The Minnesota Vikings will be looking to improve to 2-0 in the NFC North along with getting back to 0.500 when they take on the Green Bay Packers. They were desperate for a win against the San Francisco 49ers and they got one by a score of 22-17.
As things currently sit, the Vikings are currently tied for a wild card spot but would lose out on the tiebreaker to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a head-to-head loss.
The Vikings currently have two of their best players on injured reserve in Marcus Davenport and Justin Jefferson, but they are playing well regardless. Going into week eight, these the storylines you will want to keep you eye on this Sunday.
Managing editor Tyler Forness: Can the Vikings stop the big play?
The Packers offense is in all sorts of disarray. Quarterback Jordan Love has been really inconsistent and they have six of their top pass catchers either in their first or second season. The latter point has been a major factor in the lack of success for the Packers offense, especially with executing proper spacing with their route running.
The Packers have struggled to get the ball down the field but its not from lack of effort. Love is second in the NFL in air yards/pass but 32nd in expected completion percentage. If Love and his receivers can fix their issues down the field, they can make some waves on Sunday and moving forward this season.
Columnist Judd Zulgad: Can the Vikings establish the run?
The Vikings will be looking for a third consecutive victory and the ability to run the ball effectively could end up being a big part of whether they are able to get back to .500. The Vikings’ run game has been among the worst in the NFL, averaging only 74.9 yards per game. That puts them 30th in the league ahead of only Cincinnati (69.8 yards) and Las Vegas (68.6). Minnesota also is the only team in the NFL without a rushing touchdown on the season. But all hope is not lost. The Packers’ run defense has struggled to stop the run as much as the Vikings have struggled to establish it. Green Bay’s rush defense is 30th in the league, surrendering 143.7 yards per game. The Vikings have rushed for more than 100 yards as a team in only two of their seven games this season. Can they make it three?
Columnist Saivion Mixson: Will the secondary step up?
This defense has stepped up to the plate the past two weeks to help this team to two crucial wins before the halfway point of the season. One major aspect is the secondary and how they have played.
The defense has let up a passer rating of 66.4 to opposing quarterbacks the past two weeks. That’s good for fifth-best in the league in that span. They have four interceptions, which ties for the most in that span. Two of those interceptions came from NFC Defensive Player of the Week Camryn Bynum, who has been one of the brightest spots on the team thus far.
This secondary is starting to gel and will look for a third solid performance against Jordan Love and this up-and-down Green Bay passing game.
Columnist Chris Spooner: A win could make the Vikings buyers
Before last week’s upset of the 49ers, the lion’s share of the talk in the media about the Vikings was “who are they going to unload at the trade deadline”. It was a foregone conclusion that the Vikings were going to be sellers and try to turn some of their biggest names (Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, etc) into assets for the future. Everyone was looking ahead and looking towards a Vikings rebuild in 2024.
Now, with an upset over arguably the best team in the NFC and a chance to get back to .500 with an undefeated record within the division, not only is it looking like the Vikings aren’t sellers, but they could potentially be buyers. They have a bit of cap space to play with, and with Kirk Cousins getting older and Justin Jefferson returning in a few weeks, the front office may decide to go for broke. A win on Sunday could completely change the trajectory of this team.
