Packers at Vikings: Three Reasons to Worry

GREEN BAY Wis. – Let’s cut right to the chase. When the Green Bay Packers line up to battle the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the biggest mismatch will be the Vikings’ star receivers attacking the Packers’ shorthanded secondary. That is the most obvious reason why the Packers will lose to the Vikings.

1. PACKERS CORNERBACKS VS. VIKINGS RECEIVERS This is almost an insult-your-intelligence angle. With Jaire Alexander suspended, Rasul Douglas traded and Eric Stokes injured, the Packers will go with Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine as their corners and with Keisean Nixon in the slot against perhaps the best receiver trio in the NFL. Vikings star Justin Jefferson has more receiving yards than any player in NFL history through four seasons. He led the league in receiving yards in 2022 and is second in yards per game and third in yards per route this year. Rookie Jordan Addison has 63 receptions for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. He caught seven passes for 82 yards and one touchdown even with Alexander on the field in the first matchup. K.J. Osborn has 46 receptions for 531 yards and three touchdowns. So, if any team can deal with the loss of a top threat such as tight end T.J. Hockenson, who suffered a torn ACL last week, it’s the Vikings. Jefferson is one of the NFL’s premier field-tilters. He is a dominant player and the total package. Two of his three career games of 150-plus receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns came in home games against the Packers in 2021 and 2022. Despite missing seven games due to injury, he’s ninth in the league with 11 receptions on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield. So, can the Packers take him away? “I think you can,” coach Matt LaFleur said, “but what is the cost? The more people you put on him, it opens up others. They’ve got a lot of other talented players, obviously, like Addison [who] is a problem and Osborn.” Even with Kirk Cousins missing the second half of the season with his torn Achilles, the Vikings are fourth with 92 explosive passing plays (16-plus yards) this season. Green Bay’s defense is last with 24 explosive passing plays allowed the last three weeks. That’s a horrendous stat from Green Bay’s perspective. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s scheme is predicated on taking away big plays. Yet, they’re coming by the bushel. Can the Packers’ slumping defense possibly keep that trio in check on the fast track that is U.S. Bank Stadium?

2. PACKERS RECEIVERS VS. VIKINGS CORNERBACKS The Packers almost certainly won’t have their best deep threat, Christian Watson, on the field. Their best run-after-catch playmaker has been Dontayvion Wicks, who will be a game ctime decision. Assuming both players are inactive, can the Packers possibly create enough big plays to keep pace with the Vikings?

Last season, Minnesota allowed 11.1 yards per catch, which was fifth-worst in the NFL. This year, it’s allowing 8.9 yards per catch, which is fourth-best. Related: Packers at Vikings: Three Reasons to Believe While the Vikings will be without cornerback Byron Murphy, who leads the team with three interceptions, rookie Mekhi Blackmon broke up three passes and allowed zero catches in the first matchup. Second-year player Akayleb Evans allowed five catches in that game but for only 36 yards. He was benched last week but is expected to be back in the lineup. Offensively, Green Bay is eighth with 77 explosive passes (16-plus yards), including a third-ranked 48 since Week 9. Defensively, Minnesota is 10th with 62 explosive passes allowed. Can Green Bay keep it going with Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Malik Heath, Bo Melton and Samori Toure as the receivers and Tucker Kraft the top tight end? “I think it speaks most to the guys just making sure that they stay ready so they don’t have to get ready,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, I think Jordan does a great job of just trying to read plays true to the progression and what the defense presents and then just going through his reads, throwing on time, and then those guys are ultimately making plays for him, as well. So, I think it’s a combination of a lot of things, but it definitely speaks to the depth that we have here in that room.”

3. JAREN HALL’S SCRAMBLING A few weeks ago, Green Bay’s defensive house of cards started to collapse when Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito unleashed his legs. Whether it was scrambles or designed runs, DeVito ran wild to the tune of 71 yards on 10 carries. You have to wonder if that game played a role in Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell’s decision to start rookie Jaren Hall for this do-or-die divisional matchup. At barely 6 feet tall, Hall is undersized. His arm is underpowered. But he ran his 40 in 4.62 seconds at BYU’s pro day. During his final two years of college, he rushed for 657 yards and six touchdowns. Hall’s athleticism will pose a big challenge to a Packers defense that has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks this season. “With a guy like that, he’s able to extend plays with his leg,” said Packers safety Zayne Anderson, who played alongside Hall at BYU. “Whether that’s breaking the pocket and working downfield, it puts a lot of pressure on us to plaster and make sure we’re on our guys. And for him being able to run creates another element to the game. With a dual-threat like that, you’ve always got to be on your toes.” With 22 snaps on his NFL resume, the Packers didn’t have much film to explore this week. However, the Vikings’ running game has been feeble all year and young quarterbacks tend to run, so they’ll have to be wary of Hall on scrambles and keepers. Just like they should have been wary of DeVito. “I think in today’s football, I think that’s something that you have to be conscious of,” Barry said. “That’s kind of standard in today’s football. Now, there’s some guys that you just simply don’t worry about the running but these young, athletic quarterbacks that are kind of coming into our league right now, that’s something you’ve got to be worried about all the time.”