The Green Bay Packers (6-3) will host the Minnesota Vikings (6-2) at Lambeau Field for an important Week 10 showdown in the NFC North on Sunday. The Packers have won five of the last six games, while the Vikings have lost back-to-back games after a 6-0 start. Both teams need a win to keep pace in the brutally tough NFC North.
Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 10 showdown with the Vikings will go down:
Zach Kruse: Packers 23, Vikings 17 (5-4)
I drastically underestimated the Packers in New England last week, but I won't make the same mistake here. Kirk Cousins should provide a shot in the arm for the Vikings' comatose offense, and he might be one of the few quarterbacks in the league who could switch teams midweek and go play that same Sunday, but Jonathan Gannon's
defense is complex, aggressive and playing at a high level. I don't expect the Vikings to score a lot of points. But can the Packers score enough to win against the NFL's mad man defensive coordinator? The offensive line, tight ends and running backs are in for a huge challenge against Brian Flores. But having eight weeks of tape and improvements along the offensive line should give the Packers a better chance to survive in the rematch, and Jordan Love is playing at an incredibly high level against pressure and the blitz. He's the X factor, and he easily pushes this matchup Green Bay's way. Love makes a few plays that Cousins can't against the blitz, and the Packers get a late stand on defense to preserve a one-score win.
Brandon Carwile: Packers 24, Vikings 17 (6-3)
The last time these two teams faced each other, the Vikings stormed back from a 12-point deficit and scored 29 unanswered. However, Week 1 is hardly an indication of which teams will be legitimate playoff contenders in December, and Green Bay has a completely new identity. The offensive line has been retooled since Brian Flores called a blitz on 82.1% of the defensive plays. Meanwhile, Jordan Love’s connection with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden has only gotten stronger. The Packers’ quarterback looked like an MVP candidate in last week’s statement win over the Patriots, while the Vikings had to trade for Kirk Cousins ahead of Tuesday’s deadline after back-to-back losses. I’m taking the hotter team that won’t be starting a new quarterback on less than a week’s notice.
Mark Oldacres: Packers 29, Vikings 21 (6-3)
The Packers looked on course for a comfortable victory against the Vikings in Week 1 before the ref show began and Green Bay unravelled. On Sunday we will find out if what we saw in the first three quarters of that game was real. Jordan Love has shown he can dice up aggressive coordinators such as Brian Flores, who will undoubtedly stick to his philosophy and blitz heavily in this game. Regardless of who starts on the offensive line, it should be a more professional unit than the one Green Bay rolled out in the season opener, helping Love’s case and giving them a chance for more consistent success. Kirk Cousins has been playing good football this season and even if he is rusty in Kevin O’Connell’s system, he should provide a legitimate boost to Minnesota’s passing attack, if for no other reason than he can actually get the ball to Justin Jefferson. This will be a tough game but the Packers should prevail in front of their home crowd.
Brennen Rupp: Packers 20, Vikings 13 (6-3)
Looking back at the Week 1 matchup, it's still surprising that the Packers scored 22 points against Minnesota’s defense. Which is a testament to how well Jordan Love has been playing this season. This ain't the same offense that went into US Bank Stadium in week one. Green Bay’s offensive line has been revamped. Matthew Golden and Christian Watson have established themselves as one of the best wide receiver duos in the league and Jordan Love is a legitimate MVP candidate. It will be strong against strong on Sunday, and I think Love and company come out on top against Flores to spoil the return of Kirko Chains.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers Wire staff predictions: Week 10 vs. Vikings
