These aren't the same Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings that faced off in the first week of the 2026-27 NFL season. Although the Vikings remain one of the top competitors in the NFC and are tied for the No. 2 seed in the NFC North, their offense has fallen off a cliff, and they have another new quarterback, Kirk Cousins, under center this Sunday.
Green Bay, meanwhile, is in a far stronger position than it was when these teams first met, with steady improvement on the offensive line over more than two months, and one of the best defenses in the entire NFL rounding into form when they need to most. In theory, this should be a great chance for Green Bay to extend their winning streak to three games and finally emerge from the bottom spot in the NFC North.
However, it'll be all about execution in the margins of the game. If they can't play smart, they'll find themselves in a pit that'll feel impossible to climb out of down the road to the playoffs.
1. Hold the Vikings offense under 20 points for a third straight game.
It's been a rough patch for the Minnesota offense, which has scored six, 15, and 16 points in its last three outings. Granted, two underwhelming quarterbacks were under center for the Vikings in those games: Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Nonetheless, it's hard to imagine Kirk Cousins instantly clicking back into place against one of the best secondaries and pass rushes in football.
Minnesota has scored three times in three games, and if the Packers can continue that trend, they'll almost certainly come away with a much-needed W.
2. The Packers need to protect Jordan Love at all costs.
The final box score said that Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love was hit 15 times in the Packers' Week 1 loss in Minnesota, but OC Adam Stenavich later said he counted 18 QB hits in the contest. Even half of that, at seven or eight QB hits, would be too many for a successful offense. This is a massive opportunity for the Packers' offensive line to prove that it's not the same porous, ineffective group today that it was two months ago.
And if they can't manage that, the Packers' postseason hopes might be lost before their Week 11 bye.
3. Green Bay's secondary needs an "anyone but Justin Jefferson" mentality.
It probably seems rudimentary to say "don't let the other team's best player beat you," but when you're talking about an otherwise lackluster lineup of offensive weapons, it's a legitimate pathway to success. In the Packers' Week 1 loss, Justin Jefferson torched the secondary for 92 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets, which remains his best outing of the season.
Jefferson certainly isn't the only player that Green Bay needs to account for, from explosive wideout Jordan Addison to a familiar face in running back Aaron Jones, but he's certainly the one with the best track record of torching the Packers. Shutting him down would, in all likelihood, mean shutting down a Vikings offense that put up 39 on Green Bay's defense earlier this year.
It's hard to imagine the Packers winning this game if Jefferson gets loose like that once again.
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