The Green Bay Packers defense has gone up against Aaron Rodgers almost every day for the last month. Even the back-to-back MVP would admit that the defense won most of those practices. They passed a pop quiz by stifling the New Orleans Saints offense during joint passes. However, their first true test will take place this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
All summer, we have been teased about a dominant Packers defense. On paper, it’s one of the most complete units in the NFL. On the practice field, they’ve lived up to the hype. On an actual field in front of tens of thousands of fans? The jury is still out.
That will change when the regular season kicks off in five days. Green Bay will face a divisional rival who presumably poses their biggest threat to winning the NFC North.
Minnesota’s offense is loaded. NFL.com’s Adam Schein put them at number 7 on his list of top nine offenses in 2022. Talent-wise, it’s hard to disagree. They are led by a dynamic duo of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen at receiver and a perennial Pro Bowl running back in Dalvin Cook. Under center, Kirk Cousins is coming off arguably his best season as a pro.
Last year, the Vikings missed the playoffs, but eight of their nine losses were by eight points or less. From an offensive standpoint, things could have been better. The offense finished 12th in total yards and 16th in Football Outsiders’ offensive DVOA rankings. However, under head coach Mike Zimmer, the vision for the offense was uninspiring as he butted heads with his quarterback.
So, Minnesota made a change. They plucked Kevin O’Connell from the Sean McVay coaching tree with the expectation of reinvigorating the offense.
Luckily, the Packers’ defense did just fine against O’Connell last season when he was still the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. However, their fortune against the Vikings was a little different.
For those who choose to remember, you may recall Jefferson’s incredible outing from Week 11. Without All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander, Jefferson took advantage, totaling eight receptions for 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Minnesota’s offense racked up 408 yards, which was the second most the Green Bay defense allowed all season.
In the first meeting, the Vikings handed the Packers only their third loss. The second time around, Minnesota was without their starting quarterback and the ever-so-reliable Thielen. Green Bay’s defense completely overwhelmed a banged-up offense in a 27-point victory.
The Packers will hope to be able to overwhelm most of the offenses they face this season. Early in training camp, Rodgers jokingly said they are a defensive football team without Davante Adams. It was a tongue-in-cheek comment that may actually hold true for the first half of the season.
The defense needs to be dominant until the offense can get up to speed. They are brimming with confidence heading into week one with a full bill of health and some new pieces added from the draft. Meanwhile, the Vikings are also healthy and confident under a new head coach sporting a brand-new offense.
