Old rivals moving in different directions collide this week as the Green Bay Packers host the Minnesota Vikings. At home, the Packers are listed as 6.5-point favorites with an over/under of 51.5 points.
The Packers suffered their first loss of the season two weeks ago when they were crushed by Tampa Bay 38-10. However, Green Bay didn’t let one loss derail an otherwise successful season. The Pack took care of business in Houston last week, beating the Texans 35-20 to improve to 5-1 on the season and move back into first place in the NFC North.
Meanwhile, the Vikings sit at the bottom of the NFC North at 1-5, including a 43-34 loss to the Packers in Week 1. The only silver lining for Minnesota is they had the bye last week to regroup and try to turn their season around.
Of course, the last time we saw the Vikings, they were losing to the previously winless Falcons. As it stands, Minnesota will almost have to win out to have any chance of reaching the playoffs.
Cousins at a Crossroads
It could be now or never for Kirk Cousins. After a three-interception performance against the Falcons, Cousins admitted that his job could be on the line moving forward if he doesn’t play better. Cousins has 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions on the season, so while he can make plays at times, ball security is a major concern.
The good news is the Vikings are expecting running back Dalvin Cook to return from injury this week. If they can get Cook and the running game going, it’ll take some of the pressure off Cousins.
Plus, the Green Bay defense isn’t exactly the best in the league. Cousins and the Vikings were able to score 34 points against the Packers in Week 1. However, most of those points came in the fourth quarter when the result of the game was no longer in question.
Nevertheless, Green Bay has only held one team under 20 points in six games this season, so there is hope that the Vikings will put some points on the board if Cousins can improve his ball security.
Sharp as a Tack
One week after an off-day against the Bucs, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense bounced back in a big way against the Texans. Rodgers threw the ball to Davante Adams early and often in what was an unstoppable combination.
However, the Packers remain unsure about the status of running back Aaron Jones for Sunday’s game. Green Bay was held below 100 rushing yards last week, with Jones unavailable.
Of course, the Packers put up over 500 yards and 43 points against the Minnesota defense in Week 1. The Vikings had no answer for Rodgers in that game and haven’t gotten much better since.
Minnesota is allowing 32 points per game, which is the third-worst in the NFL. They also traded away Yannick Ngakoue this week after he’s collected five of the team’s 13 sacks.
No Contest
As the Buccaneers proved two weeks ago, one of the only ways to slow down Rodgers is to put consistent pressure on him. The Vikings aren’t equipped to do that, especially after trading Ngakoue.
Cousins will need to have a brilliant game to keep the Vikings within striking distance. That’s not a great bet, so take the Packers to win and cover.
