Heating Up the Pass Rush Is Vikings' Only Chance Against Aaron Rodgers

Nearly any scenario in which the Minnesota Vikings find a way to upset Aaron Rodgers and the red-hot Green Bay Packers in Week 12 will include a dominant effort from Minnesota's pass rush. 

In other words, the Vikings need the opposite of the pass rush that first showed up during the October meeting with the Packers and then reappeared last Sunday against Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. 

Back in Week 5, Rodgers took two sacks but otherwise waltzed through 19 uneventful dropbacks. He threw three touchdown passes, and the Packers coasted to a 42-10 blowout at Lambeau Field. 

This past Sunday, the Vikings failed to register a sack for the first time this season as Cutler threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-13 Chicago win. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Minnesota was able to manage a pressure on just 15 of Cutler's 46 dropbacks. 

	Games	Sacks	Points Allowed	Passing TD Allowed
Wins	4	16	73	5
Losses	6	14	147	12

While Cutler often threw quick and short, discipline in the Vikings' rush lanes—in terms of allowing Cutler to get out of the pocket, as he did on his first touchdown pass—was another major factor.

"We didn't rush the right way," head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters. "First time in about four weeks we let the quarterback get out of the pocket. We've been rushing the quarterback so well, so many good things, it's just like we reverted back." 

The disappearing pass rush is somewhat difficult to understand. Over the four games sandwiched between the first meeting with Green Bay and last Sunday, the Vikings tallied an NFL-high 20 sacks.

That dominant stretch, which included one game with six sacks (at Buffalo) and two others with five (at Tampa Bay, vs. Washington)—is a leading reason why Minnesota is now tied for third in the NFL with 30 sacks through 10 games in 2014. 

Not surprisingly, the Vikings allowed 18.3 points and 198.5 passing yards from Week 6 through Week 9, and 31.5 and 242.5, respectively, in losses to Green Bay and Chicago. 

Not getting home on Rodgers or letting him repeatedly escape the pocket Sunday would be tempting the hottest quarterback in the game to hang another lopsided score on the Minnesota defense. 

	Games	Yrd/Att	TD/INT	Rating	Sacked
Wins	7	9.2	25/0	134.9	13
Losses	3	7.8	3/3	88.3	8

In the five games since posting a 138.7 passer rating against the Vikings in Week 5, Rodgers has averaged 9.6 yards per attempt and thrown 16 touchdowns against just two interceptions. His passer rating over that stretch is an NFL-best 124.9. 

Over just the last two weeks, Rodgers has thrown nine touchdown passes against a single sack. 

His splits in 2014 tell a more obvious story.

Of Rodgers' 350 dropbacks, 250 have featured no pressure, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His numbers against no pressure are staggering. He has completed 73.2 percent of his 239 attempts for 2,225 yards (good for 9.3 yards per attempt), with 23 of his 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His passer rating over the 250 no-pressure dropbacks is a league-best 130.5. 

Like all quarterbacks, Rodgers' numbers drop when under fire. Over his 100 pressured dropbacks, Rodgers has completed just 45.9 percent of his 74 attempts for 523 yards (7.1 per attempt). He does have five touchdowns against just a single interception, but his overall passer rating is a manageable 86.1. While that's still very good when under pressure, the Vikings would feel decent about their chances to beat the Packers if Rodgers finishes Sunday's game with a rating anywhere under 90.0. 

"We have to make sure we're smart with our rush lanes this week," defensive end Brian Robison told reporters. "Once we get into a situation where we have to rush him, we have to make sure we're smart, keep him in the pocket and collapse the pocket on him." 

The Vikings simply can't afford to give Rodgers many stress-free dropbacks Sunday. 

The Packers quarterback made the most of his limited opportunities back in Week 5, in part due to a Vikings pass rush that allowed him several clean pockets. 

Here's one obvious example of what can happen when Rodgers is given time to throw:

NFL Game Rewind

The screenshot above is of Rodgers' 66-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson in the first quarter. Note the lack of a rusher anywhere near No. 12. This looks like a three-man rush, but the left defensive end (Corey Wootton, on this play) was actually blocked out of the frame by a tight end. Meanwhile, Rodgers easily sidestepped a charging Tom Johnson, who was then eliminated from the play. The remaining two rushers were either double- or triple-teamed.

Given roughly four seconds from snap to throw, Rodgers was able to launch deep to Nelson, who turned around safety Harrison Smith on the deep post for a rather easy-looking touchdown.

Another perfect pocket was provided to Rodgers a quarter later:

NFL Game Rewind

It doesn't get any easier for an NFL quarterback. The Vikings tried a stunt inside with an edge blitz, but Rodgers picked up the look in the pre-snap phase and shifted protections, putting fullback John Kuhn on the edge-rusher. The result was a pristine pocket. Rodgers used the space and time to hit receiver Randall Cobb over the middle for 20 yards.

This past Sunday, the Vikings went long stretches without disrupting Cutler. A game plan designed to get the ball out of Cutler's hands in a hurry all but sucked the life out of Minnesota's pass rush. Yet for all the frustration in getting home, the Vikings also showed how effective clever pressure can be.

Here is the pre-snap look of Cutler's second interception: 

NFL Game Rewind

The Vikings showed a double A-gap blitz with Anthony Barr (55) and Chad Greenway (52). Greenway backed off, with slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn entering the fray late as the other blitzer. The Bears were then overwhelmed at the snap, as both Barr and Munnerlyn eventually discovered free lanes at Cutler.

Faced with immense pressure right up the middle, Cutler threw off his back foot and into double coverage, where Smith made the easy interception. 

Under Zimmer, the Vikings have made blitzing the A-gap an art form. Few defenses are now better at disguising and feinting pressure to the inside.

Of course, Rodgers is one of the least likely quarterbacks in all of football to force a throw under pressure. His interceptions totals speak for themselves. Still, to have a chance against Rodgers, the Vikings will need to be effective at timing and disguising their various pressure packages. 

With anything less than a dominant effort from up front on defense, it is likely that the young, still-molding Vikings offense won't have enough to keep up with the Packers. A shootout benefits Green Bay, but a defensive slugfest would give Minnesota a chance. 

There is no hidden secret to beating a quarterback like Rodgers, especially when his entire offense is playing as well as it is right now. There's no arguing with 108 points in two games. But if there is any way for the Vikings to cool off the Packers Sunday, it's by heating up their own pass rush. 

Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2