It’s time to silence the horns in Minnesota!
The Packers, still in search for that galvanizing moment, face the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night.
The Packers are 4-5-1 after their loss to the Seattle Seahawks on a Thursday night, while the Vikings are 5-4-1 after a 25-20 loss to the Chicago Bears in the Windy City.
Aaron Rodgers, despite any of his impressive stats this season, has not looked as sharp as he has been in recent seasons. He has missed many open receivers this season, and has either not seen receivers who were wide open or has ignored them in hopes of making a bigger play downfield. Whatever the problem is, we need the MVP Rodgers to show up for the remainder of the season. Jimmy Graham will try to play with a broken thumb, but I am not expecting a whole lot from him if he does play. Maybe he will surprise us all. The Vikings are fourth in the league vs the run, but we need to at least try to get the running game going. They cannot afford to face long odds on third downs. They need to keep the chains moving, stop getting sacked on third down, and finish drives with the ball in the endzone. Also, keep an eye on Danielle Hunter, who trails only Aaron Donald in sacks (14.5 for Donald, 11.5 for Hunter.)
Kirk Cousins signed that huge deal in the offseason. While he has put up decent stats at times, he still hasn’t had that signature win. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are always a handful. Containing them would be a lot easier if the Packers can stop the run, which they have had trouble doing lately. I look for the Vikings to try to establish that running game early and loosen up the defense. It’s time to start getting turnovers. There will be opportunities to get interceptions in this game with Cousins throwing the ball. It’s important to capitalize whenever the have the chance to do so.
The Packers have only played at U.S. Bank Stadium two other times, but it has not been kind to the Packers at all. They lost the opening game at that stadium, and it was at that venue where Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone last season. You can argue that the Packers have still not recovered from that game, and you would not get too much of an argument from me.
A lot of us Packer fans enjoy making jokes about the Vikings and their lack of championships, but this team has been a huge headache for us lately. The Packers have only won once in their last six meetings with the Vikings, even playing to a tie in the last game.
Speaking of that tie game, it came in Week 2 of this season, a 29-29 finish. That phantom penalty on Clay Matthews cost the Packers a chance for a win. Either way, it went down as a tie, and the Packers are only a game behind the Vikings. A win on Sunday night would make the Packers and Vikings both 5-5-1, plus the Packers would have the tiebreaker with the Vikings, who still have to play at New England and Seattle.
Rodgers said that the Packers are still looking for that galvanizing moment. It seemed like they had one in the first game of the season when they rallied to beat the Bears 24-23. A long time has passed since that game. If the Packers want a galvanizing moment, then beat the Vikings this Sunday. It won’t guarantee a playoff berth, but they will be in a lot better position going forward than if they lose.
This is a very winnable game. Despite any stats and past history, this Vikings’ team is not a powerhouse. Don’t forget that they got blown out at home by the Buffalo Bills. They already lost to the Rams and the Saints, and recently lost ground in the division race by losing at Chicago this past Sunday.
Before this five-game stretch, I said that the Packers cannot afford to go 1-4. So far, they are 1-3. A 2-3 record is nothing to be proud of, but a win at Minnesota would at least give this team a fighting chance at the playoffs. They need to make plays late in the game and not turn the ball over at critical times. They need to get touchdowns and not field goals in the fourth quarter.
The Packers have six games left on their schedule, all of them on Sundays. All that matters is how they play the rest of the way. Let’s get this win in Minnesota on Sunday.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
