National Football League

Green Bay Packers face big rivalry game in Week 2

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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For the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, this is rivalry week.

The stage will be set for a rugged “Black & Blue” divisional confrontation that takes place twice a year.

Every year since the early 1960s, this has been a showdown.

This year it will showcase arguably the two best teams in the division and may be a determining factor on who wins the division and gets a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.

Yet, which team has the edge here?

Let’s dissect this a little bit …

Packers vs. Vikings: Here’s the scoop

When the Packers congregate in the shiny, brand new US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis Sunday night it should be the makings of a great game.

On one hand you have Vikings. There are going to be showing off their beautiful stadium to the whole world as they host the game on Sunday Night Football.

So, emotions will be high and the excitement level will make for a great atmosphere. The hated Packers are in town.

Minnesota has one of the best running backs in the league with Adrian Peterson. This guy almost always finds a second gear when he plays against his neighbor to the east.

No Vikings or Packers fan can forget 2012 when he lit up the Packers for 199 and 210, respectively, on his way to nearly eclipsing Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. Even though he is getting a little long-in-the-tooth you can count on AP being ready to go.

The next version of the Purple People Eaters has hit the new turf in Minneapolis as well. These defensive stars now carry names like: Eric Kendricks, Chad Greenway, Xavier Rhodes, and Terence Newman.

The Vikings defense limited the Titans last week to 64 rushing yards for the game. It will be a given that they will be planning to shut down Packers RB Eddie Lacy too.

On the other side you have Green Bay Packers who must be hated by the NFL scheduling gods given the fact that they opened the season on the road in 110 degree field conditions against the new “hot pick to make the playoffs” Jacksonville Jaguars.

Then the Pack stay on the road and have to be first opposing team to play in the new Vikings stadium for a regular season game.

The Packers are led by All Pro QB Aaron Rodgers who is looking to rebound from a decent year which means a subpar one for him and one that makes him the envy of most of the rest of the QB in the league. Eddie Lacy is leaner.

Jordy is back. Clay is back at OLB. Things are getting back to normal for the team.

Yet, both teams will have questions coming into the game on the personnel side of things.

For the Vikings it who is going to start at QB? Shaun Hill got the start for Minnesota last week and looked… somewhat functional.

One would have to believe that this year’s starting job is going to new arrival Sam Bradford. He has had more success at the NFL level and has the tools to get the job done.

Bradford took majority of first string snaps Wednesday in practice to it looks like the coaching staff is leaning that direction as well. If Bradford can get the basics of the Viking playbook down then he is their man this week and for the rest of the year.

The Packers All Pro CB Sam Shields is still the NFL’s concussion protocol and is looking like he might miss the game this Sunday night.

If that comes true then there will need to be a lot of Packer D-Men that need to pick up the slack left vacant by Shields missing time. Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Micah Hyde, and Damarious Randall need to step up and make plays to keep Adrian Peterson at bay.

So, who wins this game?

Take a minute to digest these facts:

* Packers have a 59-50-2 records against Minnesota overall

* The Packers are 10-2-1 in the last 13 games including the one playoff game

* Coach McCarthy is 14-5-1 record vs the Vikings

* Aaron Rodgers is 11-5 against the Vikings and has won 10 out of the last 12. Not only that but he has had over a 100+ passer rating in 10 of the last 14 games.

Throw in that in 17 games against the Vikings (including playoffs), Rodgers has completed 354 of 514 passes (68.9 percent) for 4,267 yards, 35 TDs and five INTs with a passer rating of 112.7. His passer rating is the highest of any opposing quarterback vs. Minnesota (min. 100 att.).

It should be a great game to watch. The teams’ hatred for each other could make the emotions high for this one.

Through in a new stadium, familiarity with each others’ schemes and the fact that it is in primetime on Sunday Night Football and this has the makings of a nail biter for both teams.

Prediction: Packers 28-Vikings 27