To have any chance of making the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers need to defeat the Minnesota Vikings on the road this Sunday night.
For both teams’ hopes of making the playoffs, this game on Sunday is crucial. A victory for either team would greatly increase their odds of making the postseason (31 percent to 49 percent for Minnesota, 25 percent to 55 percent for Green Bay), according to Next Gen Stats. A loss reduces the prospects of both teams making the playoffs to less than 4%.
In the 126 games that the Vikings and Packers have played, Green Bay has a 65-58-3 edge. Three of the last five meetings hav
e been won by Minnesota, including a 24-10 triumph at Lambeau Field in Week 8.
Although Minnesota and Green Bay have almost evenly divided their home games during the rivalry, the Vikings’ 23-7 victory in Week 1 of the 2022 season gave them a 31-30 series advantage when they hosted the Packers.
Since the Vikings moved into U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016, they have defeated the Green Bay Packers all but twice at home. The Packers won in a row in 2020 (43–34) and 2019 (23–10).
But since their most recent game in Week 8 against the Vikings, the Green Bay Packers offense has advanced significantly.
With so much on the line in a tough road divisional game, the Pack will need Jordan Love and the offense to perform well. Love is currently competing at a high level with several of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
As there are two games left in the regular season, the first-year quarterback for the Packers has 3,587 passing yards. Three rushing touchdowns, 27 passing touchdowns, a 91.8 passer rating, and only 11 interceptions.
In his first season of starting, Love has already outperformed Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in terms of metrics.
The play of the Packers’ youthful offensive weapons has been a major factor in their offensive success.
The youngest offensive unit in the NFL has found success at every skill position, from rookies like Christian Watson, a wide receiver in his second year, to veterans like Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Tucker Kraft. Additionally, Matt LaFleur has relied on Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, two seasoned backs, to maintain balance in the game plan.
The sole problem? Thus far in 2023, it has been uncommon for them to have all of their offensively talented players available for a single game at the same time. Prior to the Vikings game, it appears that a few important players are also under suspicion.
Packers supporters have little faith in Joe Barry and the defense, even when facing a young, inexperienced quarterback, thus the offense will need to perform well to win.
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