'It's gonna be a slugfest': Notes & quotes as Vikings prepare for Lions

The Minnesota Vikings are fresh off a bye week and now getting ready for a big, divisional game against the Detroit Lions.

Kickoff is set for noon on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium as the Vikings try to remain undefeated, but first, here are some notes and quotes after hearing from Minnesota's coordinators on Tuesday.

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• “It’s gonna be a slugfest, it always is. Guys get really up for this one, they enjoy this matchup just because it’s a division rivalry.” - Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels

Daniels also said he's well aware that Detroit has run a lot of fakes and trick plays in the past, saying, "We'll have our antennas up and ready for that."

• On Sunday morning, another of Minnesota's division foes, the Chicago Bears, lost their long snapper to a knee injury in the first quarter of their game in London . That left tight end Cole Kmet, the team's emergency long snapper, to handle those duties for the final three quarters of the game.

Daniels said Minnesota's emergency long snapper has been tight end Nick Muse. However, Muse broke a bone in one of his hands against San Francisco last month and is currently on injured reserve .

In his absence, center Garrett Bradbury has taken over emergency long snapper duties, although head coach Kevin O'Connell said there are some other guys in the mix, too.

Hopefully, the Vikings won't have to dip into that well at any point, but it's interesting to know who handles that role.

• “I mean, I try to fight fire with fire.” - Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores

That was Flores' response when asked about facing an aggressive offense like Detroit's.

The Vikings haven't blitzed as much so far this season as they did last year but, if that answer is any indication, Minnesota's defense may turn up that dial on Sunday.

A short time after Flores made that comment, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was asked about Flores and said he's "like the made scientist in there."

We'll see what he concocts this weekend.

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• Speaking of Phillips, he was asked Tuesday what Detroit has left along the defensive line following star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson's injury this past weekend .

"Quite a bit," Phillips said, noting the Lions have a lot of guys capable of creating pressure along the line, including on the interior.

Interior pressure, specifically, has given the Vikings troubles before.

According to Pro Football Focus, entering this week, only three guards have given up more pressures than Vikings right guard Ed Ingram, and only one center has given up more than Bradbury, Minnesota’s center.

That will be a huge challenge for the Vikings on Sunday.

• Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was forced to miss part of his team's game in Denver on Sunday due to what he called an "atrial flutter."

O'Connell revealed on the team's "X's and O's" segment that if he was forced to leave a game, head coaching responsibilities on the Vikings would likely go to Flores.

The head coach noted Mike Pettine is the assistant head coach for the team and would likely help, but because Pettine generally sits upstairs in the coaches' booth, Flores would "probably" get the challenge flag and final say on matters down on the field.

Both Flores and Pettine have previous head coaching experience in the NFL that would also help them in such a situation. However, that's another bridge we hope the Vikings don't have to cross at any point in the future.

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