Vikings-Lions scouting report

Sunday: Noon at U.S. Bank Stadium (Ch. 9, 100.3-FM)

ABOUT THE LIONS

• Detroit (3-8-1) dropped a fifth straight game in a 24-20 loss to the Bears on Thanksgiving Day. Its defense surrendered 338 passing yards to Mitchell Trubisky, which was his season high.

• The Lions became the sixth NFL team eliminated from playoff contention before Week 14. Three of those teams — the Bengals, Dolphins and Cardinals — are the only defenses allowing more than Detroit's 398 yards per game.

• Bo Scarbrough, the former Alabama RB, averages 4.5 yards per carry on 53 attempts the past three games. Kerryon Johnson, the Lions' top back, returned to practice this week but remains on injured reserve.

• No receiving duo has more touchdowns than the Lions' Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay, leading the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns apiece. Golladay, in his third NFL season, averages more yards per catch (20.2) than any starting receiver in the NFC.

• Blough, the second passer replacing veteran Matthew Stafford (back injury) this season, threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL start against the Bears.

• Lions coach Matt Patricia:  "[Blough's] grown through the season; through the meetings and the reps he's taken on the field. For us, when he has that opportunity, it really wasn't surprising he went out and made the most of it."

• Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on Blough: "[Assistant offensive line coach Andrew Janocko] coached him in the East-West [Shrine Game], so we tried to get a report on him as best we could. I thought he played really well and made some really good throws."

• Patricia, the former Patriots defensive coordinator, is in his second NFL season leading the Lions with a 9-18-1 record in the regular season (.339) and no playoff appearances.

• The Lions defense has statistically regressed in Patricia's second season, as it's allowing an average of 26.2 points (25th) and 398.1 yards (29th) through 12 games.

• On what the Lions defense has to do to rebound: "Obviously we've got a lot to do. The game last time wasn't very good for us defensively. Going into the game, they've got a lot of weapons: [Stefon] Diggs, his speed as a vertical threat, [Adam] Thielen, we know how dynamic he is, and we start with the run game and Dalvin Cook."