Minnesota Gets Detroit's Secondary at Its Worst Moment

Rakestraw's ankle held up long enough to get through the Packers game, then didn't. He left Week 7 and couldn't return, and he's questionable heading into the Vikings matchup. That's the update. The problem is what it means for a cornerback room that was already running thin before he went down.

D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin are the functional starters. Khalil Dorsey is the third name on the depth chart. Kerby Joseph remains out. That's the rotation Detroit is bringing to Minnesota — no margin, no cushion, no one to absorb another snap if Rakestraw can't go. The Lions added a DB to the practice squad last week, which is the kind of move you make when you're aware of the problem but don't have a clean answer to it.

Brian Branch is back and active, which helps the secondary picture somewhat. But Branch is a safety, not a corner, and the cornerback side of this defense is where the exposure sits. Reed has been durable and reliable — 45 tackles through seven games — but he's being asked to carry a position group that has no real reinforcement behind him. Minnesota will know that going in.