Scoggins: Plenty of holes in Vikings' offensive line

Ndamukong Suh couldn't remember anything quite like what he experienced on Sunday, a performance so one-sided that it almost looked unfair.

"I'd have to think back to college," he said.

That's exactly where Nick Fairley found his comparison.

"Auburn," he said.

Never in the NFL?

"This is the first time since I've been in the league that I've seen a game like this," Fairley said.

How about you George Johnson?

So there you have it. Even members of the Detroit Lions defensive line found it somewhat absurd the degree to which they smashed their counterparts in a 17-3 victory over the Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium.

The entire game could be stripped down to that singular matchup: Detroit's defensive line vs. the Vikings offensive line.

The verdict: Uncle!

NFL parity didn't apply to that particular matchup. Picture a road paver rumbling over pebbles.

The Lions sacked Teddy Bridgewater eight times — four in each half. They hit him 12 times. Bridgewater dropped back 45 times, and it felt like he was under pressure 45 times.

"Once we smell blood," defensive end Jason Jones said, "we're attacking."

The Vikings line didn't have a prayer against the NFL's best defensive front. Bridgewater's supposed protectors should apologize to him. Or offer to draw him a warm bath because the kid took a beating.

On one play, tackles Matt Kalil and Phil Loadholt whiffed on their blocks simultaneously, allowing two Detroit rushers to make a Bridgewater sandwich.

Suh collapsed the pocket so forcefully on one run that Matt Asiata barely received the handoff before he was hit for a 3-yard loss. Suh burst through the line so fast that he engulfed Asiata.

"That's what we're supposed to do — go out there and attack them," Jones said. "Feast on the quarterback."

Suh and Fairley are immovable in the middle, and their edge rushers keep heat on opponent's tackles. Five different linemen recorded at least a partial sack of Bridgewater.

"Our defensive line is always in competition with each other," said Johnson, who posted 1½ sacks and two hits. "It's a friendly competition of who can run the fastest, who can get to the quarterback. That's actually what makes us play the way we play. It's always a competition."

They were all winners Sunday. Every guy took home bragging rights. The Vikings offensive line received a participation medal.

The Vikings offense could've played until Halloween and it wasn't going to a score a touchdown because its line offered no resistance. The Lions front four stuffed the run and then teed off on Teddy.

"That was our game plan," Fairley said. "Every time that he dropped back, somebody has to get a hand on him, push him, knock him down. Let him know that we're here."

The Lions noticed on film Bridgewater has a tendency to hold onto the ball a little too long. That might work against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Lions own the NFL's top-ranked defense. And they smothered Bridgewater in the pocket.

On the field, the Lions kept telling themselves the same thing before every snap.

"Keep hunting," Johnson said. "When we started getting him, we were like, 'Man, we're getting after it right now.'"

Offensive players love to talk about getting into a "rhythm" when everything just flows perfectly. That's what happened with Detroit's defensive line. The Lions were so dominant with their rush that it just clicked. They kept the Vikings on their heels all game.

"We're relentless the way we rush the passer," Fairley said.

"Overall," Suh said, "I think it's a dominant performance across the board."

Chip Scoggins • chip.scoggins@startribune.com