One minute we’re trading for a big-name player on the way to theMatt Prater Jersey playoffs, the next we’re having a fire sale on the way to a top-10 pick.The reality is probably somewhere in between.I don’t think the Damon Harrison Sr. or Golden Tate trades were connected in any way. In fact, I think the writing has been on the wall for Tate for a while. Once the Lions failed to offer him an offseason contract it became clear his time on the Lions was running out.The wide receiver market, age, and offensive scheme all played a part.MarketAs soon as Sammy Watkins signed a three-year, $48 million deal with Kansas City Chiefs I knew the Lions would have a hard time re-signing Tate. The Watkins deal has $30 million fully guaranteed Nevin Lawson Jersey , and $34 million over the first two years of the deal.That is a ton of money, and it’s probably just the starting point for the Golden Tate deal. AgeThe next factor is age. Both Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia were raised up in the Patriot Way, and one of the main staples of “the way” is the idea that you’d rather be a year early on releasing a player than a year late. Golden has shown no signs of wearing down, but the Lions clearly didn’t want to make a significant investment in a 30-year-old receiver when they have a younger option (Kenny Golladay) and a cheaper option (Marvin Jones Jr.) already on the roster. And that brings me to scheme.SchemeIt seems hard to believe, but the Lions’ scheme may have been slowly phasing Tate out as a key to their offensive identity. The offense has slowly been adapting throughout the season, and while Tate started out on fire Cheap Kerryon Johnson Jersey , his last three weeks were pretty pedestrian—averaging just five catches for 43 yards in his final three games with the team. It seems the Lions want to continue to expand the run game and get the ball down the field. In theory, this makes sense. But when the Lions run game was shut down last week it limited their ability to do much down the field. By the end of the year we’ll know whether or not trading Tate was the right decision, and it all starts this Sunday in Minnesota.But, because it’s Vikings week, I’ll leave you all with this final goodbye:Opponent snapshotThe Vikings are a true boom or bust team. They went into the offseason determined to make a Super Bowl run. And while they’ve looked good during parts of the season, they’ve also shown some warts—most notably T.J. Lang Jersey , a leaky offensive line and struggling linebackers in coverage. The Lions have a shot on the road if they can pressure cousins and create mismatches against the Vikings linebackers in the passing game. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY SportsVikings’ biggest threatAdam ThielenOnly two players ever have gone eight straight games with 100-yards receiving:Calvin Johnson and Adam Thielen.Thielen will be vying to take over sole possession of the record on Sunday against the Lions. Wouldn’t it just be fitting for him to break the record this week? Unfortunately for Lions fans, I wouldn’t bet against Thielen this week. He has been the definition of consistent this season and is probably the best route runner in the NFL. The Lions will have their hands full with him on Sunday. Keep an eye out to see if the Lions shadow him with Darius Slay in the slot.Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY SportsVikings’ weak linkOffensive lineIf there’s one thing keeping the Vikings from the Super Bowl this year it’s their offensive line. A slew of injuries created holes in the offseason and they’ve only gotten bigger as the year has worn on. This week both Riley Reiff and Tom Compton are on the injury report and will probably be questionable heading into Sunday. Last week against the Saints, the Vikings and Kirk Cousins gave up a pressure on 22 of 45 drop backs.The Lions formula for winning on the road will have to be to disrupt Cousins and create turnovers much like New Orleans did last Sunday.Bottom lineThis game has a ton riding on it. Despite losing last week, the Lions are not out of the NFC North race. A win Sunday would go a long way toward quieting the boo birds after last week’s loss. The problem is the Vikings are the better team, and they are at home.PredictionVikings 27 Lions 24 Detroit defensive end Ziggy Ansah left Monday night's game against the New York Jets with a shoulder injury.It wasn't clear how severe the injury was, but it was a concerning development for the Lions Cheap Jarrad Davis Jersey , who kept the standout pass rusher this year on the franchise tag. Ansah hasn't played a full 16 games since the 2015 season. He had 12 sacks in 14 games a season ago.Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson was evaluated for a head injury but came back into the game. Johnson intercepted a pass in the second quarter but took a hard hit while returning it and fumbled the ball back to Detroit.
