When the Green Bay Packers line up to host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the biggest mismatch will be the Vikings’ star wide receivers attacking the Packers’ tight ends.This is the most obvious reason why the Packers are losing to the Vikings.
1. Packers vs. cornerbacks. vikings receiver
It’s almost an insult to your intelligence. With Jaire Alexander out, Rasul Douglas traded and Eric Stokes injured, the Packers face one of the best receiver trios in the NFL with Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine at cornerback and Keysian Nixon. Vikings star Justin Jefferson has more receiving yards in four seasons than any player in NFL history. He led the league in receiving yards in 2022 and ranked second in yards per game and third in rushing yards this year. Rookie Jordan Addison has 63 receptions for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. He caught seven passes for 82 yards and started on the field with Alexander in the first game. KJ Osborne has 46 receptions for 531 yards and three touchdowns.So team T.J. If you lose the main risk. Hockenson, who suffered a torn ACL last week, is with the Vikings. Jefferson is one of the best players in the NFL. He is a dominant player and the total package. Two of his three career games with 150+ receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns came at home against the Packers in 2021 and 2022. Despite missing seven games due to injury, he is tied for ninth in the league with 11 receptions of 20+ yards. meters away. Can the Packers take him?Coach Matt LaFleur said, “I think it’s possible, but at what cost?” If you add more people, more will open. “It’s more talented players like Addison and Osborne who cause problems.”Despite Kirk Cousins missing the second half of the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the Vikings still rank fourth this season with 92 touchdown passes (16 yards or longer). Green Bay’s defense ranks last with 24 pass breakups over the past three weeks.That’s a scary statistic from Green Bay’s perspective. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s plan is to eliminate the big plays. And yet they come in droves. Can the Packers’ pass defense keep this trio in check on the fast-paced American circuit? Bank Stadium?2. Packers Receiver vs. Vikings CornerbackThe Packers’ strongest threat on the field may not be Christian Watson. The best player was Dontayvion Weeks, who made decisions during the game.Assuming both players are inactive, can the Packers make enough big plays to keep up with the Vikings? Last season, Minnesota allowed 11.1 yards per catch, the fifth fewest in the NFL. This year, he ranked fourth in rushing, averaging 8.9 yards per catch. Despite the Vikings being without Byron Murphy, who leads the team with three catches, rookie Mekhi Blackmon broke up three passes and allowed zero catches in his first game.
Sophomore quarterback Akayleb Evans allowed five catches in the game, but only for 36 yards. He was benched last week but is expected to return to the lineup.Offensively, Green Bay ranks eighth with 77 touchdown passes (of 16 yards or longer), including the third-best 48 in Week 9. Defensively, Minnesota ranks 10th with 62 yards allowed.Can Green Bay keep Romeo Dubs, Jaden Reed, Malik Heath, Bo Melton and Samory Toure at wide receiver and Tucker Kraft up front? “The biggest thing for guys is to make sure they’re ready so they can make sure they’re not ready yet,” LaFleur said. “Obviously Jordan is going to read the plays the defense is going to make and try to make them better. Then I would read his cue and throw them just in time. Then those players will play accordingly. . So I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. But it certainly speaks to the depth we have in this room.3. Jaren Hall’s paceA few weeks ago, Green Bay’s defense began to unravel when Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito gave out his legs. DeVito ran wild, rushing for 71 yards on 10 carries.You have to wonder if that play played a role in Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell’s decision to start rookie Jaren Hall for this divisional game. At just 6 meters tall, Hall is small. That person’s hands are too weak. But he ran the 40 in 4.62 seconds at BYU’s pro day. In his final two years of college, he rushed for 657 yards and six touchdowns. Hall’s athleticism will be a huge challenge for a Packers defense that has allowed the fourth-most yards by a quarterback this season.”When you have a guy like that, he can use his legs to extend the play,” said Packers safety Zane Anderson, who played with Hall at BYU.
“Whether we’re making money or working on set, he puts a lot of pressure on our cast and makes sure we keep up with our co-stars. And he has an extra element to his game because he can run. “You always have to be careful because there’s such a double threat.”With 22 snaps on his NFL resume, the Packers didn’t have much film to study this week. However, the Vikings’ running game has been weak all year and young quarterbacks tend to run, so be careful with Hall when it comes to rushing and coverage. I think we should watch out for DeVito.”I think we have to be aware of that in football today,” Barry said. “This is the standard of modern football.
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