It would be had for the Green Bay Packers to top what they did last week. They went into the defending AFC champions house and embarrassed them in just about every way a team can. The offense did whatever it wanted and the defense made Drake Maye look like Jameis Winston.

Winning that game however was just the bare minimum for keeping up in the NFC North. This Sunday is one of the Packers most important games of the season so far. Things aren’t going to be easier either with the Vikings making a trade for Kirk Cousins to fix their moribund offense. Last time the Packers controlled much of the games first three quarters before inexplicable officiating and an offensive line collapse led to the Packers falling apart.

What’s different this time? And what does Green Bay need from its three units to secure a pivotal divisional win on Sunday heading into their bye?

The Packers Offense

Turns out that when your receivers catch the ball this Packers offense is something to behold. And it starts and ends with how Jordan Love is playing. No team sends more blitzes and pressures then the Minnesota Vikings. That cost the Packers in the first match up, but the line is better now than it was then and Jordan Love is playing a different kind of football

As always it boils down to “Let Jordan Cook”. That being said I do think there are a few changes fans should keep an eye on for this week.

I’ve said it for weeks and been wrong, but I fully believe this week we finally see Kevin Zeitler start at RG, with Laken Tomlinson taking over the LG spot from free agent bust Aaron Banks. Zeitler saw playing time initially last week because of a Banks injury, then later in the game again on what seemed like a benching.

Banks has just been bad, and its long past time the Packers accept the loss on the signing and put out their best five. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Zeitler’s first extended playing time saw some of the best runs by any Packers RB this whole season.

On top of the Zeitler move, I expect to see more Kaleb Johnson this week. He’s nothing special, but he ran north south and with far better vision than the other backs we saw on Sunday.

The Packers Defense

By all accounts this is the last game the Packers should play this season without Micah Parsons on the field. While he obviously is going to provide a massive boost to this defense, the unit itself has performed exceptionally this year without him for the most part.

Led my safeties Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney, the Packers picked off Drake Maye three times on Sunday, and now welcome in Kirk Cousins off a three interception game of his own.

The level those two are playing right now has made everything easier for the other nine guys. They’re able to disguise blitzes and coverages better than almost every team in the league and outside of the Falcons game it’s worked.

Getting Cousins instead of Wentz or Murray definitely makes this game a tougher task for the Packers, but there’s no reason to think that they can’t flummox Cousins the way they did against better QBs like Drake Maye and Dak Prescott. Expect Gannon to send a lot of blitzes Cousins way and it wouldn’t surprise me if Williams or McKinney added another pick or two to their stat lines.

Special Teams

Now that’s what I’m talking about. No missed kicks, a nice chunk return by Bo Melton, and not big returns given up. Lets string two of those weeks together now please.

Final Prediction

I underestimated the Packers offense last week. Although to be fair they’ve given me plenty of reason to this season. Not again though. Jordan Love is playing like the MVP of the league right now, and we’ve seen him solve Brian Flores in the past. I expect the bombing to continue and for the defense to grab another turnover or two.

Packers 31 – Vikings 17