The Green Bay Packers' Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings feels like ages ago, but the two foes meet again on Sunday with a lot at stake.
The NFC North is the best division in the NFL. All four teams are currently in line to make the playoffs, but a lot can change between now and the end of the season. Green Bay sits at 6-3 and currently holds the NFC’s 7th seed, while Minnesota is 6-2 and holds the 6th seed. If trading for their former quarterback Kirk Cousins on Tuesday is any indication, the Vikings believe they are a contender.
Kyler Murray played only 11 snaps in the season opener before Carson Wentz came in and tossed three touchdown passes. Now, it’s Cousins’ team after Minnesota dropped two in a row.
Meanwhile, the Packers have won five
of their last six, looking like a completely different team than they did two months ago. Sunday’s game will be crucial, and these three key matchups will have massive implications for who wins.
Packers offensive line vs. Vikings pass rush
This one is obvious given what transpired in the season opener. Brian Flores called a blitz on 82.1% of the defensive plays, which led to Jordan Love getting hit 18 times, according to Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, and being sacked four times.
By the end of the game, Green Bay couldn’t run a functional offense, but the offensive line could include as many as four new starters on Sunday. In last week’s win over the New England Patriots, Jordan Love looked like a legitimate MVP candidate, and that never would’ve happened without better protection.
The Vikings still lead the league in blitz rate, but the Packers have retooled their offensive line and know what to expect. Hopefully, that makes a big difference in how the offense performs in round two.
Packers LT Jordan Morgan vs. Vikings edge Dallas Turner
While Green Bay’s offensive line couldn’t handle Minnesota’s pass rush, Morgan struggled mightily. He surrendered a team-high five pressures, three QB hits, and had the lowest pass-block win rate among 60 qualified offensive tackles, per ESPN analytics.
Meanwhile, Turner put together a game-breaking performance and predominantly lined up on the right side opposite Morgan. The 2024 first-round draft pick registered nine pressures, six quarterback hits, and a sack.
The good news is that Morgan has shown steady improvement in his first season as the starting left tackle. Since Week 6, he leads all qualified offensive tackles in pass-block grade and pass-block efficiency while allowing the fewest pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Green Bay had no answer for Turner last time, so we’ll see if Morgan is better prepared for the second matchup and can help stop Minnesota’s top edge rusher from being a one-man wrecking crew.
Packers RB Kaleb Johnson vs. Vikings run defense
One of the best ways to counter an attacking defense is an effective run game that can exploit its aggression. The Packers didn’t do that very well in the first meeting, totaling 61 yards on 22 carries. Josh Jacobs wasn’t available for that matchup, and won’t be for this one either after getting surgery on a broken finger.
Perhaps Johnson can breathe life into Green Bay’s ground game. The Packers finally eclipsed 100 team rushing yards against the Patriots, with Johnson leading the way with 14 carries for 68 yards.
In back-to-back losses, Minnesota’s defense has allowed an alarming 182 rushing yards per game. The Packers are far from a run-first team, but the Vikings’ recent struggles are something they could try to take advantage of using Johnson’s decisiveness and burst.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Vikings: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 10
