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Minnesota Vikings: Notes Heading Into Green Bay Packers Matchup

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

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Here are some news and notes about the Minnesota Vikings and their upcoming Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay Packers Coach Mike McCarthy fully expects Sam Bradford to be under center for the Minnesota Vikings in the Sunday Night Football Border Battle.

Trading a first-round draft pick is not a decision to be made lightly and the general consensus among experts and those of us general interest writers is that, in order to have the best chance at victory Sunday night’s home opener is to have the stronger-armed wild card Bradford make his Minnesota Vikings debut.

The recipe for beating the up-and-coming Tennessee Titans is way different than beating the established Green Bay Packers attack. The Vikings will need to be more than just efficient passing.

No matter who is under center, the Minnesota Vikings will need to exploit the youth of the interior linebackers of the Packers. It’s no secret that until Minnesota can establish its passing game that EVERY defense the Vikings offense faces will cheat the run game and leave holes in the short to intermediate passing game.

Kyle Rudolph, Stefon Diggs and Charles Johnson should be able to have a field day running amok and the introduction of big-bodied Laquon Treadwell should be able to pull back defenders from the line of scrimmage and allow Adrian Peterson to find openings that were not available during the Titans game.

The Vikings offensive line, which kept veteran Shaun Hill on his feet the entire game against Tennessee, was not satisfied with its performance. The inability to run the ball is still a focus that they carry on themselves.

It was a gritty performance in the eyes of most observers, that little solace for a line who wants to block for last year’s league-leading running back.

This week’s challenge with the Packers is a buildup to next week’s showdown with the NFC champion Carolina Panthers at Charlotte. Playing and winning a tough game against the division-rival Packers will go a long way towards showing the Vikings and their fans where the team stands.

After Week 1, the Vikings are not have a complete team and it will take a complete team effort to come out on top these next two weeks.

Popular media states that the Minnesota Vikings are a team made to win on defense. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but it’s a sign of complete offensive ineptitude. Look for the Vikings to open up their playbook against Green Bay.

More from The Viking Age

Dom Capers, the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, has made a habit of shutting down the Vikings offense and over the last two seasons has been the stopper of Vikings offensive rhythm. It’s time for a new plan and with a QB change comes a new plan.

On a negative note it’s already been announced that Shariff Floyd will miss the border battle and Xavier Rhodes will be missing a second consecutive game.

Those are two very big names for the Minnesota Vikings defense and not only will Linval Joseph and Trae Waynes be leaned on even more than usual, the backups will need to prove that they can run with the cream of the crop in the NFC North.

For all Vikings fans who are having a tough time looking at Sam Bradford’s track record and seeing rays of hope, this Minnesota Vikings team is by far and away the most talented team that he has ever been a part of.

Through the Vikings’ lean years, we have seen the amount of strain that the lack of talent can put on a franchise.

Open minds and patience will be essential as he adapts to Norv Turner’s system but by season’s end the Minnesota Vikings will be more than a playoff darling, they will be a favorite.

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