When a team has a full roster of offensive superstars, sometimes it's the role players who pave the way to success. Against the Minnesota Vikings' vaunted defense, the Detroit Lions tried multiple approaches to find success, but ran into several roadblocks. Entering the half, the Lions trailed 7-6, and while they were moving the ball, penalties and missed assignments held them back.
Over 30 minutes, Jared Goff was 11 of 16 for 110 yards (and an interception following a Jameson Williams slip), and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed 11 times for 37 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Sione Vaki also contributed on five carries, producing 29 yards and a clean 5.8 yards per carry.
While Gibbs draws a ridiculous amount of attention, Vaki found more chunk yards on the ground in the first half, mainly because of the blocking scheme they ran. With Gibbs, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing called a variety of plays, both inside-the-tackles and stretch plays in outside zone, and the results were mixed. With Vaki, more inside gaps and traps let him get downfield quickly and take advantage of the Vikings' aggression.
Coming out of the half, the Lions started incorporating more of the Vaki blocking scheme with Gibbs as a runner, and they began to take control of the clock. The Lions duo gained another 55 yards on the ground in the third quarter (plus another 10 from Amon-Ra St. Brown on a lateral), then asserted their will in the fourth. Inside trap after inside trap led to Vaki gaining another 34 yards on five carries (6.8 yards per carry) and Gibbs running six times for 63 yards (10.5 yards per carry), as the Lions literally ran out the clock.
"Vaki was one of the guys we challenged this week going into this game," Lions coach Dan Campbell said in his post-game press conference. "We were going to need him. He needed to show up. He was going to need to get some carries for us, some significant carries. They needed to be real yards, and he was going to need to be able to pass protect for us. And I thought he took a big step today. That's a huge step. He gained a lot of trust today, a ton."
In the locker room after the game, Vaki was quick to credit the Lions offensive line for opening holes for him, and downplayed the idea that his success led to a change in approach with the blocking scheme, citing better execution as an offense, but he did note that he was told earlier in the week that his role would increase and that he felt prepared for the moment.
"I knew I was going to be called on, especially in blitz pickup, but I was glad I was prepared for the moment. We really harped on grit and resiliency all week, and that's what we showed today," Vaki told Pride of Detroit in the locker room, later adding, "I just tried not to get outside of myself, tried to stay under control. Make sure that when I'm blocking, that I'm letting my eyes rest on a single point, and overall, trying to be the aggressor (as a runner)."
In total, Vaki's downhill approach helped him rank up 65 yards on 11 carries, 5.9 yards per attempt—along with one reception for 5 yards—including being the running back on the final two plays that earned the Lions their final first down and the win.
If you thought the Lions were still in need of an RB2 to back up Gibbs, rest easy tonight, folks; he's already on the roster.
