PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.: Packers at Vikings Preview

The Packers vs. Vikings Preview is HERE.

Packers-Vikings could be wild-card elimination game

ASSOCIATED PRESS

GREEN BAY (7-8) at MINNESOTA (7-8)

DAY / TIME / TV: Sunday, 7:20 p.m. CST, NBC

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 65-58-3.

LAST MEETING: Vikings beat Packers 24-10 at Green Bay on Oct. 29.

LAST WEEK: Packers beat Panthers 33-30, Vikings lost to Lions 30-24.

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (18), PASS (18), SCORING (11T).

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (30), PASS (13), SCORING (17T).

VIKINGS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (27), PASS (3), SCORING (21T).

VIKINGS DEFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (9), PASS (17), SCORING (10).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Packers even, Vikings minus-9.

The Minnesota Vikings were enjoying the rarity of a dominant afternoon in Green Bay two months ago, continuing their ascent from an early hole while Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s struggles persisted.

Then came the step gone wrong by Kirk Cousins on the Lambeau Field grass. Neither team has been the same since.

The Vikings have switched quarterbacks four times — this week back to rookie Jaren Hall — and been stuck in a constant mode of plugging in new starters for injured players all over the field.

“We’ve worked through it as a staff, trying to kind of adjust and adapt to what we think is going to give us the best chance to win games, based on the personnel we do have for that particular week, and it’s been different at different times,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “That’s our job as coaches, to continue to find ways to be competitive and find ways to win football games.”

While Love has given the Packers new life with his performance over the last eight games after the 24-10 loss to the Vikings on Oct. 29 dropped their record to 2-5, the injuries have piled around him. The defense has faltered badly, too.

“Who knows how long it’s going to take, but I think the exciting part about it is some of those mistakes we were making early on in the season, now we’ve corrected those things and we’re turning them into big-time plays,” Love said.

These late-season games between the longtime border-state rivals have frequently meant a division title was on the line, but the Detroit Lions took care of that by clinching the NFC North with their 30-24 win over the Vikings last week.

The Packers and Vikings are both 7-8, one game out of a wild-card spot, but the loser Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium can likely forget about making the playoffs. This is just the third season in 17 years that the division won’t go to either the Packers or the Vikings.

“It’s always a rollercoaster when you have different quarterbacks like this and the injuries we’ve had on this football team, but I’m still very proud to be a Minnesota Viking, and it’s still really awesome to be in December playing an important football game,” left guard Dalton Risner said.

LOVE STORY

Love completed just 58.5% of his passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Vikings earlier this year. He has 16 touchdown passes and three interceptions in eight games since.

“They do a good job of just mixing everything up, keeping you on your toes,” Love said. “That was our first time seeing it, and we’ll have a better plan going into it.”

The Vikings have allowed 57 points in the last two games after giving up just 49 points over the four games before that. Their latest blow was a season-ending quadriceps tear for outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum, who matched his career high this year with eight sacks — including two on Love on Oct. 29. With Marcus Davenport sidelined for the last nine games and counting with an ankle injury, the Vikings are down two of their top three pass rushers.

“It’s going to be a big loss. We’ve got to try to find a way to overcome,” O’Connell said. “D.J.’s been one of those guys that his improvement and his impact has been critical.”

SLUMPING DEFENSE

The Packers have given up an average of nearly 30 points per game over their last three games. After Tommy DeVito (New York Giants) and Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay) were each named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for their successive performances against them, the Packers allowed Carolina rookie Bryce Young to pass for a career-high 312 yards.

They must play the Vikings without top cornerback Jaire Alexander, who’ll serve a one-game suspension for what the Packers termed as conduct detrimental to the team. Alexander played a big role in limiting Justin Jefferson to a career-low one catch for 15 yards last season in a 41-17 win, frequently taunting the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year that day in Green Bay the last time they matched up. Jefferson missed the first game this season with a hamstring injury.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES

Packers running back Aaron Jones has struggled through hamstring and knee injuries that caused him to miss six games this season, but he’s been coming on strong down the stretch. Jones had 21 carries for 127 yards against Carolina last week to set season highs in both categories.

Jones has gained 100-plus scrimmage yards against the Vikings four different times since 2019. The only player with more games of 100-plus scrimmage yards against the Vikings during that stretch is former Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, who’s now with Las Vegas.

HALL PASS

Hall, who was the first sub summoned for Cousins, has another audition after the Vikings benched Nick Mullens following six interceptions over the last two games. He was forced out of his first start on Nov. 5 at Atlanta because of a concussion. Hall will have Jefferson to throw to but not tight end T.J. Hockenson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.

“We’ve got to go out there and play with a lot of physicality, hold guys up and get off the field on third downs. That’s one thing we can do — and capitalize and get turnovers,” Packers linebacker Quay Walker said. “It’s easy for me to say that, but we’ve actually got to do that.”

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH

RB Aaron Jones hasn’t been as productive as usual, due in part to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games and a knee injury that knocked him out for three more. Jones had 21 carries for 127 yards at Carolina last week, season highs in both categories.

VIKINGS PLAYER TO WATCH

QB Jaren Hall will take over the offense after the fourth starter switch by head coach Kevin O’Connell in the past nine weeks since Kirk Cousins went down with a torn Achilles tendon. The rookie from BYU entered the game in Green Bay in the fourth quarter after Cousins was hurt and started the following week at Atlanta, before a concussion forced him out in the first quarter.

KEY MATCHUP

Jordan Love vs. the Vikings pass defense. The 2020 first-round draft pick has had an up-and-down first season as the starter, but he has 13 touchdown passes and only one interception over his past six games. In the first game against the blitz-heavy scheme by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Love went 24 for 41 for 229 yards and one touchdown with one interception.

KEY INJURIES

The Packers are hurting at WR. Dontayvion Wicks (chest/ankle) left the previous game and has not practiced this week. Christian Watson (hamstring) has missed three straight games and has not practiced this week. Jayden Reed (toe/chest) didn’t play last week and has been a limited participant in practice… Packers S Darnell Savage (shoulder) has sat out two straight games and practiced on a limited basis this week. LB De’Vondre Campbell (neck) also didn’t play last week against the Panthers and has not practiced this week. NT T.J. Slaton (knee/foot) didn’t practice Thursday… TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) and OLB D.J. Wonnum (quadriceps) joined Cousins on the season-ending injury list after getting hurt against the Lions. With OLB Marcus Davenport (ankle) out for the past nine games and counting, the Vikings are down two of their top three pass rushers… RT Brian O’Neill (ankle), who has missed the past two games, is on track to return for the Vikings after practicing in full this week… Vikings WR Jordan Addison (ankle) left the Lions game early and has been practicing on a limited basis this week… CB Byron Murphy (knee) missed the previous game for the Vikings and did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. CB Mekhi Blackmon (shoulder), who replaced Murphy in the starting lineup, has practiced on a limited basis this week after leaving the previous game early.

FRIDAY INJURY REPORT

GREEN BAY PACKERS: De'Vondre Campbell, LB: doubtful (Neck), A.J. Dillon, RB: LP (Thumb), Luke Musgrave, TE: doubtful (Kidney), Jayden Reed, WR: LP (Toe), Robert Rochell, CB: questionable (Neck), Darnell Savage Jr., S: questionable (Shoulder), Tedarrell Slaton, DL: questionable (Knee), Luke Tenuta, OT: doubtful (Ankle), Christian Watson, WR: doubtful (Hamstring), Dontayvion Wicks, WR: questionable (Chest), Emanuel Wilson, RB: doubtful (Shoulder). MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Jordan Addison, WR: questionable (Ankle), Mekhi Blackmon, CB: questionable (Shoulder), Troy Dye, LB: questionable (Wrist), Theo Jackson, S: out (Toe), Alexander Mattison, RB: LP (Ankle), Byron Murphy, CB: out (Knee), Jalen Nailor, WR: out (Concussion), Brian O'Neill, OT: FP (Ankle), Ivan Pace Jr., LB: FP (Shoulder), Harrison Phillips, DL: LP (Back), Jaquelin Roy, DL: out (Ankle).

SERIES NOTES

The Vikings have won four of the past six matchups… The Vikings are 5-2 at home against the Packers since U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016… The Packers and Vikings have played at night 23 times… Since NBC took over the Sunday night slot in 2006, this will be the network’s ninth airing of a Packers-Vikings game, the fifth-most played matchup in the broadcast package.

STATS AND STUFF

With the Lions having clinched the NFC North, the loser of this game would be eliminated from wild-card contention if the Rams (8-7) and Seahawks (8-7) both win their afternoon games… Jones accounted for the Packers’ first 100-yard rushing or receiving performance of the season… Love leads the NFL in second-half touchdown passes (17) and passing yards (2,162)… Reed has 54 catches this season, one off the Packers rookie record Sterling Sharpe set in 1988… Packers DT Kenny Clark has a sack in each of his past two matchups with the Vikings. He has eight sacks against Minnesota, his most against any opponent… Packers CB/KR Keisean Nixon has an NFL-leading average of 26.4 yards per kickoff return… Packers OLB Preston Smith had 1½ sacks against Carolina to increase his season total to seven. He has at least seven sacks each of the past three seasons and has totaled 40½ since joining the Packers in 2019… Each of the past three QBs to face the Packers (Tommy DeVito of the Giants, Baker Mayfield of the Buccaneers and Bryce Young of the Panthers) either set career highs in passing yardage or were the NFC Offensive Player of the Week… Hall went 3 for 4 for 23 yards in relief of Cousins in Green Bay… WR Justin Jefferson had 141 receiving yards and a TD against the Lions. He has 5,648 receiving yards, the most by any NFL player in his first four seasons… Jefferson needs 177 yards in two games to reach 1,000 for the season, despite missing seven-plus games to injury… Addison needs 174 receiving yards and a touchdown over the final two games to become the 11th player in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie… Hockenson finished 40 yards short of becoming just the second TE in Vikings history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season, done first by Joe Senser (1981)… The Vikings lead the NFL with 22 forced fumbles, four more than any other team… OLB Danielle Hunter is third in the league with 15½ sacks.