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NFL Week Two Preview: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

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

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NFL week 2 preview: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers — the Vikings stole the NFC North from Green Bay last season. Who will win this battle?

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At the end of the 2015 season the Minnesota Vikings came into Green Bay and beat the Packers on their home field to capture the NFC North crown.

That will leave a bitter taste in your mouth for eight months.

The Packers aren’t out for revenge, but you can bet their regular season loss to Minnesota at the end of last year has put a chip on their shoulder as they prepare to try and go into the Vikings’ brand-new stadium in Minneapolis and spoil Sam Bradford’s debut.

Sunday Night Football couldn’t have asked for a better week two matchup as this game provides plenty of intrigue, as it usually does. The Vikings and Packers have one of the longest rivalries in the NFL, and both teams figure to contend for the NFC North crown again this season.

Quarterback Intrigue

This game starts off with some fantastic quarterback play from Aaron Rodgers, and some relatively unknown from Sam Bradford. The Vikings paid a high price for Bradford’s services, and this is a player who has not lived up to his former no. 1 overall pick hype.

Rodgers and the Packers squeaked out a win on the road to open the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are one of the better young teams in the NFL, but they made life a little more difficult on Rodgers than usual. He still managed three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and a quarterback rating over 95.

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We know we’re going to see the best of Rodgers in a prime time situation, but what will we see from Sam Bradford? He certainly seems to present an upgrade over Shaun Hill, who threw for 236 yards, no touchdowns, and no picks in the Vikings’ week one win over Tennessee.

Bradford gets a healthy Kyle Rudolph and one of the top up-and-coming receivers in the league in Stefon Diggs to throw the ball to, and he has old Adrian Peterson behind him for another security blanket.

Bradford is going to have to adapt to his new environment quickly.

Running Back Battle

If you’re a fantasy football player, this is a fun game from the perspective of running backs, as Adrian Peterson and Eddie Lacy are going to be key for some getting victories this week.

They will also both be key as each team tries to establish the tempo of the game and control possession with the running game. Lacy looked solid in the Packers’ week one win, but Adrian Peterson was held in check, rushing 19 times for just 31 yards.

Neither player scored in week one, but both should figure in heavily to the offensive game plan this week, Peterson especially. The Vikings’ offensive line is trying to build some cohesion after moving around parts over the offseason, and they face a tough Packers front led by Mike Daniels.

Lacy is going up against one of the fastest defensive front seven units in the entire league. The Vikings have speed, strength, power, quickness, and depth all across the front. Yards up the middle will be tough to come by.

Defensive Playmakers

Mike Daniels is a stud for the Packers up front, and he’s a key player opening things up for pass rushers Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, and others.

Matthews and Perry each had a sack in the Packers’ week one win, and they are creating opportunities for a very talented secondary. Morgan Burnett led the team in tackles, also adding a sack, and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix had six tackles and a key forced fumble.

Damarious Randall is a playmaker who knows how to take the football away, and the Packers are going to rely on this unit — their defensive strength — to take the ball away from Sam Bradford and create more opportunities for the offense.

The Vikings simply decided last week to take matters into their own hands defensively, and they scored two touchdowns in the win over the Titans. I don’t see that happening again, but as quickly as this unit flies to the ball, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Packers had to make some serious halftime adjustments after Aaron Rodgers gets a lot of pressure from a talented group for the Vikings.

Danielle Hunter is a name to watch up front, along with stud linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. Those guys fly around the field, they fly to the football, and they can make you pay for even the slightest mistake.

Bottom Line

This game will come down to the ability of Sam Bradford to create balance for the Minnesota offense. The Packers are too good offensively for Bradford to be turning the ball over multiple times, but the Vikings certainly have the ability to create turnovers on the other side.

This game could be close because it’s in Minnesota, but I think the Packers steal one and get a little revenge for last season’s loss in week 17.

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