Packers vs. Vikings: What Are Experts Saying About Minnesota?

When the Minnesota Vikings (4-6) host the Green Bay Packers (7-3) this weekend, there should be plenty of fireworks. Well, there should be plenty of fireworks set off by the Packers, that is.

The Vikings are coming off a discouraging 21-13 loss to the Chicago Bears (4-6) at Soldier Field last weekend and will have to put together their best performance of the season to even contend with the Packers this weekend.

As for the Packers, well, they just need to keep doing what they have been doing. Green Bay has put 50 points on the scoreboard in consecutive weeks and will have a good chance to make it three in a row against a Vikings team that cannot seem to keep its offense on the field.

While both the Vikings and the Bears totaled 10 offensive drives last Sunday, Chicago was far more efficient on offense. It ran 74 offensive plays to Minnesota's 46 and won the time of possession battle decisively, 38:38 to 21:22.

Minnesota must find a way to sustain offensive drives, dominate time of possession, keep quarterback Aaron Rodgers in check and tightly cover wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Limiting Eddie Lacy on the ground and creating a few turnovers surely wouldn't hurt, either. For a Vikings team that allowed Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte to light up the scoreboard just a week ago, this appears to be a (very) tall task.

On paper, this divisional contest looks like a blowout, and why wouldn't it be? The Vikings have been inefficient on offense all season, while the Packers and their dominating offense are beginning to look like the team to beat in the NFC—if not the entire NFL—this season.

Personally, I am siding with what "the paper" is saying about this matchup, but let's see what the experts have to say about the Vikings this week.

Mark Schlereth, Darren Woodson: Packers Will Beat Vikings

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Just like every other week during the NFL season, NFL Live, hosted by ESPN's Trey Wingo, put together a short segment predicting the outcome of the Vikings' impending weekend matchup.

Former Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson in charge of making the prediction for this week. And much like every other NFL analyst in the United States, both picked Green Bay to cap off the week with its eighth victory of the season.

Schlereth:

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I tell ya, the guy [Rodgers] is playing better than any quarterback in the league right now and is on schedule, but the most impressive part is off schedule. When things break down, he attacks the line of scrimmage. His accuracy on the run plus arm strength on the run is second to none, and when things break down, man, that is when the big plays happen for this Green Bay team. He will cut you up inside the pocket, but goodness gracious when it breaks down, you're in big trouble. I just don't see any way they [the Packers] don't win this game.

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While it does seem like Schlereth, who rarely picks in favor of Minnesota and has not done so in quite some time, has some sort of vendetta against the Vikings, it is pretty hard to argue with his prediction this week.

The Packers offense takes the field this weekend with a chance to make history, becoming the first NFL team to record 50 points in three consecutive games. Meanwhile, the team's defense, which does rank an abysmal 25th in net yards allowed per game, has forced the second-most turnovers (22) in the NFL this season, behind only the Houston Texans defense (23).

In contrast, the Vikings offense has been brutal to watch all season long and reached a new low last weekend against a substandard Bears defense. While the Vikings defense has seen dramatic improvement and has been relatively consistent for the large part of the year, it's failed the Vikings as of late, dipping their team defense ranking down to 12th overall.

As much as I hate to say this, Schlereth probably has this one picked correctly.

Woodson:

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I think Green Bay right now is, by far, probably the best team in the NFC right now. I think one of the things to watch on the perimeter is they win one-on-on battles on the outside with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. They find ways to get after you in that situation by winning their one-on-one battles. It was a huge upgrade to move Clay Matthews from the outside to inside linebacker. He has really stepped up for them.

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Working off what Schlereth had to say about Rodgers' hot streak, Woodson denounced Green Bay as (probably) the best team in the NFC right now and focused on the success of Nelson and Cobb on the perimeter.

While the two have individually produced No. 1 wide receiver statistics, they work as a team by disallowing opposing defenses to focus their containment on just one player. As a result, both frequently see one-on-one matchups and, as pointed out by Woodson, have consistently won these matchups.

The Vikings defense, which struggled mightily defending against two tall wide receivers in Marshall (6'4") and Jeffery (6'3") last weekend, is better equipped to cover the tall-short combination of Nelson (6'3") and Cobb (5'10"). While Xavier Rhodes (6'1") was able to succeed in coverage last weekend, the considerably shorter Josh Robinson (5'10") had an extremely difficult time making up the five or six inches that Jeffery and Marshall had over him. Simply, wide receiver-cornerback height difference will not be an issue this weekend.

With that said, the cornerback trio of Rhodes, Robinson and Captain Munnerlyn, teamed with safeties Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton, will have a tough task shutting down what has been arguably the best wide receiver combination in football this season. Both Nelson and Cobb found the end zone against the Vikings in Week 5, and it won't shock anyone if they manage to do this again.

My Score Prediction: Vikings 13, Packers 38

Green Bay (33.0) and Minnesota (18.1) are on opposite ends of the spectrum in average points scored this season and should be expected to play relatively close to these averages Sunday. This game is every bit of the mismatch it appears to be, and my score prediction reflects this notion.

Brian Hall: Cordarrelle Patterson Says He's Letting People Down

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Raise your hand if you have been critical of Cordarrelle Patterson's play this season!

For those of you holding your hand up in the air, the man known as "Flash" has a message for you. Brian Hall of Fox Sports North recently published an article discussing Patterson's play this season, how he feels about it and what he plans to do moving forward.

Patterson, who comes off as a happy-go-lucky and pleasant individual, has not truly been all that happy this season:

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Behind the big smile and flashy exterior, though, Patterson said he hasn't had as much fun this season. The second-year receiver hasn't made the impact he expected. The visits to the end zone for touchdowns which came so often at the end of his rookie season haven't been there. 

Production -- and enjoyment -- has been replaced by disappointment in himself. In his third offensive system in as many years, Patterson said he's thinking too much and not having fun.

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Given the Vikings' 4-6 record, their fourth-place position in the NFC North division and Patterson's underwhelming statistics this season, it is easy to see why he may not be feeling too "flashy" lately. While the life of an NFL player may appear to be fun, many forget that it is still a job, and not meeting expectations at your place of employment would bum anyone out.

The difference between being an NFL player and most other careers is the amount of people who are emotionally invested in your success. Not too many people outside of family and friends will feel crushed when an accountant enters a decimal point in the wrong spot, but when a wide receiver drops a touchdown, thousands of people respond in numerous ways.

Unfortunately for Patterson, he is in a part of the entertainment business, and his performance is judged on a day-to-day basis by Vikings fans, fantasy football players and NFL analysts. The majority of these critics, myself included, have been disappointed with him this season and had much higher expectations for him this season given how well he played toward the end of the year last season.

The 2013 first-round draft pick is aware his play is letting a lot of people down, and it is weighing on him emotionally:

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Patterson spoke with the media on Thursday for his usual weekly availability, standing in front of his locker instead of the middle of the Vikings locker room. The big smile would still show up on occasion, but there was more remorse and contrition in his voice. 

Patterson was asked what kind of statistics he thought he'd have at this point in the season. 

"Not what they are right now," Patterson said. "They've been disappointing. I know I'm letting a lot of people down."

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Although this season is over halfway finished, Patterson still has time to make an impact. He is still a young, developing player who, despite his impact last season, was a very raw prospect coming out of college. Mike Zimmer, Norv Turner and the rest of his coaches still have faith in him, as they have noted signs of progression in his technique.

Only time will tell, but it was right around this time last year that Patterson began making a name for himself in jaw-dropping fashion.

Master Tesfatsion: Ben Tate Scrambles to Find Place as Newest Viking

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With both Jerick McKinnon (back) and Matt Asiata (concussion) suffering from injuries and Peterson facing suspension for the remainder of the 2014 season, the Vikings were suddenly in the market for a running back.

In order to address their need, the Vikings claimed Ben Tate off waivers following his release from the Cleveland Browns. Tate now shoulders the burden of carving out a role as quickly as possible in a new offensive scheme.

His tall task of learning the Vikings playbook and finding his niche was the central focus of the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Master Tesfatsion recent article.

After arriving at Winter Park on Thursday morning, Tate was greeted by reporters who were curious to know how he plans to impact his new team. Given the circumstances, it is understandable that Tate didn't really have much of an answer for any of their questions.

"I just got here; I don't even know if I've been here six hours yet," he said. "You're asking me questions I really can't answer."

As Tesfatsion notes, Tate has not worked with Turner in the past and, as a result, could be inactive this weekend. However, he is attempting to learn the playbook as quickly as possible and did receive a few reps during practice, according to Zimmer.

Despite being signed to a two-year, $6.2 million contract by the Browns this offseason, Tate spent most of his time in Cleveland splitting carries with rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Through eight games and 106 carries this season, he recorded four touchdowns and a disappointing 333 rushing yards.

While his numbers with the Browns certainly don't jump off the page, Tate was a major asset while with the Houston Texans as a backup to Arian Foster. Due to numerous injuries to Foster, Tate saw plenty of action during his three years with Houston and totaled 1,992 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns and a per-carry average of 4.7.

It may take some time for him to adjust to his new role with the Vikings, but if the Texans' version of Tate shows up, he will have no problem finding his place in Minnesota and will be a welcomed addition. Also, he is a low-risk investment, as the Vikings can part ways with him at any time without consequence.

Simply put, Tate gets a shot with a different team and the Vikings add a veteran to a relatively inexperienced backfield. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Ben Goessling: Vikings Must Be Ready for Aaron Rodgers' Deep Ball

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The Vikings-Packers rivalry has been a bit one-sided of late due to the presence of a former Super Bowl MVP quarterback.

As ESPN's Ben Goessling wrote in his recent article, "Stopping Aaron Rodgers is one of the great challenges in football." Few would disagree with this line, especially given Rodgers' recent run of success.

One of the most dangerous parts of Rodgers' game, and the focus of Goessling's column, is his ability to throw the deep ball. While opposing teams are more than aware of this small portion of Rodgers' game, stopping it remains an arduous task.

The Vikings have learned about this specific skill the hard way. During the team's Week 5 matchup with the Packers, Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson deep for a 66-yard touchdown, burning arguably Minnesota's best defensive player in safety Harrison Smith.

Slowing down Rodgers is seemingly impossible right now, but doing the little things well and "not giving up anything cheap" is a good place to start:

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Rodgers has been the league's best deep passer this season, completing 14 of his 27 throws that traveled at least 20 yards. According to ESPN Stats & Information, those throws have covered 652 yards. Eight have gone for touchdowns, none have been intercepted and Rodgers' 24.15-yard average on such throws is the best in the league by nearly six yards.

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While Teddy Bridgewater has struggled to complete deep passes all season, Rodgers has made it look like a piece of cake. Considering that his completion percentage on throws of at least 20 yards this season is above 50 percent, it is more of a matter of "when" rather than "if" he'll catch the Vikings secondary out of position.

However, if Rodgers is on the sidelines, he can't attempt any deep passes. In fact, no quarterback in NFL history has ever attempted or completed a pass of any distance while on the sidelines.

Jerry Gray, the Vikings secondary coach, believes that beating Rodgers takes a complete team effort, and he could not be more correct. The defense may be in charge of stopping Rodgers, but if the offense can keep him off the field as much as possible, there isn't anything he can do.

If the Vikings give Rodgers too many opportunities, he is bound to put his team in the lead; and when he does, watch out:

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Rodgers has only tried six passes of 20 yards or more when the Packers have trailed by at least seven points this season; he's taken 17 when Green Bay is ahead. It goes back to Gray's belief that beating Rodgers is a total team effort, but if Green Bay gets ahead on Sunday, the Vikings have to be ready for Rodgers to let it fly.

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The formula for stopping Rodgers and the Packers may be simple on paper, but executing it is a completely different story. However, not allowing him to beat you with the deep ball is a great place to start.

For more Vikings news and analysis, follow me on Twitter @RobertReidellMN