Week 10 of the NFL season brings about another very important game for Green Bay, an NFC North matchup. With the current standings and competitiveness of the division, the Packers must find a way Sunday.
The NFC North is hands down the best division in football. The Bears are currently atop the division with a 7-2 record. The Lions and Vikings both sit at 6-2 while the Packers are fourth at 6-3.
An absolute blood bath. Being 6-3 and being last in your division? The NFC North is on a different level right now and a loss on Sunday won’t make the Packers path to the playoffs any easier. There is little room for error.
The current NFL Playoff Picture claims that Green Bay has a 61% chance to make the playoffs. A win against Minnesota increases the odds to 74%. A loss drops their predicted playoff odds to 43%.
So, a win is the way. The Packers looked like a very good team against the New England Patriots last Sunday. Micah Parsons is expected to be back in the upcoming weeks. Could they be peaking at the right time?
It’s definitely too early to tell, but Sunday will be a great way to assess just how serious this team is. What needs to go right for this Packers team to find a way Sunday?
This matchup looks much different than it did week one. The Packers have established a better plan at offensive line. It isn’t perfect by any means, but it has improved since then.
The lack of a reliable run game has been severely overshadowed by the MVP caliber play from quarterback Jordan Love. No team blitzes more than Minnesota. Love must remain composed.
Additionally, the emergence of wide receivers Matthew Golden and Christian Watson has made the offense hard to defend. Their performances have been recognized league wide as of lately.
Golden, so far this season, has caught 53 passes for 783 yards and five touchdowns. Watson has 49 receptions for 879 yards and seven touchdowns. Keeping this duo involved is of great importance on Sunday.
The ability to let Love play his game directly depends on the offensive line. Give him enough time and he’s been one of the best in the NFL. The blitzing is unlike anything in the NFL, and the hope is that Green Bay’s line handles it better than week one.
Defensively, the safety tandem between Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney has been one of the best in the league. The Vikings traded for Kirk Cousins on Tuesday before the deadline. Williams and McKinney need to grab and interception or two.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has been creative and has made the Packers defense quite the threat. This team has been able to perform without Edgerrin Cooper and Micah Parsons. Hopefully Gannon has more chaos drawn up for Sunday.
There is little room for error for this Green Bay team. If the Packers can keep it clean, manage the blitz from Minnesota’s defense and get to Kirk Cousins, they have a good chance of winning.
