Lunchbreak: Cook is ESPN's Midseason Pick for NFL Offensive Player of Year

[Viktor]

Minnesota receives A+ grade for defeat of Detroit


For the second week in a row, the Vikings received an A+ grade from CBS Sports' John Breech.


Breech spoke highly of Minnesota's offense and its outlook for the second stretch of the season:


It's not quite Thanksgiving yet, but Dalvin Cook probably felt like it was after he spent his Sunday feasting on the Lions defense. … Everything was working offensively for the Vikings, who also got a strong performance from Kirk Cousins. Cousins completed his first four passes for 83 yards on Minnesota's first two possessions, which helped the Vikings jump out to an early 13-0 lead. After being left for dead in the playoff race just two weeks ago, the Vikings are slowly clawing their way back into contention.


The Lions, meanwhile, received a D grade from Breech.


Matthew Stafford didn't practice all week, and it definitely showed in this game. The Lions quarterback threw two interceptions, including a back-breaking pick in the third quarter that came after Detroit drove all the way down to Minnesota's 5-yard line. Of course, the Lions might not have won even if Stafford had played a perfect game, and that's because Detroit's defense got absolutely steamrolled by a Vikings rushing attack that piled up 275 yards on the ground, which is the most the Lions have surrendered in any game since 2013.


The Vikings added a third interception of the day when Harrison Smith picked off backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who entered the game when Stafford went into concussion protocol. It was the 25th interception of Smith's career.