Post by Purple Pain on Oct 27, 2023 10:01:18 GMT -6
Alec Lewis and Jon Krawczynski - Vikings-Packers Week 8 preview, picks: Can Minnesota make it three in a row?
What I’m watching
Lewis: The Vikings offensive line. Coaches and players use the term “stacking” performances. Can they stack another positive result this week? Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, the Vikings put on a clinic. The linemen executed the pass protection plan to a T. Quarterback Kirk Cousins leveraged the clean pockets by dropping dimes. Coach Kevin O’Connell seemed to feed off of both elements with his play calling. Doing it against Nick Bosa and the vaunted 49ers front was impressive. The Packers, though, are no slouches. Rashan Gary has the highest pass-rush win rate in the NFL. Kenny Clark and Preston Smith are accomplished. Devonte Wyatt, a 2022 first-round pick from Georgia, has juice on the interior. Stacking another blocking showcase won’t be easy, but it would speak volumes.
Krawczynski: Jordan Addison. Sorry, but I just can’t take my eyes off the kid right now. That performance against the 49ers was so impressively tough. A man’s game on a Monday night. Addison was the third Minnesota rookie to put up 100 yards receiving on “MNF,” joining Randy Moss and Justin Jefferson. But you know when a Vikings receiver really becomes a Vikings receiver? When he lights up the Packers. Green Bay’s defense is no joke. They gave Jefferson fits last season in Green Bay, with Alexander holding him to just one catch for 15 yards. They will be ready for the rookie. Let’s see how he responds.
Biggest concerns
Lewis: That they can’t duplicate their third-down success. Cousins has played 87 games with the Vikings since he arrived in 2018. Only three times has Minnesota produced a better third-down conversion rate in a game than it did Monday night (61.5 percent). Factoring in the projected freezing temperatures and the fact that Green Bay has struggled mightily against the run game this season (29th in success rate against the run) — meaning Minnesota could, in turn, try to run the ball down their throats — the Vikings could find themselves in a bunch of third downs. The shorter, the better, of course. Still, relying on those types of high-leverage conversions feels dangerous, especially at Lambeau Field.
Krawczynski: That Kevin O’Connell doesn’t do what needs to be done and hand the starting running back job to Cam Akers. Alexander Mattison is an outstanding teammate, a hard worker and the kind of player that is important in a locker room. But he is lacking in explosiveness. It becomes clearer and clearer every game that Akers just has more juice. He was in the game late in the fourth quarter against San Francisco, perhaps a recognition that he brings more of what this running game needs.
Most interesting matchup
Lewis: Jordan Love against Brian Flores. I feel like I should apologize for being intrigued by the quarterback-coordinator matchup each week, but it just seems so relevant. Love said this week he hasn’t “really faced a defense like Minnesota.” But he has held his own this season in 55 dropbacks against the blitz. His passer rating against blitzes (96.5) ranks 13th in the NFL, and his EPA against them ranks fourth. Flores’ looks will test Love’s ability to sort through the defense and efficiently find his answers. I’m fascinated to see how Love, who has the second-highest percentage of off-target passes among quarterbacks, fares.
Krawczynski: Rashan Gary versus Christian Darrisaw. The Packers linebacker has 4.5 sacks this season and is a disruptive dude who can ruin an offensive game plan. But Darrisaw is straight mauling edge rushers, most recently 49ers stud Nick Bosa, who hardly sniffed Cousins on Monday night. Darrisaw is playing with a ton of confidence, proclaiming after the game that he and Brian O’Neill are the best tackle tandem in the NFL. It’s getting harder and harder to argue with him.
Most interesting overall storyline
Lewis: Whether or not the Vikings can continue to manage adversity. Just two weeks ago, Minnesota fell to 1-4 and lost Jefferson to injury. Now, the team is a win away from .500. The Detroit Lions have a two-game lead in the NFC North — and they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night — but they don’t appear as formidable as they once did after getting obliterated by the Baltimore Ravens. Narratives shift weekly in this league, but the Vikings’ handling of extreme early adversity has stuck out. Winning in Green Bay and securing a third win without Jefferson would be nothing to sneeze at.
Krawczynski: Are the Vikings suddenly buyers as the trade deadline approaches? Alec put together a list of players that the team could be looking at as it bids to climb back into the playoff race. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has proven to be aggressive when it comes to dealmaking. His trade for T.J. Hockenson last season gave the offense a big boost down the stretch. Just a few weeks ago, we were asking if they were going to unload Cousins, Danielle Hunter and several other names on their way to pursuing a higher draft pick. But two straight wins, one over a real heavyweight in San Francisco, have changed the vibe around the team.
Schematic matchup to keep in mind
When Aaron Jones is not on the field, the Packers have a 32.1 percent rushing success rate, which puts them 29th in the NFL. When Jones is on the field, the Packers have a 51.7 percent rushing success rate, which is the highest in the league. The point is Jones is a wildly impactful player in terms of what Packers coach Matt LaFleur wants to do offensively. He adds to the Packers’ passing game both as a receiver and in terms of deception. Though he began the week on the injury list due to a hamstring that has slowed him since Week 1, he practiced Thursday and is in line to play Sunday.
Lewis: The Vikings offensive line. Coaches and players use the term “stacking” performances. Can they stack another positive result this week? Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, the Vikings put on a clinic. The linemen executed the pass protection plan to a T. Quarterback Kirk Cousins leveraged the clean pockets by dropping dimes. Coach Kevin O’Connell seemed to feed off of both elements with his play calling. Doing it against Nick Bosa and the vaunted 49ers front was impressive. The Packers, though, are no slouches. Rashan Gary has the highest pass-rush win rate in the NFL. Kenny Clark and Preston Smith are accomplished. Devonte Wyatt, a 2022 first-round pick from Georgia, has juice on the interior. Stacking another blocking showcase won’t be easy, but it would speak volumes.
Krawczynski: Jordan Addison. Sorry, but I just can’t take my eyes off the kid right now. That performance against the 49ers was so impressively tough. A man’s game on a Monday night. Addison was the third Minnesota rookie to put up 100 yards receiving on “MNF,” joining Randy Moss and Justin Jefferson. But you know when a Vikings receiver really becomes a Vikings receiver? When he lights up the Packers. Green Bay’s defense is no joke. They gave Jefferson fits last season in Green Bay, with Alexander holding him to just one catch for 15 yards. They will be ready for the rookie. Let’s see how he responds.
Biggest concerns
Lewis: That they can’t duplicate their third-down success. Cousins has played 87 games with the Vikings since he arrived in 2018. Only three times has Minnesota produced a better third-down conversion rate in a game than it did Monday night (61.5 percent). Factoring in the projected freezing temperatures and the fact that Green Bay has struggled mightily against the run game this season (29th in success rate against the run) — meaning Minnesota could, in turn, try to run the ball down their throats — the Vikings could find themselves in a bunch of third downs. The shorter, the better, of course. Still, relying on those types of high-leverage conversions feels dangerous, especially at Lambeau Field.
Krawczynski: That Kevin O’Connell doesn’t do what needs to be done and hand the starting running back job to Cam Akers. Alexander Mattison is an outstanding teammate, a hard worker and the kind of player that is important in a locker room. But he is lacking in explosiveness. It becomes clearer and clearer every game that Akers just has more juice. He was in the game late in the fourth quarter against San Francisco, perhaps a recognition that he brings more of what this running game needs.
Most interesting matchup
Lewis: Jordan Love against Brian Flores. I feel like I should apologize for being intrigued by the quarterback-coordinator matchup each week, but it just seems so relevant. Love said this week he hasn’t “really faced a defense like Minnesota.” But he has held his own this season in 55 dropbacks against the blitz. His passer rating against blitzes (96.5) ranks 13th in the NFL, and his EPA against them ranks fourth. Flores’ looks will test Love’s ability to sort through the defense and efficiently find his answers. I’m fascinated to see how Love, who has the second-highest percentage of off-target passes among quarterbacks, fares.
Krawczynski: Rashan Gary versus Christian Darrisaw. The Packers linebacker has 4.5 sacks this season and is a disruptive dude who can ruin an offensive game plan. But Darrisaw is straight mauling edge rushers, most recently 49ers stud Nick Bosa, who hardly sniffed Cousins on Monday night. Darrisaw is playing with a ton of confidence, proclaiming after the game that he and Brian O’Neill are the best tackle tandem in the NFL. It’s getting harder and harder to argue with him.
Most interesting overall storyline
Lewis: Whether or not the Vikings can continue to manage adversity. Just two weeks ago, Minnesota fell to 1-4 and lost Jefferson to injury. Now, the team is a win away from .500. The Detroit Lions have a two-game lead in the NFC North — and they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night — but they don’t appear as formidable as they once did after getting obliterated by the Baltimore Ravens. Narratives shift weekly in this league, but the Vikings’ handling of extreme early adversity has stuck out. Winning in Green Bay and securing a third win without Jefferson would be nothing to sneeze at.
Krawczynski: Are the Vikings suddenly buyers as the trade deadline approaches? Alec put together a list of players that the team could be looking at as it bids to climb back into the playoff race. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has proven to be aggressive when it comes to dealmaking. His trade for T.J. Hockenson last season gave the offense a big boost down the stretch. Just a few weeks ago, we were asking if they were going to unload Cousins, Danielle Hunter and several other names on their way to pursuing a higher draft pick. But two straight wins, one over a real heavyweight in San Francisco, have changed the vibe around the team.
Schematic matchup to keep in mind
When Aaron Jones is not on the field, the Packers have a 32.1 percent rushing success rate, which puts them 29th in the NFL. When Jones is on the field, the Packers have a 51.7 percent rushing success rate, which is the highest in the league. The point is Jones is a wildly impactful player in terms of what Packers coach Matt LaFleur wants to do offensively. He adds to the Packers’ passing game both as a receiver and in terms of deception. Though he began the week on the injury list due to a hamstring that has slowed him since Week 1, he practiced Thursday and is in line to play Sunday.
... and neither is this Chris guy.