There was some concern for the much-ballyhooed Vikings run defense when middle linebacker E.J. Henderson was ruled out for the year with toe/foot injuries early last week, though the team's performance against the Saints dispelled much of it. New Orleans rushed for just 55 yards on 22 carries for the night, with tackles Pat Williams (20 tackles) and Kevin Williams (21 tackles, 2 sacks) again dominating at the point of attack while combining for seven tackles. Outside linebackers Chad Greenway (39 tackles, 1 sack) and Ben Leber (16 tackles, 1 INT) combined for 12 tackles behind the two Williams', while David Herron (8 tackles), who started in the middle in place of Henderson, finished with two stops. The Vikings' Achilles' heel has been in the secondary, though cornerback Antoine Winfield (29 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) is the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week and safety Tyrell Johnson (19 tackles, 1 INT) and cornerback Cedric Griffin (28 tackles) both had a hand in turnovers in the win. Winfield had eight tackles, a sack, and a fumble both recovered and forced versus the Saints. End Jared Allen (13 tackles) has two of the Vikings' eight sacks on the season.

WHEN THE VIKINGS HAVE THE BALL

Establishing Peterson (452 rushing yards, 3 TD, 10 receptions) will be job number one for the Minnesota offense. The 2007 Rookie of the Year has been held under 100 yards in each of his last three outings, as teams have been stacking the box and daring veteran Gus Frerotte (692 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) to throw. Frerotte was intermittently effective against the Saints on Monday night, completing 19-of-36 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian (17 receptions, 1 TD). Berrian finished with six catches for 110 yards in his best game as a Viking, fellow WR Bobby Wade (21 receptions) chipped in with eight grabs for 64 yards, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (12 receptions, 2 TD) caught a TD pass from running back Chester Taylor (89 rushing yards, 9 receptions) on a trick play.

Frerotte, Peterson, and company should be licking their chops in the presence of Lions team that ranks last in the league in total defense (429 yards per game), touchdowns allowed (18), interceptions (0), turnovers margin (-6), and is tied for last in scoring defense (36.8 points per game) and takeaways (2). Detroit gave up a career-high 334 passing yards to the Bears' Kyle Orton last Sunday. Cornerback Leigh Bodden (15 tackles) will likely match up with Berrian, and safety Dwight Smith (24 tackles), a member of the Vikings in 2006 and 2007, will lend support against his former team. End Dewayne White (9 tackles) has half of the Lions' paltry total of four sacks. The Detroit front seven did a decent job against the Chicago run last week, limiting three Bears backs to 87 yards on 33 combined carries. Linebackers Ernie Sims (35 tackles) and Paris Lenon (26 tackles) combined for 20 tackles, and Chuck Darby (10 tackles) posted four stops from his defensive tackle position.

FANTASY FOCUS

Anybody on the Lions worth touching this week? Not really, since Kitna is uncertain to start (or at least make it to the end of) the game, and wideouts Johnson and Williams haven't been consistent in the new offense. Start a Detroit running back or the Lions defense this week if you're looking for a chuckle out of your opponent.

On the Vikings side, Peterson remains a No. 1 starter despite his struggles last week, and elements of the passing game like Frerotte, Berrian, and even Shiancoe are worth considering due to the weakness of the Lions defense. The Minnesota defense and kicker Ryan Longwell also deserve a place in starting lineups this week.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Lions are a bad football team, but even the worst teams in NFL history have managed to answer the bell once in a while in the course of a miserable campaign. The games those clubs typically fare best in come against division rivals, and though last week's ugly loss to the Bears would certainly suggest differently, this team does have the ability to play better and show some pride. Look for Detroit to hang around here a little longer than they should, before Peterson and the Vikings o-line wears them down and pulls away late.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Vikings 26, Lions 16

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