The Green Bay Packers are focusing on the Minnesota Vikings this week and even though this will be Aaron Rodgers first start the scene has been quiet the last week or so. Maybe that is because previously the Packers’ training camp was the center of controversy. Now that the focus is solely on the Vikings, a confident calm has come over the team.
Finally we are talking football. The Packers will be underdogs in their home stadium when you factor in home-field advantage and a check of Yahoo’s pick’em contest shows that 65 percent of the responders pick the Vikings. It seems like the Packers have pretty much no chance to win Monday night. Yes, the Packers have question marks, but so do the Vikings. For the Packers one has to be concerned about Ryan Grant and the defenses’ ability to stop the run. If you are the Vikings you don’t have to worry about stopping the run but you better be able to pressure the quarterback because if you don’t it will be a field day for Aaron Rodgers.
While both teams have questions at quarterback, I would much rather be facing the Vikings secondary with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback than facing the Packers secondary with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback against Charles Woodson and Al Harris. If Jackson shows any ill affects from his banged up knee he could be a turnover waiting to happen. This game has so many “what-ifs” and means so much for both teams. The winner is the clear favorite in the NFC North this year. Pure and simple. Not that the loser is out of it, but from a confidence point of view, and in the Packers case a trip to Metrodome looming, it will tough to overcome a loss.
Confidence remains high. I’m looking forward to seeing Ryan Grant back in action. Ryan Pickett back in action. The way to beat the Vikings is not a secret. Shut down Adrian Peterson and if you don’t turn the ball over yourselves, you win. Jackson is not going to beat you alone. Of course, shutting down Peterson is easier said than done. Peterson did struggle after coming back from injury last year and didn’t impress in the preseason, but the later was probably by design.
Plenty of questions to be answered Monday. Probably more to be raised.
To close tonight, the New York Giants are destroying the Washington Redskins. I think the Giants are underrated and have a decent chance to repeat. If they win their division, they would have to be the favorites to win it all. What I wouldn’t give for a Packers-Giants rematch this year. How cool would that be?