Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings: NFL prediction, odds
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers preview
Almost 14 months after the Minnesota Vikings (4-6) survived losing the fourth quarter 22-3 to beat the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) 31-29 at Lambeau Field, the teams meet again with the visitors bottom of the NFC North and on a two-game losing run.
The Packers are second after their 27-20 win at the New York Giants last Sunday, including two touchdowns for Jordan Love, whose career sack rate among players to have featured at least 50 times is second only to Patrick Mahomes.
“I think he’s just gotten better every year he’s been in the league,” Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores said of Love.
“Just watching him and his cadence and how he goes through the cadence and tries to use that to uncover what the defense is doing, really, the entire game; there isn’t really a down where he’s not doing that.
“[Green Bay have] some funky ball handling that’s clearly practiced, and he does a great job with that as well. Even the little things, the minutiae at the quarterback position.”
Contrastingly, Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy is last in the NFL for completion percentage (52.9%) and touchdowns-to-interceptions (6:8), as well as achieving the second-fewest passing yards per game (168.4).
Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, however, saw signs for encouragement in the 19-17 defeat to the Chicago Bears a week ago.
“I thought [McCarthy] handled the pass-protection aspect really well,” said Phillips. “It’s been a real bright spot in his development – his ability, when we implement a protection plan, to be able to get up to the line, get the communication – the initial communication from the center – and then decipher whether he needs to make a call to adjust the protection.
“Everyone was on the same page. The pass protection in general was a big plus – in the last couple of games, those guys have really been gelling together.
“We’re going to have a big, big test with that Packers front. But those guys gave [McCarthy] some nice pockets, some nice time in there.”
