Can Fans Expect a Defensive Battle in Week 1?
K. Joudry
|
From our current vantage point, it’s very difficult to predict what the Week 1 game between the Vikings and Packers will look like. Even still, we might have a few hints and guesses.
Upon considering the Green Bay roster, most fans think of Aaron Rodgers, the surefire Hall of Famer who inspires plenty of praise and criticism. He is, without question, one of the best to ever play. A recent survey of league execs, coaches, and players even had him as the best QB in the NFL. While I’d lean Mahomes, the point remains: Rodgers is excellent.
The issue, of course, is that Davante Adams is no longer in town. Might Green Bay’s offense struggle to adjust to the loss of their WR1? Some have predicted that the offense won’t be the same, and we ought not overlook the MVS subtraction. If this scenario occurs, then the Vikings may get a considerably less dangerous Packers offense in Week 1.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is dealing with their own transition. Kevin O’Connell has certainly brought a lot of enthusiasm and hope with him, but we still need to see it all come to fruition. Offseason hope means very little without real production once the season begins in September. It may still be a work in progress by the time Week 1 gets here.
Green Bay’s defense will likely be tremendous. Their roster is loaded. Some fans are underestimating the significance of Jaire Alexander’s return. If the young corner is his usually dominant self, the Packers will have high-end talent at all the critical positions on the field. They had the 13th-best defense in 2021, though the talent is there to be much better in 2022.
The Vikings will also be looking to put forth a strong defense. Ed Donatell is bringing the system that helped Denver overcome poor offense and injury aplenty to still be one of the NFL’s preeminent defenses in 2021. If things go as expected at edge rusher – Hunter and Smith are healthy and dominant – then Minnesota has a shot at doing considerably better than recent seasons.
The Week 1 game between the Packers and Vikings will be compelling. The game will give us our first chance to see who has the edge in the NFC North. Don’t be surprised, though, if it ends up being a defensive battle between two teams that are still trying to perfect their offenses.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1053385″ player=”26281″ title=”Will%20Goodwin%20Previews%20the%20Vikings%202022%20Season” duration=”1149″ description=”VikingsTerritory’s Will Goodwin chats about a plethora of 2022 Vikings items.” uploaddate=”2022-07-14″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/snapshot/1053385_th_1657830173.jpg” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/sd/1053385.mp4″ width=”16″ height=”9″]