On Sunday night, the Packers will round out the last of three prime time games at home against NFC North opponents in what could be single-digit temperatures by kickoff. With the Vikings having missed the postseason two of the past three seasons, and with a 7-8 record that currently has them on the outside looking in, Mike Zimmer could be coaching for his job on Sunday night.
While the frigid forecast for Sunday night should favor the team accustomed to playing outdoors, it's worth recalling how the Vikings used pass-averse conditions to their advantage last November, riding Dalvin Cook to control the tempo of the game and ultimately staining Matt LaFleur's perfect record against the NFC North.
On Offense
In Week 11, Aaron Rodgers torched the Vikings' secondary for nearly 400 yards and four touchdown passes. While Sunday's playing conditions will make that a difficult feat to replicate, I still expect Rodgers to drop back at least 20-25 times as LaFleur aims to sustain balance in offensive play calling and build on the recent success of the passing game.
Where Rodgers will need continued support is from his offensive line, which is still missing many key pieces. This makeshift front five, however, has gone toe to toe with some of the best defensive fronts in the game in recent weeks, and should be able to handle a relatively pedestrian Vikings pass rush.
On Defense
Minnesota will be playing without quarterback Kirk Cousins after the fourth-year starter tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. In his place will be either journeyman QB Sean Mannion or rookie Kellen Mond. Fortunately for the Packers, neither backup quarterback is remotely capable of replicating the 341-yard passing performance that Cousins achieved in Week 11, especially in freezing conditions.
But, with Dalvin Cook set to play, don't sleep on the Minnesota offense. The Packers have particularly vulnerable against the run in recent weeks, allowing over 200 yards to Nick Chubb on Christmas Day and plenty of rushing yards to scrambling quarterbacks during the second half of the season. Coming off their worst tackling performance of the season, linebackers De'Vondre Campbell and Krys Barnes will need to rebound in a big way this week.
PackerDay Prediction: Packers 31, Vikings 16
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