Packers vs. Vikings: Full Minnesota Game Preview

The Minnesota Vikings (7-2) enter Week 11 as the leaders of the NFC North division but will be forced to defend this title immediately with the Green Bay Packers (6-3) scheduled to invade TCF Bank Stadium this Sunday.

Minnesota's rivalry with Green Bay dates all the way back to 1961 and has gained steam over the course of many decades. In total, the Vikings and Packers have gone head-to-head 107 times during the regular season since first meeting a little over half a century ago, with Green Bay owning a relatively slight advantage at 57-48-2.

Green Bay has somewhat taken the fun out of this rivalry in recent years, defeating Minnesota in eight out of the past 10 regular-season matchups (which includes one tie). The Packers, further asserting their contemporary dominance, also knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs back in 2012; Minnesota won its only prior postseason matchup with Green Bay in 2005.

Since Aaron Rodgers took over at quarterback for the Packers, he has earned a 10-4 mark against the Vikings, with two of these losses being handed to his team by his predecessor Brett Favre during Minnesota's remarkable 2009 campaign. To put it simply, Green Bay's elite signal-caller has definitively dominated the Purple and Gold thus far in his outstanding career.

But the 2015 Vikings appear poised to finally put a stop to this misery.

Led by an emerging defense, a revitalized Adrian Peterson and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, head coach Mike Zimmer will aim to take the next step toward earning his team a playoff berth this Sunday by getting over the substantial hump that is the Packers.

Location: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

Time: 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET

TV: Channel 9 Fox KMSP (Local)

Week 10 Results and Recap

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Minnesota continued to prove its doubters wrong in Week 10, earning a decisive 30-14 victory over a high-powered, Derek Carr-led Oakland Raiders offense.

The Vikings jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead behind an 11-yard Rhett Ellison touchdown and a pair of short field goals by kicker Blair Walsh. However, a dropped touchdown by Kyle Rudolph during Minnesota's third offensive drive had the initial appearance of a game-altering blunder when Oakland struck back with 14 unanswered points.

Immediately following the second Walsh field goal, Carr led his team down the field on back-to-back offensive possessions to get his team back in the game.

Rookie tight end Clive Walford caught the first of two touchdown passes from the Raiders signal-caller, scoring from 10 yards out with cornerback Xavier Rhodes in coverage. The second six-pointer came on a deep attempt, which exposed safety Andrew Sendejo on the right side of the field and resulted in a 34-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Andre Holmes.

Oakland's one-point advantage did not last long, however, as kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson found the end zone on the ensuing kickoff, bolting down the left sideline for a 93-yard touchdown to give Minnesota a lead it ultimately would not relinquish.

The Vikings defense held strong in the second half, allowing the team's offense plenty of opportunities to create some breathing room. With the Raiders threatening to pull within striking distance late in the fourth quarter, veteran cornerback Terence Newman picked off Carr in the end zone for his second interception of the day, silencing a ready-to-burst Oakland home crowd.

Adrian Peterson capped off a 200-yard performance in authoritative fashion, going 80 yards for a game-sealing touchdown just one play after the costly Raiders turnover.

This road victory gave the Vikings a fifth win in a row and seventh on the season. With some help from the Detroit Lions, Minnesota also took over as the sole leader of the NFC North division.

NFC North Standings

Minnesota Vikings (7-2)

Green Bay Packers (6-3)

Chicago Bears (4-5)

Detroit Lions (2-7)

News and Notes

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Mike Zimmer Says Teddy Bridgewater is a Playmaker

Teddy Bridgewater has faced plenty of scrutiny from analysts throughout his sophomore season in the NFL, despite being a key reason for Minnesota's current 7-2 record.

In fairness, the second-year quarterback has not always looked sharp or put together a strong collection of counting statistics, but his head coach is not worried at all.

According to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Mike Zimmer recently stated that he believes his young signal-caller is a playmaker, not a game manager, as many have pigeonholed him.

"I don’t know what a game manager is really,” the Vikings coach said. “But I think Teddy’s got an extremely bright future, he’s a heck of a quarterback and I’m glad he’s mine.”

Bridgewater, who has eclipsed the 300-yard passing benchmark just once this season, has not had the season that many expected. However, he has come through in key situations for his team, making multiple game-defining plays more akin to playmakers than game managers.

Potentially the most notable recent example of this "playmaking ability" came against the Chicago Bears during Week 8, when Bridgewater rushed for a first down while facing 2nd-and-17 and a seven-point deficit with a little more than four minutes to play. He later threw a game-tying, 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs and guided Minnesota to a walk-off victory with some help from Charles Johnson.

His statistics may not always reflect it, but it is easy to see why Zimmer has confidence in his young quarterback moving forward.

Vikings Sign TE Dominique Jones, Lose TE Chase Ford to Ravens

Minnesota recently released tight end Chase Ford after adding cornerback Josh Robinson to the active 53-man roster, only to later sign him to the team's practice squad shortly after he passed through waivers unclaimed. 

However, what was initially expected did ultimately occur, as the Baltimore Ravens signed Ford to their active roster earlier this week, giving the Vikings a space for a complementary transaction. 

According to Chris Tomasson of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota elected to sign tight end Dominque Jones to its practice squad, filling the void left by Ford.

Jones, who has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos since originally beginning his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts back in 2012, has played a role during 13 games to date. In total, he has recorded three catches on four targets for 42 yards throughout his relatively short professional career.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has played a total of 175 NFL snaps, with the majority (138) coming in 2013 with Indianapolis (95) and Kansas City (43); he has not recorded a snap in 2015. During his most impressive season two years ago, Jones made his greatest impact as a run-blocker (plus-1.1), which correlates well with his stocky 6'3", 255-pound frame.

Offense Built for Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater Progressing

Going back to the earlier points made about Bridgewater, many analysts have scoffed at the Vikings quarterback's progression during his Year 2 season. By conventional averaging statistics, he has either seen little improvement or slightly regressed from the standard he set as a rookie through nine games this season.

However, the offense Bridgewater ran as a rookie is considerably different from the one he currently leads during his sophomore year at the helm, given that the focal point of it has shifted to a legendary running back known as Adrian Peterson.

According to Ben Goessling of ESPN, quarterbacks coach Scott Turner said that the Vikings' identity as a team still revolves around Peterson, but that Bridgewater has improved from an efficiency standpoint:

"

He does not make very many negative plays. He's a very smart player, and he understands what it takes to win. We've played some very good defenses in the first half of the season, and we've had opportunities that we didn't make the most of. Some of that's on Teddy; some of that's on some other people. But I see the progress, and I feel like a lot of things, we're really close. If we keep pushing, we're going to make some of those plays.

"

Goessling also noted Bridgewater's progression situationally, specifically elaborating on his improvement both in the shotgun formation and under center. He states that the Vikings quarterback posted a 69.7 quarterback rating in the shotgun and pistol sets in 2014 compared to a 71.0 mark so far this year. Under center, he finished 2014 with a 19.6 rating, which has seen a dramatic increase to 49.8 through nine games this season.

Furthermore, Goessling noted that Bridgewater has taken 52.6 percent of his snaps from under center in 2015, a substantial difference from the 64.8 percent he received from the shotgun during his rookie season, when the Vikings offense was tailored more to his skill set. 

Simply, it's difficult to compare Bridgewater's first and second seasons in the NFL due to Peterson's addition to the fold in 2015, which effectively shifted Minnesota's offensive tendencies. 

If numbers do not lie, however, it is hard to argue that the Vikings' 2014 first-round draft pick has not improved this season, as he has statistically been more efficient and helped lead his team to seven wins in nine chances—the same number Minnesota finished with through 16 games in 2014.

Bonus News and Notes

The following list is composed of general team information, updates and matchup-specific statistics related to Minnesota's Week 11 contest with Green Bay:

• Terence Newman named NFC Defensive Player of the Week — Craig Peters, Vikings.com
• Anthony Barr vs. Clay Matthews — Rob Demovsky, ESPN
• Mike Zimmer Defenses Make it Tough on Aaron Rodgers — Rob Demovsky, ESPN
• Success is Built on Preparation — CC Norseman, Daily Norseman
• Green Bay Matchup Information — Daily Norseman
• Chill Out on Teddy Bridgewater — Arif Hasan, Daily Norseman
• Vikings Need More from Teddy Bridgewater — Doug Farrar, Sports Illustrated
• Vikings Defense Dominating Important Areas — Zach Kruse, Bleacher Report
• Are Vikings Legitimate NFC North Contenders? — Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus
• Matt Kalil Taking Stand Against Domestic Violence — Andrew Krammer, 1500 ESPN
• Mike Zimmer a Driving Force for Healthier Vikings-Packers Rivalry — Andrew Krammer, 1500 ESPN
• Stefon Diggs: Organization is Key — Derek Wetmore, 1500 ESPN
• The Viking Age is Upon Us — Andy Benoit, MMQB
• Adrian Peterson Leads Second-Half Surge — Drew Mahowald, NFC North Barroom

Latest Injury News

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Vikings Wednesday Injury Report (11 Players)

Did Not Practice (1)

• OT Matt Kalil (Toe)
  

Limited Practice (5)

• RB Matt Asiata (Quadriceps)
• RB Adrian Peterson (Hamstring)
• DT Tom Johnson (Concussion)
• DT Sharrif Floyd (Knee/Ankle)
• LB Anthony Barr (Hand/Knee)

Full Practice (5)

• QB Teddy Bridgewater (Left Shoulder)
• WR Adam Thielen (Shoulder)
• DE Justin Trattou (Foot)
• LB Eric Kendricks (Ribs)
• CB Marcus Sherels (Shoulder)

Key Injuries

OT Matt Kalil (Toe)

Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil did not practice on Wednesday due to a toe injury. He was the only player on the team who did not participate in any capacity.

Kalil, who has played considerably better this season and is beginning to look more like the 2012 version of him, plays a premium position for Minnesota. Regardless of the fans' satisfaction level, he is the best player the Vikings can trot out as Teddy Bridgewater's blind-side protector.

While there has not been any indication to believe he won't be able to play on Sunday, this would be an enormous blow to a Vikings front five that will attempt to keep pass-rushers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers away from their signal-caller on Sunday.

LB Eric Kendricks (Ribs)

After missing the past two games with a rib injury, rookie linebacker Eric Kendricks returned to the Vikings in a full capacity on Wednesday. According to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Mike Zimmer expressed optimism that Kendricks will play for the Vikings this week.

Veteran Chad Greenway and second-year linebacker Brandon Watts filled in for Kendricks last week, giving Minnesota's defense sufficient results. With that said, Kendricks' talent as a pass-rusher has been huge for the Vikings this season, and potentially having him back to rattle Aaron Rodgers' cage will be huge for this team. He is critical to both the present and future of the Vikings defensive core.

QB Teddy Bridgewater (Shoulder), RB Adrian Peterson (Hamstring)

The sheer presence of the Vikings signal-caller and bell-cow running back on the team's injury report draws reason for concern. But there appears to be nothing to worry about in this case, as there have not been any reports indicating that either player could be inactive on Sunday.

Furthermore, the shoulder giving Bridgewater trouble is on his non-throwing arm, which should allow fans to breathe sighs of relief.

Green Bay, on the other hand, is dealing with quite a few injuries to key players. The following is a quick glance at the Packers' injury report.

Packers Wednesday Injury Report (14 Players)

Names of starters and key contributors—30 or more snaps during Week 10; 200 or more snaps in 2015—are italicized.

Did Not Practice (3)

• OG T.J. Lang (Shoulder)
• OT Bryan Bulaga (Knee)
• WR Jared Abbrederis (Rib/Chest)

Limited Practice (5)

• QB Aaron Rodgers (Right Shoulder)
• OG Josh Sitton (Knee)
• OT David Bakhtiari (Knee)
• LB Clay Matthews (Ankle/Knee)
• S Micah Hyde (Hip)

Full Practice (6)

• RB Eddie Lacy (Groin)
• WR James Jones (Quadriceps)
• WR Ty Montgomery (Ankle)
• LB Mike Neal (Hip)
• LB Nick Perry (Shoulder/Hand)
• S Morgan Burnett (Ankle)

All injury information courtesy of Vikings.com. 

Key Matchups

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Vikings Defensive Front Four vs. QB Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay has struggled through a recent three-game losing streak, which has allowed Minnesota to claim sole possession of the North, but it still rosters the best quarterback in the game (excluding Tom Brady, of course).

Aaron Rodgers has devastated the Vikings throughout his career, putting together an impressive resume that includes a 71.22 completion percentage, 3,490 passing yards, a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 31-4, a quarterback rating of 119.0 and 10 wins in 14 games. Regardless of how he and his team are currently playing, one should expect his best stuff at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday, which makes slowing him down the No. 1 priority for Minnesota.

This begins with the Vikings defensive front four, a unit that includes stars such as Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph, a host of young playmakers consisting of Sharrif Floyd, Danielle Hunter and Scott Crichton and a pair of savvy veterans still capable of getting the job done in Brian Robison and Tom Johnson.

Every single one of the aforementioned players will face their most difficult tasks this weekend, even though the Packers offensive line has not been nearly as dominant as it was in 2014. In addition to putting pressure on Green Bay's signal-caller, this collective group will also be burdened with the tall task of containing Rodgers and disallowing him from moving around fluidly in the pocket.

This is simply the most important key to a Vikings victory on Sunday, as keeping Rodgers in relative check begins with the play of what has become one of the most dominant defensive lines in the NFL.

Vikings Defensive Secondary vs. Packers Wide Receivers

Essentially none of the above matters if Green Bay's receivers cannot find a way to get open, however.

Since Rodgers cannot throw to himself, a wide receiver corps lacking Jordy Nelson but still boasting plenty of talent with Randall Cobb, James Jones and rookie Ty Montgomery must find a way to get open for the Packers to do damage offensively.

Minnesota will respond with, again, one of the better defensive secondaries in the NFL, headed by current first-team All-Pro lock Harrison Smith. Based on what opposing defenses have done recently, one might assume that the Vikings will play plenty of press-man coverage, which conveniently has been a staple of Mike Zimmer's physical defense through 25 games in Minnesota.

Xavier Rhodes will likely draw second-year wideout Davante Adams on the outside, a player who saw 21 targets against the Lions in Week 10. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn will be in charge of containing Randall Cobb, who has lined up in the slot 88.5 percent of the time, according to Pro Football Focus. This leaves Terence Newman responsible for James Jones, assuming Zimmer determines Adams to be the greater threat on the outside.

Cobb, Adams and Jones have all struggled with separation in recent weeks, which should give Minnesota an advantage, given the physical nature of its cornerbacks. As a result, Smith and whoever lines up at safety opposite him—Antone Exum seems to make the most sense in a primarily zone-coverage scheme—will be given free reign over the top in a conventional alignment, while also allowing Zimmer to use Smith as a weapon during ideal pass-rushing situations.

This all leads back to the aforementioned point that Rodgers cannot throw to himself. Without a major receiving threat at tight end (Richard Rodgers has improved this season, however), the Vikings appear readily prepared to handle a trifecta of struggling Packers wide receivers, which will be another major key to a Minnesota victory this weekend.

WR Stefon Diggs vs. CB Damarious Randall

Adrian Peterson is going to run the ball a lot against the Packers; there is no doubt in anybody's mind about that. But the Vikings cannot win this game without throwing the ball from time to time, and Green Bay's secondary has been susceptible to allowing monstrous passing performances.

Lacking an efficient running game or a healthy offensive line, quarterback Philip Rivers still managed to throw for 503 yards against Green Bay earlier this season. While the San Diego Chargers ultimately lost 27-20 at Lambeau Field, they did expose a major weakness for their opposition's future opponents: the Packers' lack of a true No. 1 cornerback (and a generally weak defensive secondary).

Rookie Damarious Randall, a player the Vikings kept close tabs on during this past draft season, has been arguably Green Bay's best cover man in 2015. To illustrate this point, Randall only allowed four receptions and 40 receiving yards to San Diego's Keenan Allen—Rivers' top target back in Week 6—who finished his Lambeau Field experience with 14 receptions and 157 receiving yards.

While the Packers may utilize Sam Shields—who allowed six catches and 85 yards to Allen—on Stefon Diggs this weekend, it seems more likely that a rookie-on-rookie matchup will present itself.

Diggs, who has been rather quiet with back-to-back 40-plus-yard performances following a string of four consecutive 80-plus-yard outings to begin his career, will be a focal point of Minnesota's aerial attack on Sunday, as he has been since emerging in Week 4.

Mike Wallace has proved he cannot be counted on for the long gains and critical catches he was expected to provide this season, making the fifth-round rookie a key piece to the puzzle of defeating the Packers on Sunday.

Matchup X-Factors

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Vikings X-Factor of the Week: CB Captain Munnerlyn

As expected, the X-factor for the Vikings this week is a defensive player—specifically slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

In the midst of a rebound season in Year 2 under Zimmer, Munnerlyn has thrived in an almost exclusive role covering slot wide receivers. According to Pro Football Focus, Munnerlyn is currently tied for No. 8 with a plus-7.9 coverage grade this season.

This grade is constructed based in part around impressive numbers that include an opposing quarterback rating of 84.3, zero touchdowns allowed, an average completion of 9.9 yards and a grand total of 288 yards allowed on 44 targets (29 receptions). 

By comparison, Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. has also allowed 288 receiving yards on 46 targets (31 receptions), putting the feisty Vikings cornerback in elite company in this regard.

Despite fighting through a sluggish stretch during the Packers' three-game losing streak, Randall Cobb remains one of the best in the game at slot receiver, placing a premium on the cover performance for Minnesota's slot corner this Sunday.

Furthermore, Munnerlyn has been an exceptional tackler for the Vikings this season, specializing in blowing up screens and, as a result, keeping potentially explosive plays to a minimum. How he fares both in coverage against Cobb (and Ty Montgomery, for that matter) and as a weapon against yards after catch-driven screen plays will largely dictate the result of this game.

Packers X-Factor of the Week: WR Davante Adams

Davante Adams shined in limited duty as a rookie, appearing poised to lessen the blow of Jordy Nelson's season-ending injury during his sophomore season. It has not turned out this way to date, however, as the Fresno State product has been hampered by injuries, totaling just 272 receiving yards and zero touchdowns through six games played.

Green Bay's second-year wide receiver received plenty of chances to make an impact during Week 10, as previously stated, but he was unable to do much with these opportunities.

As noted by Graham Barfield of Rotoworld, Adams' 79 yards were the lowest single-game total in NFL history for a player receiving 20-plus targets:

"

Davante Adams saw 21 targets in Wk 10. His 79 reYards was the lowest yardage total in a game with 20+ targets ever: https://t.co/4QrThRrFWu

— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) November 16, 2015"

He will draw a tough matchup with either Xavier Rhodes (the likely candidate) or reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week Terence Newman this Sunday. If Adams produces another lackluster effort, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense may again be stagnant this week against a tough Vikings defense.

Prediction: Vikings 30, Packers 20

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

First and foremost, it is important to note that regardless of its recent losing streak, Green Bay remains the team to beat in the NFC North. As long as Aaron Rodgers trots the offense onto the field, the Packers will continue to be among the very best teams in the NFL, even if their defense continues to struggle.

But this is also a team that is ill-equipped to find consistent offensive success against Minnesota's defense.

The Packers have not only faced hard times in recent weeks but have shown a major weakness in their ability to dissect press-man coverage. Opposing teams have overmatched a wide receivers group that struggles mightily to create separation, an issue that Jordy Nelson's elite skill set kept hidden in recent years.

Without Nelson to force zone-coverage schemes, Mike Zimmer can use his feisty nickel defense in a way this group has thrived since his arrival. Rhodes and Munnerlyn specifically have shown that they are at their best when asked to beat up opposing pass-catchers at the line of scrimmage, and Terence Newman can still shine in this regard as well.

Green Bay will be a desperate team at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday, but being desperate is generally a word that receives a negative connotation outside the NFL. Urgency, on the other hand, may be the better term, but Minnesota, having lost both games to Green Bay in 2014, will undeniably match this intangible quality on the field this weekend.

To be more direct, the only definitive edge the Packers currently own against the Vikings is Rodgers. If their leader does not put together a highlight-reel performance, which will require plenty of help from his array of pass-catchers, Green Bay does not stand a chance of leaving TCF Bank Stadium with a victory.

Minnesota fights for every yard with its vastly superior ground attack, and Teddy Bridgewater should have little issue keeping drives alive against a bottom-tier Green Bay pass defense. The Packers, who have typically had a significant edge with Rodgers on the field, will be forced to combat a suffocating Vikings defense with a one-dimensional offense filled with seemingly average wide receivers and a virtually nonexistent rushing game.

Unless Eddie Lacy gets his conditioning issues in order prior to Week 11 and Clay Matthews finds a way to organize a swarm of Packers around Bridgewater in Minnesota's backfield, the Vikings will pass yet another test this weekend in the form of a divisional victory over their arch-nemeses.

Be prepared for an onslaught of national media predictions favoring the Packers, but it will be the Vikings earning their eighth victory by a 10-point margin on their home field this weekend, establishing themselves as true playoff contenders and forcing the shrinking group of nonbelievers to reform their stances once again.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

For more Vikings news, statistics and analysis find me on Twitter @RobertReidellBT.