Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings: Keys to victory in Week 2
If the Green Bay Packers want to take home another victory in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, they must do these three things.
The Green Bay Packers are getting ready to take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, as both teams are hoping to move to 2-0 on the young season. A victory for the Packers would mean they’ve beaten the two best teams in the NFC North two weeks in a row. It would also mean the power balance in the division would have to be adjusted with Green Bay putting the rest of the league on notice.
The Packers are going to have be a lot better this week than they were against the Chicago Bears in Week 1. At least on the offensive side of the football. Outside of two possessions, Green Bay really didn’t get anything going offensively and failed to move the ball consistently. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t the only one who struggled, but he certainly shouldered a lot of the blame.
Green Bay’s defense will look to build off their studly performance where they thoroughly dominated the action. Even though it was against Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears’ offense void of consistent weapons, it was a good start. They’ll be looking to prove it wasn’t a fluke in Week 2. In order to take home their second straight victory, the Packers will key in on these three areas.
Shut down Vikings’ run game
Minnesota was able to dominate the pace of their first game against the Atlanta Falcons by establishing the run. It seemed as if they could do whatever they wanted on the ground, as Dalvin Cook and company had a field day. The Packers’ defense will want to flip the script this time around.
It’s likely Green Bay will focus on shutting down Cook and the run game, as they try to force Minnesota to be one-dimensional. The defensive line will try to set the tone and win the battle up front. This should make it easier for Blake Martinez to fly around the field and focus on bringing down the running backs. Their team speed and improved tackling will also get a great test in this matchup. If the Packers can limit Minnesota’s rushing attack, it will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this contest.
Establish an offensive identity
Packers’ new head coach Matt LaFleur is known for establishing the run. It was talked about all offseason and was a point of emphasis for the new offensive coaching staff. Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly go as planned in Chicago, as their running game got off to an abysmal start. It’s rare for a Rodgers’ led team to be a run-first unit, but that’s what Green Bay is aiming for. Whatever the case, they must work on establishing their identity or risk putting up a dud for a second straight week.
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Win the turnover battle
The Packers did a tremendous job at protecting the football last week and didn’t commit any turnovers. Their defense did pick off Trubisky one time on a crucial fourth quarter pass to the endzone. They’ll hope to come away with a couple more on Sunday.
In a game with two teams as evenly matched as this one, turnovers can easily turn the tide. If the Packers’ defense can set their offense up with a short field on a couple of occassions it could help them get their feet under them and find their groove. Brian Gutekunst didn’t just invest in his defense to shut down the opponents, but so they could make game-changing plays as well. Let’s see if it can happen this time around.