Vikings vs. Packers: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

A new-look NFC North rivalry takes center stage on the Week 5 edition of Thursday Night Football when the Minnesota Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers.

Minnesota rests at 2-2 but has new life behind the arm of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and a potent ground game thanks to a hodgepodge of names.

Likewise, Green Bay sits at .500, a fitting record for a team that wants to contend this year but has yet to truly show up against top-tier opposition. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is flanked by an elite pass defense, a far cry from the recent defenses Mike McCarthy has put on the field.

Outside of obvious divisional implications, the two teams are simply on the hunt for some semblance of consistency in all facets, including the win-loss column. Only one gets that after Thursday's outcome.

The Hunt for Improvement

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For a brief moment, all was right for Minnesota. Flash back to Week 1, when veteran quarterback Matt Cassel seemed a new man in the confines of offensive coordinator Norv Turner's scheme, leading the Vikings to a 34-6 win.

It fell apart shortly after, though, thanks to consecutive losses to New England and New Orleans. Then Bridgewater was given his first start, which saw him throw for 317 yards in a calm manner to lead the team to a win against Atlanta.

Bridgewater did sustain a slight ankle injury in the process, but there is a positive vibe coming from Minnesota. Just do not tell that to coach Mike Zimmer, who in his first bout with the Packers is not taking any time off on a short turnaround, as noted by Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune (Minneapolis):

It is an understandable approach for a man known for his elite defenses. Zimmer's unit has surrendered 20 or more points in each of the past three games, capped off by 28 points and 123 rushing yards and a score against Atlanta, a team known for its aerial-based approach.

The task is much easier to digest for the Packers—consistently show up.

Green Bay was laughed out of the building in Seattle to start the season before a narrow comeback win over the New York Jets. What followed was all of seven points in a loss to Detroit before a dissection of a miserable Chicago defense.

The point is, Green Bay needs to put it all together. The team ranks No. 5 overall against the pass, but the team allows an average of 176 rushing yards per game, good for a league-worst mark. Despite the prowess against passers, McCarthy is not taking any chances Thursday in regards to Bridgewater, per Paul Imig of Fox Sports:

It is a good move given that the alternative is Christian Ponder, a personnel change that would seriously skew the outcome of the game in the home team's favor.

Funnily enough, the quest for an extended run of good fortune may come in the most unexpected fashion possible.

Ground Wars

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Rodgers and Bridgewater take all of the headlines for obvious reasons as this one approaches, but it is each team's rushing attack that might decide the game outright. 

For a while, it was easy to forgive Eddie Lacy and Green Bay for ranking poorly on the ground, as the team's first three opponents were all known as elite commodities against the rush. But against Chicago, one of the league's worst in that regard, Lacy took 17 carries for all of 48 yards and a score—a 2.8 per-carry average—to confirm that the issues are all too real.

As a whole, the team ranks in the bottom five with an average of 78 rushing yards per game. Against a Zimmer defense known for pestering offenses, that will not cut it Thursday, especially not when one takes into account the dual-headed monster the Vikings bring to the table that allows them to rank among the top 10 rushing teams in the league:

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Matt Asiata	47	159	3.4	3
Jerick McKinnon	23	142	6.2	0

Had the duo been the one-two punch all season long, those numbers would be of the eye-popping variety, as they helped the Vikings to 241 yards on a 5.5 per-carry average last week alone.

NFL.com's Michael Fabiano put it best: 

With Bridgewater hobbled, the plan will obviously be to lean on the dynamic committee in an effort to keep Rodgers off the field. Conversely, a Zimmer defense that can shoehorn an offense into a one-dimensional attack can create mistakes, meaning this one may turn out much closer than most would predict if Lacy cannot get it going on the ground.

When: Thursday, October 2, 8:25 p.m. ET

Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Watch: CBS, NFL Network

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 48
• Spread: Green Bay (-10)

Team Injury Reports

NAME	POS.	STATUS
Chad Greenway	LB	Out
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Questionable

NAME	POS.	STATUS
Brad Jones	LB	Probable
Mike Neal	LB	Probable
Clay Matthews	LB	Probable
Jarrett Boykin	WR	Out

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

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Green Bay has been erratic at best so far this season, but the saving grace Thursday comes in the form of a rookie quarterback.

Make no mistake, Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon will do some serious damage to the league's worst rush defense, but against Rodgers, simply controlling the clock is often not enough to emerge with a win. The Minnesota defense is improving but not good enough to suggest a number of Rodgers' drives will end in field goals rather than scores.

Once behind, that ground attack becomes a moot point as a rookie takes to the air. There, Bridgewater will meet the first serious test of his career, and on the road after a short week, it is hard to suggest he has enough on a bum ankle to upend the Packers.

This one will be close as strengths exploit weaknesses, but a short week favors a player like Rodgers every single time. Being at home is just a nice bonus.

Prediction: Packers 27, Vikings 26

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).