3 X-Factors for Green Bay Packers Against Vikings
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers X-Factor: Dean Lowry
It’s not only Justin Jefferson that this Green Bay Packers defense has to worry about, but Dalvin Cook as well. The Green Bay run defense has really struggled over these last two games, and they’ll be faced with another difficult test this Sunday.
Cook enters the game with the fourth-most rushing yards in football with 1,067, and that’s with him only playing in 11 games this season. His average of 4.7 yards is tied for 10th and his 46 missed tackles forced are the fifth-most, according to PFF ($$).
While Kenny Clark is Kenny Clark, as the old saying here in Green Bay goes, he’s going to need some help against this Minnesota offensive line that ranks 12th in ESPN’s run-block win rate metric. Kingsley Keke is on the reserve/COVID list, and Tyler Lancaster has missed the last two practices, making this interior defensive line group fairly thin, which means the Packers are going to need even more from Dean Lowry.
There have been some quiet games here and there for Lowry, but overall, he is having his most productive season as a pass-rusher. Per PFF, he has 35 pressures logged this season, including five sacks, but where Green Bay will really need him this week is against the run, taking up space and occupying defenders.
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When Lowry is able to generate a push up-front, Clark and the rest of the defensive front benefits. This week against Minnesota, Lowry is going to play a key role in slowing Cook because as good as Clark is, he can’t do it all on his own, and this is going to take a group effort.