NFL
By Steve Rogers
The Vikings are once again having to shake off another bad home game that left them with back-to-back losses. Now the Vikings are staring down the barrel of the point of no return. The Vikings face looking at an uphill battle to keep any hopes of even making the playoffs alive. The Vikings played their best game of the year on the road in a divisional game at Detroit.
Here the Vikings are in week 12 on the road in a divisional game in Green Bay against the Packers. This is the 130th meeting between these two long-time NFL franchises. The Packers overall hold a slim lead at 66-60. However recently the Vikings have been the better team over the last decade they are 11-8. Even more recently the Vikings have won back-to-back games on the road in Green Bay. Last year the Vikings swept both games against the Packers.
The Vikings are coming into this game struggling. The sense of desperation is in the air. The Vikings and their fans’ expectations have not managed to come to fruition on the field. The Packers’ season has also been a struggle they have lost games to teams they shouldn’t have and just barely escaped last week with a win against the New York Giants.
The similarities between these teams’ performance and or lack thereof are interesting. At times they rise to the level of competition they are facing as both have beaten the Detroit Lions. Conversely, they have played down to lesser teams and played sloppily enough to lose winnable games.
This might be lining up to be more of a trap game in that scenario for the Packers as they are labeled as the superior team. They are at home. The Packers are favored by six points. The Packers however have 18 players across their roster listed on the injury report. Including seven of their 8 wide receivers listed as questionable. The Vikings have been a top 10 defense against the pass this Advantage Vikings. The Vikings are only listing three players on their injury report. All of which are likely to still be starting on Sunday.
That’s left tackle Christian Darrisaw who has played in some capacity in most of the games this year. Right guard Will Fries who hasn’t even missed a snap up to this point. Lastly, linebacker Jonathan Greenard who is dealing with a shoulder injury hasn’t missed a start this season. The best news is Vikings center Ryan Kelly who has been working his way back from IR due to concussion issues has been a full participant all this week and possibly may get to return this week.
Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy thinks he and the offense are like a cork in a bottle and just a few adjustments from erupting. As this offensive line gets back to full health and full practices together he might just be right. This Vikings offense is really too good to remain bottled up the way it has. When it does take off it might not come back down.
The Vikings are the more desperate team so that can work one of two ways it sharpens their focus and they play ultra inspired or they can become overwhelmed by trying to play together perfectly and nerves and focus slip and they crumble. This is where I believe the Vikings rise to the challenge and score above their average of 19 points per game. This will be a border battle no doubt.
However, remember how Carson Wentz and his non-throwing shoulder looked, and was hampered and diminished by it. Jordan Love might be in a similar situation this Sunday. A couple of quarterback hits and or knockdowns by this Vikings defense and maybe Love will want to be anywhere but on Lambeau Field? Brian Flores continues to get the best of head coach Matt Lafluer and quarterback Jordan Love. Vikings come into border rival Wisconsin and steal a division win 24- 20.
