Intriguing Game- Week Two
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Vikings: There were so many teams I was impressed with in the first week of the season and these Vikings were one of them. If they played the way they did on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons every week, this is a dangerous team. Kirk Cousins didn’t have to do much in this game. This was his stat line: He completed eight of his ten pass attempts (80 percent), 98 yards passing and a touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. My star of this game was Dalvin Cook. It’s incredible the difference one guy can make if he’s consistently healthy because when he’s on the field, he brings an added dimension to this offense. With two solid options at receiver, you can either hand the ball off to him and he’ll do his thing in the ground game or you can include him in the passing attack and when he’s getting the football checked down to him in the flat, he’s even scarier to defend. He ran all over this Falcons defense for 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns. They made sure there was a strong point of emphasis to pound the rock in between the tackles in their opener and control the clock. Their defense wasn’t bad either. After all, they’ve been one of the best units in the NFL since Mike Zimmer took over as head coach which we expected considering his defensive background. To play in his scheme, you need cornerbacks that can be physical at the point of attack and he has those in Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes. This unit was outstanding on Sunday with the three turnovers they forced (two Matt Ryan interceptions and a fumble recovery). One game is out the way, it’s time for the next.
Packers: Last Thursday night in Chicago was as impressive of a win as it gets. First, you play your biggest rival who won the division last year and you weren’t given much of a chance to beat them and lastly, the efforts the Packers showed as a team really surprised yet impressed me. For those of you who watch football, you know that when it’s come to the Packers, they’ve been stronger on one side of the football than the other. Their offense will always be one of the best if Aaron Rodgers is under center, but over the years, he’s had large amounts of pressure on him because he’s been carrying the entire team on his back. The offense will get theirs without question and with a new head coach who’s instilled a new offense, this could be scary when it’s all settled in and the players have become accustomed to it. What really took me by surprise was their defense! They’ve been one of the worst in the league for some time now and that’s why they haven’t been able to do much of anything come playoff time in January as far as making a run at the Super Bowl. Last week in Chicago was the best effort I’ve seen from them defensively in one game than I’ve seen the last four year. Don’t even tell me “the Bears don’t have a good offense”. You play who you play, period. For once, the Packers won the battle at the line of scrimmage, the linebackers were quick to pursue the football and the secondary did their part. Let’s see if Mike Pettine can keep this going. It’s time for the Packers home opener.
Vikings Player To Watch: Everson Griffen– He’s a leader on that Vikings defensive line. The league has a ton of great pass rushers. He’s one of them and he doesn’t get his respect. He has great speed off the edge, a ferocious first step off the snap and a plethora of moves to get to the quarterback. Keep him out your backfield and life will be splendid for you.
Packers Player To Watch: Jimmy Graham– I’m not quite ready to necessarily give up on him just yet. I understand he hasn’t been the same since New Orleans. His tenure with the Seahawks was a nightmare because he wasn’t coached correctly and his first year with the Packers was a struggle too. With LaFleur now running the show, I think he can get Jimmy back to the consistent play we once saw.
Final Analysis: It’s Deja vu all over again. These two met last season in week two in an epic showdown that ended in a tie. A year later, here we are again. For the Vikings, Kirk will need more than ten pass attempts in this game. This is a team who will show a much better effort defensively than what they saw last week from Atlanta. The key match up in this one will be Xavier Rhodes lining up against Davante Adams. Two of the best at their positions. The Packers defensive front needs to come into this game with the same intensity they did last week. Pressuring Cousins, the secondary needs to play well and attack when given the opportunity. This is a rivalry that goes way back, and they’ve had some very memorable moments. I think we’ll see the same this Sunday.
Prediction: Packers 27 Vikings 24
