ranks sixth with 11 takeaways, including a league-leading eight fumble recoveries. It's a group effort as eight different Lions defenders forced those fumbles.

• Stafford, five starts into his 11th NFL season, is playing as efficient as ever, nearing his career high with a 99.1 passer rating. He's throwing deep, averaging 8 yards per pass, which would be a career high.

• Kenny Golladay, his No. 1 option, averages 15.2 yards per catch — 12th most among NFL receivers. Only five players have more than Golladay's four receiving touchdowns.

• Lions coach Matt Patricia on Stafford: "He really has great input in some of the things that we're doing, which has helped us to evolve every single week to try to fit what we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win. They're doing a good job on that side of the ball, growing it. We're only so far into the season with a new offense."

• Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on Stafford: "He's No. 1 in the league throwing attempted contested passes. … Stafford is playing outstanding."

• Patricia, in his second NFL season as a coach, has an 8-12-1 record, including 4-6 at Ford Field. Patricia inherited a 27th-ranked defense that finished 10th last season. However, Detroit is off to an uneven start, allowing nearly 414 yards per game.

• The defense has been particularly susceptible to the run, surrendering 5.1 yards per carry (28th) and at least 112 rushing yards per game.

• On what Trey Flowers has added to his Lions defense: "These guys are trying to do a good job of maturing in the second year of the defense. When a guy like Trey comes in, or [ex-Packers defensive tackle] Mike Daniels comes in, they just fit right in and go to work. That's what we're about."

• On what he's seeing from Kirk Cousins: "You can see some things settle in for him in the games where those plays have gone the way they want.

ANDREW KRAMMER