Five Days to Kickoff: 5 Packers-Vikings Keys to Game
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In Week 16 of last season, more than 67,000 “Skol”-shouting fans filled U.S. Bank Stadium to watch the Green Bay Packers clinch the NFC North title with a 23-10 victory over the rival Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday, these presumptive NFC North favorites will meet again in Minneapolis. This time, due to COVID-19 restrictions, zero fans will be in attendance.
“I do think not having our fans there is hard,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told reporters in Minneapolis on Monday. “We are one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, so it adds to how we’ve played at home because of them. At the end of the day, it’s going to be strange, it’s going to be odd. It’s like going out for a practice. You’ve got to go out and do your best, perform your best and execute the best.”
Here are five keys to the game.
1. Stopping Cook
Clearly, the biggest matchup of the game will be Green Bay’s questionable run defense against Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook. The last time the Packers’ defense was on the field, it was sliced, diced and pushed around by San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game. The feeling is the Vikings, who like to run the ball anyway, will test the Packers’ front repeatedly.
Other than linebacker Christian Kirksey, it will be mostly the same cast of characters trying to stop Cook on Sunday. Green Bay’s faced him three times. In two games in 2018, Cook carried 20 times for only 67 yards. In last year’s Week 2 game at Lambeau Field, Cook carried 20 times for 154 yards with a 75-yard touchdown. He was injured and missed the Week 16 rematch.
“I know we’ve done some different things schematically, added some things, taken some things out, and just really dedicated ourselves to it from a coaching staff in the offseason and I think it’s carried over to the players,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said last week of the uncertainty with his run defense. “We feel good about where we are but we won’t know until we’re actually going against somebody else.”
Of particular interest will be tackling. Green Bay’s No. 1 defense didn’t do any live tackling during training camp. Cook forced 42 missed tackles on runs last season, according to Sports Info Solutions, which tied for 10th among backs.
2. Sullivan in the Slot
Chandon Sullivan emerged as an excellent role player last season. Now, he’s replacing veteran Tramon Williams for a full-time role in the slot. His opening challenge figures to come against Justin Jefferson, Minnesota’s first-round pick. Jefferson was practically unstoppable in the slot last season for LSU.
“He’s a great player,” safety Adrian Amos said of Sullivan. “Somebody I trusted last year, as well, when he came in, played very well. He played all over the secondary. Coming in this year, it’s full confidence in him and in his ability within the defense, learning the defense. It’s his second year in the defense, as well. I feel as though the sky’s the limit for him.”
3. Who Are Those Guys?
Zimmer’s fielded one superb defense after another. In fact, Minnesota’s finished inside the top 10 in points allowed each of the past five seasons, including No. 1 in 2017 and No. 5 in 2019.
Year after year, Zimmer mostly lined up with the same group of guys. Not this year, though. Longtime starting cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes are gone, as is fellow corner Mackensie Alexander. Run-stopping defensive tackle Linval Joseph left in free agency and defensive end Everson Griffen wasn’t re-signed.
While the Vikings replaced Griffen in last week’s trade for Yannick Ngakoue, it will be a green-as-grass group of corners trying to stop Aaron Rodgers and Co. Plus, the hand-picked replacement for Joseph, Michael Pierce, opted out. Can Green Bay’s line push around the new defensive tackle tandem of Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson? And can Rodgers’ receivers get open against projected starters Mike Hughes and Holton Hill and rookies Jeff Gladney (first round), Cameron Danztler (third round) and Harrison Hand (fifth round)? Hughes has five starts and one interception in two seasons, Hill has four starts and one interception in two seasons and the rookies are, well, rookies.
“We’ve showed them a few plays where he’s made some unbelievable, incredible throws,” Zimmer said. “If you’re not tight on this guy, you’re looking to make a tackle as opposed to getting the ball out.”
4. Quarterback Hunter
Green Bay might feel good about its chances of running the ball with Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon against the middle of Minnesota’s defense. And it might feel good about Davante Adams facing a bunch of young corners. But the obvious question is how the Packers will keep defensive end Danielle Hunter out of Rodgers’ face.
Hunter rushes primarily from the defense’s left side, meaning he’ll face whoever the Packers are going to try at right tackle. Hunter finished second to Green Bay’s Za’Darius Smith with 88 total pressures last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Of those, a league-high 85 came when he was aligned on the left.
Hunter didn’t practice in training camp because of an undisclosed injury but is expected to play Sunday. Obviously, a cornerback’s best friend is a pass rush. While the Packers have left tackle David Bakhtiari to face Ngakoue, they could be in trouble against Hunter, who has 48.5 sacks and five forced fumbles the past four seasons.
5. Field Position
In what is expected to be a close game, field position could mean everything. That could mean an interception – Kirk Cousins chucked three in the two games last year – or it could be the kicking game.
Minnesota punter Britton Colquitt ranked sixth in the NFL with a net average of 42.6 yards last season. He should be a weapon against the Packers’ Tyler Ervin, who changed Green Bay’s special teams by averaging 9.6 yards per punt return in his four games.
By contrast, Green Bay punter JK Scott ranked 24th with a 39.9-yard net average. His five punts in the Week 16 game resulted in four fair catches but also a 23-yard return. Rookie K.J. Osborn is listed as Minnesota’s returner. He averaged 15.9 yards per punt return and 20.1 yards per kickoff return as a senior at Miami.
