Blog

Though it is just Week 11 in the NFL, Sunday’s NFC North showdown between the Green Bay and Minnesota will 
go a long way in not only shaping the division but having huge wildcard and home field implications in the conference.
The Packers come in on a VERY rare three-game losing streak having been handled on the road by physical defenses
at Denver and Carolina and then losing to a Lion outfit that hadn’t won in Wisconsin in 24 years. The Vikings are on a 
major roll having won their last five and covering their last eight. The game opened at a pick with the total 45. Early Vike
money has trickled in making Minnesota a -1 point favorite. There has been no movement on the total. This is the late 
Fox feature game and weather could come into play in that the wind chill is expected to drop the temperature down to 
20 at kickoff. 

Aaron Rodgers has struggled the last three weeks yet his QBR is still 103.0 and his TD/Int ratio still 21/3. The Packer 
offense has gone nowhere thanks primarily to a lack of running game that has seen Eddie Lacy struggle with injuries for
most of the year and then be ineffective when he plays. James Starks has done a nice job (376 yards) filling in and has 
been a Rodgers weapon swinging out of the backfield. Randall Cobb is the best of what’s left of the Packer receiving corps
with 26 of his 25 catches going for first downs. The Packer defense is no better than 21st in any major defensive catagory 
and seemingly never gets off the field as Green Bay recent opponents have had major TOP edges. The Packers had 23 
sacks in opening the season 6-0 and zero in the last three losses. 

Minnesota just seems to win and the Vikes do it with a solid defense, the league’s top rushing attack and minimal mistakes.
Second year QB Teddy Bridgewater is developing into a an elite game manager that can make an occasional play with his 
arm or his feet. That’s easy to do when you can hand off to a revitalized fresh-legged Adrian Peterson. Purple Jesus has run 
for 961 yards in nine games with seven carries of 20+ yards. There are just three Viking receivers with 20 catches and Michael 
Wallace who has only found the end zone once. The bread and butter is the defense that is just very good in all aspects. This 
stop unit has created just 11 turnovers but doesn’t give up big plays or many points.

It’s early in the year but this is an almost must win for the Packers who will fall three games back of the Vikings with a loss 
here. Two games in the loss column plus the head-t-head. If the Vikings were to win here and take care of their business, the 
January 3rd final week rematch could be meaningless. The Packers need stop and to get some things going on offense which
won’t be easy against a stop unit that has held eight of nine opponents to 20 points or less. Another factor is that this Green Bay’s
first game on carpet this year. The Packers are an awful 1-7 ATS in their last eight on the funny stuff.