GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-1) VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-5)
5 THINGS TO WATCH
1. BEST VS. BEST: Sunday will mark the sixth time cornerback Jaire Alexander and receiver Adam Thielen have been on the field together. In the last four games, Alexander has mostly stayed with Thielen regardless what side of the field the Vikings' top receiver lines up on. In those games, Thielen has 19 catches for 310 yards (16.3 average) and three touchdowns. In the opener this year, Thielen caught 6 of 8 passes thrown to him for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Alexander had an interception on one of the targets. Were it not for a late 19-yard TD allowed, Alexander would have had a decent day (the other Thielen TD was not on him). Since that game, Alexander has been almost impenetrable. He has only been targeted 13 times, according to a PackersNews analysis, and given up four completions for 36 yards (including zero on four attempts against the Texans last week and zero while covering the Buccaneers' Mike Evans the week before).
2. TRY TO STOP ADAMS: The Vikings are likely to pay a lot more attention to receiver Davante Adams than the Texans did. Houston paid for single coverage by allowing him 13 catches for a career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns. The problem for the Vikings is that they will probably be without three of their top cornerbacks. Rookie Cameron Dantzler was placed on the reserve/ COVID-19 list and Holton Hill (foot) and Mike Hughes (neck) have been ruled out. The Vikings called up Mark Fields from the practice squad and claimed Chris Jones on waivers from the Lions. The only holdover is first-round pick Jeff Gladney, who will likely draw Adams most of the game.
The Vikings are down three cornerbacks and the Packers have Davante Adams. The only way the Vikings win this is if Dalvin Cook runs for 250 yards, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. The Packers better hope this doesn't come down to a field goal.
Packers 35, Vikings 21.
3. TEMPO, TEMPO, TEMPO: The Packers were much better at getting in and out of the huddle and to the line of scrimmage with time on the play clock against the Texans, but it still didn't result in quarterback Aaron Rodgers drawing the defense offside with his cadence. Rodgers has gotten the defense to jump six times, the results of which were: three plays blown dead, completions of 19 and 39 yards and a 14-yard pass interference. But he has not been able to get the defense to jump in either of the past two games and just once in the last three. Against an aggressive Vikings defense, which he got three times in Week 1, getting to the line quickly so he has time to use his cadence will be important.
4. ALL THINGS BEING EQUANIMEOUS: Coach Matt LaFleur made it seem that receiver Equanimeous St. Brown would see more playing time in this, his third game back, after spending four weeks on injured reserve with a swollen knee. St. Brown had a good camp, but the knee problem set him back and in the two games he has been active, he has played just 14 snaps from scrimmage and has no receptions. The 6-5, 214pound receiver needs to have a breakout before Allen Lazard returns and eats up a ton of receiver snaps.
“I think every week these last three weeks I can just see him feeling better and more confident and comfortable,” receivers coach Jason Vrable said.
5. WINDY CITY: The wind conditions could play havoc with the kicking game for the kickers, punters and returners. Whether it's veteran Mason Crosby, rookie Nick Vogel or someone else, judging the winds on place kicks will be a challenge. Vogel has never kicked in an NFL game, but he has a strong leg. As
The wild card in this game is a forecast calling for winds of
25 mph and gusts even higher. It could be a tough day to throw the ball and that could help the Vikings' banged-up young secondary that has been a liability. Even with Aaron Jones (calf) out, coach Matt LaFleur's run game with Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon will give Aaron Rodgers the edge he needs. Packers 21, Vikings 17 for the punters, their biggest challenge isn't playing the wind with their punts but adjusting to where the ball goes on the drop before their foot hits it. “There's factors for the snapper, the punter and even the returners catching the ball and trying to figure out if the thing gets up a certain way it causes the ball to dive,” special teams coach Shawn Mennenga said.
PACKERS VIKINGS
The Packers have spent the entire week emphasizing the need to not overlook their opponent. Reminding themselves that, yes, this one-win Vikings team can beat them. Of course they can't overlook their NFC North rival, but such reminders are unnecessary when playing a good team. The Vikings clearly are not. This is a game the Packers should win easily, and they will. Packers 37, Vikings 20.
Tom Silverstein
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