Vikings at Packers: One Stat, Quote, and Matchup to Know Ahead of Week 8
K. Joudry
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At long last, the Vikings get their shot at revenge. Last season’s Lambeau debacle — a 41-17 beatdown that featured Justin Jefferson getting shutdown — is likely still fresh in the Vikings’ collective mind.
Giving fans a better understanding of what’s to come for the Vikings at Packers involves PurplePTSD offering up a single statistic, quotation, and matchup to keep in mind. The hope, valued reader, is that the information contained in this piece can function as a bit of a primer for what’s to come in Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
The Vikings at Packers: Week 8
Stat: 7 & 2
Jordan Loves intimidates nobody.
Usually, the Vikings would be nervous about needing to shutdown a future Hall of Famer at QB (pick your poison between either Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers over the past three decades). The new era doesn’t inspire nearly as much concern, consternation, and catastrophizing. It’s possible he develops into an excellent player and it’s similarly possible he begins by having an excellent day tomorrow. As of right now, though, Love doesn’t appear overly formidable.
The 24-year-old QB has thrown 7 interceptions and has had 2 fumbles. Neither number inspires much confidence, especially when placed alongside a paltry 57.5 completion percentage and 79.4 passer rating.
In fairness, Kirk Cousins has been far from blameless on the turnover front.
Cousins is putting 5 interceptions alongside 7 fumbles. Now, there has been an extra game played for Minnesota’s QB1 and he gets leaned on far more than Love. Minnesota’s quarterback has thrown the football 280 times; Green Bay’s quarterback has thrown the football 193 times. In other words, Cousins has had many more chances to be get the ball snatched away.
Nevertheless, the Vikings’ QB1 needs to be better, and he knows that.
NFC North tilts often get messy, especially when the games take place outdoors (just think back to the jumbled disarray in Week 6 at Soldier Field for a recent example). Seeing a perfectly clean day for both offenses where no turnovers occur would be a minor miracle. Can Minnesota force more than they allow?
Quote: Jaire Alexander’s Confidence
Jaire Alexander doesn’t lack for confidence. In a corner, that’s a necessary attribute.
While Green Bay’s fans are happy about their CB1’s approach, Minnesota’s fans certainly aren’t. Seeing him gloat in Justin Jefferson’s face isn’t going to lead to much love in Minnesota, where #18 is a living legend. Consider what he had to say when asked about limiting Minnesota’s WR1: “I was able to follow him. I was able to go to his side all game. I’m the type of person that I’m going to match intensity, so that’s what I did all night.”
Again, not someone who lacks confidence.
During the current season, Alexander has struggled to stay on the field, appearing in only a trio of games. He has picked up 11 tackles and a pair of pass defended in his limited action. While everyone was looking forward to seeing Jefferson get his shot at revenge against Alexander, both actors could be missing from the action. Jefferson is surely out for the game as he continues to nurse his injury while on the IR. Alexander is a bit more of a mystery, but the outlook isn’t promising.
Look for Minnesota’s receiving corps to find more room down the field if Alexander can’t go on Sunday afternoon. Another huge day from Jordan Addison would appear to be exactly what’s needed to keep the good times rolling.
Matchup: Minnesota’s iOL vs. Green Bay’s Pass Rushers
For a long time, the Packers’ pass rush posed a significant threat to the Vikings’ interior offensive lineman. One wonders, though, if Minnesota is finally up to the task.
On Monday Night Football, the Vikings’ front five played brilliantly, ensuring that Kirk Cousins wasn’t sacked a single time. Bringing a similar effort and compete in GB will probably be needed to walk away with the win. Given the struggle last year, one has to assume that the team won’t be lacking for motivation. Indeed, anyone on the purple roster who can’t get amped up for the Week 8 divisional showdown will need to get their pulse checked.
Names like De’Vondre Campbell, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Kenny Clarke will still demand a pile of respect in the Vikings’ locker room. Failing to take them seriously will lead to a very poor outcome. Gary leads the way with 4.5 sacks while Clark is up to his usual shenanigans by picking up 3 sacks.
A comfortable Cousins is an effective Cousins. Yes, he has been showing off tremendous improvements when it comes to shuffling around the pocket, but keeping his jersey clean needs to be a top priority. After all, whichever team wins the turnover battle is the one that’s likely to emerge with the victory. Give #8 time and he’s very likely to find an open man, especially if Kevin O’Connell keeps trotting out excellent play designs.
Kickoff takes place tomorrow at 12 p.m. CDT.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.