Green Bay Packers football is finally here! I am so so happy that we made it through this past offseason. It feels so incredibly long ago that we watched this team piss away a lead in the wild card round. Only a few more days and we will get a fresh taste of Green Bay Packers football! Also thankful for the bonus that we get to start the season off with a massive divisional matchup. The Vikings will present a strong test, especially in Minnesota, and I’d like to spend a few minutes breaking down what I’ll be watching on Sunday.
These are the 5 matchups I think will be the keys to watch for when the teams take the field on Sunday.
- Jordan Morgan vs. Dallas Turner
In my opinion, the biggest loss for the Vikings this past offseason was Jonathan Greenard. For as long as I can remember, the Vikings have consistently had at least one top notch edge rusher. Guys like Jared Allen or Danielle Hunter come to mind quickly. Those are the types of players that keep opposing coaches up at night and singlehandedly change game plans. Greenard, while somewhat inconsistent and not quite to the level of Allen or Hunter, was next in that line for Minnesota. And now sadly for the Vikings, they will be moving through this season without Greenard after having to trade him for salary cap reasons.
This sets up a huge matchup between Jordan Morgan and Dallas Turner. Morgan was the Packers 1st round pick in 2024, and now heading into his 3rd season will finally get a chance to play his most natural position, left tackle.
Dallas Turner, also a 1st round pick in 2024, now gets his first chance to enter a season as the team’s top pass rusher.
Turner is a very good pass rusher, and one the Green Bay Packers will have to constantly be aware of. He’s not the strongest player, but he’s got one of the fastest first steps in the game. As a speed rusher, he can be especially dangerous when playing at home in the noise and on the turf.
Morgan, another player who wins with speed and foot quickness will have to be on his game right out of the gate. I expect Morgan to do well enough, but also to get a fair amount of chip help throughout this game. Whoever wins this matchup could go a long way towards determining the winner of the game.
- Chris Brooks and the Packers RB’s vs. Brian Flores
The big weak link on the Packers offense right now is the running backs. It will likely cause problems in the run game for Green Bay, but it could also show up in the passing game.
With the blitz happy Brian Flores calling plays on the other side of the field I am getting increasingly nervous about these running backs’ abilities to pass protect. Expect Flores to send all sorts of blitzing linebackers/safeties/corners just to force Marshawn Lloyd and co. to prove that they can be assignment sound and pick up those blitzers.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Brooks gets a lot of playing time for this reason. He’s their best pass protecting back by a country mile, and Lafleur may turn to him if this matchup starts to get out of hand.
- Brandon Cisse vs. maybe the best WR room in the league
Training camp hype is such a wonderful drug and we’ve all been high on it for months with Brandon Cisse. Now I am in no way saying that I am worried about Cisse as a player long term. I think it is incredibly impressive that Cisse came in and so quickly won the CB1 job outright. All signs point towards him being a real NFL player.
But what I am saying is that he’s a rookie who is 21 years old, and he will now be tasked with covering who I still think is the best receiver in the NFL. Expect some up and downs in his performance on Sunday!
- Javon Hargrave and Devonte Wyatt vs. Vikings IOL
This is a spot that I feel Jonathan Gannon can pick at. The interior of the Green Bay Packers defensive line is much improved from a year ago, and you might say the opposite of the Viking’s IOL.
That’s the recipe for a juicy matchup that tilts in the Packers’ favor.
The Vikings don’t have a true center on their roster, and there’s been consistent camp reports of botched snap exchanges and poor play from the center position. Look for the interior of this Packers defensive line to do some heavy lifting and help make up for the absence of Micah.
- Lukas Van Ness vs. Darrisaw and O’neill
This tackle tandem is another clear strength of the Vikings roster. Outside of Micah, previous Packers pass rushers have not had much success against them. This has to change on Sunday and Lukas Van Ness is the main player to keep an eye on.
If the Green Bay Packers have any hopes of surviving against this Vikings skill position group, they must generate at least a fair amount of pressure. We already touched on the potential for interior pressures, but with a mobile quarterback like Kyler back there, it’s essential to set the edges on the pocket as well.
Whether it’s simply setting the edge to contain Kyler Murray or creating pressure from the edge, LVN simply must make plays in a few of the big moments on Sunday afternoon. We all ragged on Rashan Gary for how rarely he stepped up after Micah went down. Let’s hope that LVN, unlike Gary in 2025, shows a different level he can go to.
Final Thoughts:
This game could truly go either way. I see it being a close contest and would be surprised if it turns into a blowout either way. The Vikings may have the upper hand in some of these matchups I listed, but the Green Bay Packers have the better quarterback. I expect that to make the ultimate difference.
Packers win 23-21
