It's fitting that Kirk Cousins' first game back with the Minnesota Vikings will be at Lambeau Field. The last time he wore a Vikings uniform, he tore his Achilles in a 24-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers. His injury overshadowed a dominant win that had Minnesota sitting at 4-4 after a disappointing 1-4 start to the season.
Cousins won't be tasked with carrying this team, which has relied on its defense and special teams through eight games. But his return brings optimism for a team that had its worst offensive performance of the season in Monday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Will Kevin O'Connell devise a digestible game plan that gets the offense on track for the first time this season? Or is this offense broken beyond repair? We'll
find out on Sunday.
Here are three keys for the Vikings' offense on Sunday against the Packers.
Offensive keys for the Vikings in Week 10 against the Packers
Get Justin Jefferson the ball
Minnesota's star receiver voiced his frustration after Monday's loss. Justin Jefferson suggested the Vikings simplify their game plan to utilize the talent on that side of the ball. Minnesota currently ranks 31st in total offense and 27th in EPA/play, per Next Gen Stats.
Getting the ball to Jefferson would help kickstart the offense. He has only had three 100-plus-yard games since the start of the 2025 season. Entering Week 10, Jefferson is tied for 53rd in receptions (31), 38th in receiving yards (393), and tied for 16th in receiving touchdowns (4). He did miss nearly two full games with an ankle injury, but has only 12 receptions since the Vikings returned from their bye week in Week 7.
Cousins may still be getting comfortable with the offense, but he and Jefferson had plenty of success in their four years together. From 2020-23, Cousins and Jefferson connected 354 times for 5,338 yards and 29 touchdowns in 54 games. When in doubt, Cousins knows he can rely on Jefferson to make plays even when he's covered.
Kirk Cousins on what it's like throwing to Brock Bowers:
— Hunter Macias (@HunterMacias_) November 2, 2026
"When he's covered, you still need to throw it."
Cousins says he received the same coaching advice when throwing to Justin Jefferson in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/8fXfsYYdqt
Avoid negative plays
This is an all-encompassing plea. Minnesota has been forced into too many second-and-long and third-and-long situations this season because of negative plays. Whether it's a pre-snap penalty or a sack, game flow has shrunk the playbook.
The obvious negative plays are turnovers, which the Packers feasted on last week against the New England Patriots. Green Bay intercepted Drake Maye three times, building an early 17-0 lead that resulted in a 45-27 Packers win. Entering Week 10, Green Bay has 19 takeaways, the second-highest total in the league.
But avoiding sacks will be key, too. Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz have taken 23 sacks in nine games, tied for the 10th-highest in the league. But Minnesota has allowed a 33.8 pressure rate, the 11th-best mark in the league. With the Raiders, Cousins took a sack on a league-low 3.3% of his dropbacks. Even when pressured, Cousins was sacked only 9.4% of the time, also the league-best.
Run the ball?
Those negative plays have contributed to struggles in the running game. The Vikings enter Week 10 ranked 19th in rushing yards, but their per-play efficiency isn't good. Although they are tied for 20th in YPA (4.0), Minnesota is tied for 27th in EPA/run and 28th in success rate (per Next Gen Stats).
Green Bay has an average run defense. They rank 15th in yards allowed and are tied for 13th in YPA allowed (4.0), but their 19.3% success rate ranks sixth in the league. Even in their 18-point win last week, the Packers allowed the Patriots to run the ball 16 times for 94 yards (5.9 YPA) and a touchdown.
Can Minnesota's run game improve if Cousins helps the offense move the ball through the air? Much of the Vikings' run-game struggles seem to come from a lack of rhythm. The running plays seem designed more to avoid throwing the ball than to accomplish anything, yet they produce equally disappointing results.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 3 Offensive keys for the Vikings in Week 10 against the Packers
