MRKH was ist das? » MINNEAPOLIS — When Kirk Cousins and his family moved

from Illinois to Michigan Football Olisaemeka Udoh Jersey , his allegiance to the Bears was well-established.Leaving Chicagoland, Cousins wondered aloud to his dad whether they’d be required to become fans of the Lions and the other Detroit-area teams.More Vikings coveragePreview: Cook, Vikings look to keep rolling vs. PackersTop Tweets: Vikings prepare for Packers with TMNT hype videoBarr, seasoned Vikings defense off to strong startNew offense, same Rodgers: Vikings prep for LaFleur’s PackersVikings re-sign center Jones, waive rookie TE Dillon“He said, ‘Kirk, you can take the boy out of Chicago. You can’t take Chicago out of the boy,'” Cousins recalled this week.Loyal to the Bears they remained, but inside Michigan’s borders the Lions always received top TV billing. So Cousins moved through his teenage years and on to college at Michigan State with more than adequate coverage of the Lions, a clear familiarity that has only deepened now that Cousins has joined a different team in the NFC North in Minnesota.The Vikings (4-3-1) will host the Lions (3-4) on Sunday, the first time Cousins, who’s second in the NFL with 2,521 passing yards, will face his home state’s squad as a division rival.“I think with every game we play, I can point to something about the team or an opponent on the team or a coach or whatever it might be that makes you feel like you’re living a dream,” Cousins said, “and certainly going against the Detroit Lions is no different being that I grew up in that state.”With the Bears (4-3) and Green Bay Packers (3-3-1) bunched in, too, this game will be the first of several in the second half of the season to shape a tight race.“Division games count for two,” Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “You get the win, and they get the loss. They’re big games, and the more you can go and win those, whether on the road or at your place, the better. We have a big stretch of them coming up.”Here are some other key angles to follow with the game:MATCHING MEGATRONAdam Thielen leads the NFL with 74 receptions and 925 yards for the Vikings. With at least 100 yards in each of the first eight games, Thielen has tied Lions legend Calvin Johnson for the longest streak in league history. Johnson’s run was in 2012, when he set the all-time NFL record with 1 Youth Garrett Bradbury Jersey ,964 yards.As a football-loving kid living in Minnesota, Thielen naturally tried to emulate Cris Carter and Randy Moss. But Johnson was another star wide receiver he closely watched. Johnson, who retired after the 2015 season, wore No. 21 in college at Georgia Tech. So did Thielen at Detroit Lakes High School, not coincidentally.“He could block, he could run short routes, he could run deep routes, and he’d catch everything,” Thielen said. “When people were draped all over him, he’d still make the plays. I just remember a lot of games where Stafford would just throw the ball up, and there’d be three guys on him and he’d still come down with the ball.”With Stefon Diggs another dangerous option for Cousins, limiting Thielen has been even more of a challenge for opponents.“We’re going to have a hard time trying to handle him,” coach Matt Patricia said. “He runs really good routes. He has great change of direction. He can get vertically very quick. He understands zone coverage — he can sit down and find the open space — and he has great hands. So definitely will be a big issue for us.”7<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Upon Further Review: Vikings vs. SaintsBrad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports | Brad RempelGOLDEN’S GONEThough Johnson caused the Vikings secondary plenty of problems over his nine years in the league, Golden Tate did his share of damage, too.In the first four wins by the Lions over the Vikings since Zimmer was hired in 2014, twice in his first year and twice in 2016, Tate totaled 228 yards and two touchdowns on 30 catches while being targeted 38 times. That included his game-winning somersault into the end zone in overtime in Minnesota in 2016, after Vikings standouts Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith missed their attempts to tackle him.Last season, the Vikings limited Tate to just seven receptions for 36 yards over their two matchups. Now he’s gone, having been traded to Philadelphia .“I was surprised about that. He was their main guy on third downs. He was great with yards after the catch,” Rhodes said, adding: “It was one of those situations where you were like, ‘Oh, let me check MY phone.'”GRIFFEN GETTING GOINGVikings defensive end Everson Griffen, who has 7½ sacks in eight games against the Lions since becoming a starter in 2014, made his season debut last week after missing five games to seek mental health treatment. Griffen played 37 of 53 snaps against New Orleans.“My No. 1 goal is just to keep on going out there and knocking the rust off more and more each day, but I’m feeling good Mike Hughes Jersey ,” Griffen said.GAME ON THE GROUNDAfter finishing last, third-to-last and last in the NFL in rushing over the previous three years, the Lions have revived their long-languishing ground game with the arrival of rookie Kerryon Johnson. With an average of nearly 110 yards per game, they’re 16th in the league this week.“It’s mostly what the offensive line’s doing. No matter how good a running back is, he needs the offensive line, period,” Vikings defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said. “Ain’t too many Barry Sanders in the league.”—DETROIT (3-4) at MINNESOTA (4-3-1)Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOXOPENING LINE — Vikings by 7RECORD VS. SPREAD — Detroit 4-3, Minnesota 4-3-1SERIES RECORD — Vikings lead 72-39-2LAST MEETING — Vikings beat Lions 30-23 on Nov. 23, 2017LAST WEEK — Lions lost to Seahawks 28-14; Vikings lost to Saints 30-20AP PRO32 RANKING — Lions No. 19, Vikings No. 9LIONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (8), RUSH (8), PASS (8).LIONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (12), RUSH (16), PASS (4).VIKINGS OFFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (13), PASS (4).VIKINGS DEFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (5), PASS (9).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Lions have won first two visits to U.S. Bank Stadium and four of last seven on road vs. Vikings, following streak of 13 straight losses in Minnesota. … This is first division road game for Lions under coach Matt Patricia. Lions are 21-10 vs. NFC North foes since start of 2013 season, best such record in division. … Lions QB Matthew Stafford has posted 95.0 passer rating in six consecutive games, longest run in Lions history. Since start of 2016 season, Stafford has 23 such games, trailing only Saints QB Drew Brees (29) and Falcons QB Matt Ryan (27). … Lions RB Kerryon Johnson has 466 rushing yards, most through seven games by rookie in team history since Barry Sanders (597 in 1989). … Lions DE Romeo Okwara has sack in each of last four games Anthony Barr Jersey , tied for longest in team history. … Lions tied for third in NFL in sacks per game. … Vikings WR Adam Thielen tied with former Lions WR Calvin Johnson (2012) with eight straight 100-yard games, all-time longest streak in league history. … Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, is second in NFL in passing yards with 2,521, most through eight games in team history. … Vikings WR Stefon Diggs has 29 catches for 352 yards in four career games vs. Lions. … Vikings DE Everson Griffen has 11½ sacks and 21 QB hits in 14 career games vs. Lions. … Vikings FS Harrison Smith has three sacks and three interceptions. No player in NFL hit both marks last season. … Fantasy Tip: After trade of Lions WR Golden Tate to Eagles, WR Kenny Golladay should have greater involvement. Had only three targets over last two games, after averaging nine over first five. EAGAN, Minn. — Dalvin Cook‘s rookie year was dominated by his rehabilitation from reconstructive knee surgery, and his second season included recuperation from a significant hamstring strain. The arduous process of recovery from injuries quickly made the Minnesota Vikings running back realize the necessity of eating right.When he entered the NFL, Cook could hardly have envisioned spinach as the centerpiece of one of his meals. Now, he’s made youth nutrition his chief charitable cause, trying to help kids embrace the value of healthy foods.More Vikings coveragePreview: Cook, Vikings look to keep rolling vs. PackersTop Tweets: Vikings prepare for Packers with TMNT hype videoBarr, seasoned Vikings defense off to strong startNew offense, same Rodgers: Vikings prep for LaFleur’s PackersVikings re-sign center Jones, waive rookie TE Dillon“I just started seeing some of the stuff I was eating, and I was like, ‘I never would’ve had this two years ago,'” Cook said. “So just imagine if I was 10 years old? Just to give them a jump-start on how to do things, to get a message out there and show them how it’s supposed to be done.”Education is one thing, but access is another.When school is out, especially in the summer, many children in low-income households can find meals harder to come by. The Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities works with about 9,000 kids, with 90% of them eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, according to senior director of corporate and public relations Tim Schober.Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren saw his own awareness rise when his daughter, Peri Everson Griffen Jersey , founded a food delivery business to bring healthy food to underserved residents of the north side of Minneapolis.“I didn’t quite understand the level of it until I helped her deliver food a couple times on weekends,” Warren said. “There are people right here in our touchpoint that are really struggling, that don’t eat healthy, and it impacts every area of their life.”When the Vikings relaunched their philanthropic arm in 2017, they prioritized childhood hunger, fitness and achievement gaps, with a goal of actively creating their own programs in partnership with local nonprofits rather than the old model of simply issuing grants. The first major initiative was a food truck to serve nutritious meals to needy kids in the area, in conjunction with organizations already addressing food access.This custom-built, converted recreational vehicle energized by rooftop solar panels was unveiled on Thursday. It’s called Vikings Table .“You think about developing countries having hunger issues, but it exists in our own backyard,” said Vikings Foundation executive director Brett Taber. “Food trucks are very popular, so this eliminates some of that social stigma of receiving a free meal.”The association with the local professional football team helps, too.“With the Vikings being involved, it gives it a different feel,” Schober said. “Now, it’s a big special event and everyone is participating and you can take some of the potential embarrassment away.”The concept is similar to an “eye mobile” the Eagles Charitable Foundation has deployed in the Philadelphia area since 1996 to offer free eye exams and prescription glasses to needy children .Boosted by a seven-figure pledge from Xcel Energy, the project also will be funded by sales from the food truck with a separate menu at Vikings games, training camp practices and other events. Profits will be directed back to the summer youth meal service. The back of the truck has an 80-inch monitor to show videos about healthy eating. Local food truck entrepreneurs Tony and Haley Fritz will be operating, maintaining and staffing the truck.“The hope is to have some kind of an effect on people. It’s kind of an event so they want to be a part of that,” Haley Fritz said. “We’re trying to say: ‘Hey, this is cool. The Vikings eat turkey tacos, too.’ The hope is that they just keep us overly busy and we just keep feeding as many people as we can.”