It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the Green Bay Packers are finally playing some division games; three of them over the next couple of weeks — a stretch that will likely define the Pack’s season.
First up is the 130th rendition of the Border Battle at Lambeau, where the Minnesota Vikings are looking to win for the third straight time. They come in with their season on the brink, after losing what was considered by most a must-win game against the Chicago Bears last week. That was their fourth loss at home already; strangely, they’ve been a better team on the road this season.
Hopefully, Green Bay’s coaches reminded the players this week that the Vikings are 2-0 on the road in the division — that they can’t take this team lightly, despite its 4-6 record. Last year’s sweep by the Purple should be all the motivation the players need, anyway.
The feature attraction in this matchup is always the chess match between Matt LaFleur and Brian Flores. Minnesota’s defense comes in very healthy, with only stud linebacker Jonathan Greenard’s availability in question. It sounds like he is trending toward returning after missing last week.
The best antidote for Flores’ antics, of course, is running the football, and we have no idea whether Josh Jacobs will be available. We also don’t know whether a Thanksgiving game four days later will impact what the Packers decide to do with Jacobs against the Vikings. If he can’t go, look for the Pack to split the workload between Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks. The latter’s pass protection prowess will be vital, with Flores likely to dial up the blitz early and often.
Jordan Love has been a bit shaky under pressure this season, thanks in large part to the problems up front. The new-look line was up and down last week, doing a decent job run blocking, but allowing a ton of pressure all afternoon — that needs to get buttoned up against the Vikings. Virtually his entire wide receiver room is dealing with injuries: three are listed as questionable. Hopefully, the drops that defined their performance last week will not resurface.
And then there is J.J. McCarthy, who most of the time looks lost and overwhelmed, and then for a drive or two looks like he’s figured everything out. Kevin O’Connell could really help the kid out by committing to the run on Sunday. Most of Green Bay’s opponents have had no trouble moving the ball on the ground, most recently the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants. If he doesn’t dial up a run-heavy scheme, the Vikings have no shot, especially with the Packers missing Quay Walker and likely Karl Brooks.
You can bet Jeff Hafley will have some tricks up his sleeve for McCarthy, and those takeaways that have been hard to come by might start to come in bunches. Of course, if the Vikings are finding traction on the ground, it will limit his chances to take advantage of “Nine.” It would be nice to see someone not named Micah Parsons make their presence felt in the pass rush category. Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt have been highly unproductive over the last month. The team may get Lukas Van Ness back on Sunday, who has missed the last four games, despite not being put on IR.
The Packers are looking to snap a rare two-game losing streak at Lambeau, and this tends to be the time of year they start rolling at home. Under LaFleur, the Pack is 17-3 at home in Week 12 or later, the best record in the league. Yet there are so many questions surrounding this team right now, including the health of key guys like Jacobs, all the WRs, and kicker Brandon McManus.
Will the offensive line begin to show some cohesion and allow the offense to hit another gear? Can the defense stuff the run and force the ball into McCarthy’s hands? And can that unit hold onto the ball when the young QB inevitably throws a few up for grabs?
My guess is the Packers take care of business. But, knowing how this rivalry goes, it’s usually close, and a few weird things are bound to happen. Like most of the Pack’s wins this season, it won’t be easy.
Packers 23
Vikings 19