The Secondary
The Packers, coming off a great year regarding their secondary, look to bounce back and prove why they’re the best in the league at their position. With Jaire Alexander being back, and Rasul signing an extension over the offseason, things are looking high for the Packers. This Sunday will be a huge test to see if the Packers secondary can live up to the hype they’ve been having throughout this whole offseason. This Vikings offense comes in with a new head coach who wants to be aggressive with the ball and become a pass oriented team. Justin Jefferson came off a career year, and is looking to prove why he should be named the top receiver in the league, and Adam Thielen is looking to bounce back after injuries riddled him last year. Some key matchups will be Jaire Alexander vs Justin Jefforson, and Rasul Douglas or Eric Stokes vs Adam Theilen. This game will ultimately come down to the wire, and the Packers secondary will need to be on their A game today if they want to win.
Running Backs
With Davante Adams leaving in the offseason there has been a big hole at wide receiver. People have been wondering who Aaron Rodgers will be able to throw to. One likely candidate in my opinion is Aaron Jones. Aaron Jones got a bag last offseason, and the reason why is shown by his play. Aaron Jones is already a great player when it comes to running the ball, but he is very slept on in the passing game. Aaron Jones has always been a great pass catcher, and his run after the catch speed is better than most receivers in the game. When Aaron Jones is lined up,it’s almost like having a 5th receiver lined up when the Packers lined up in an empty formation. For example, in the Detroit Lions game week 2 last season, he caught 2 touchdowns and scored for 4 in total. Not many linebackers can keep up, let alone try and cover Aaron Jones, that’s why when he goes out lined up as a receiver, cornerbacks are oftentimes the ones covering him. Likewise, with AJ Dillon lined up in the backfield, the Packers will have a formidable 1-2 punch. Look out for Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon on Sunday, because they could be a huge game changer for this Packers offense.
Wide Receivers
Another player on the offensive side of the ball should be looked at closely during this game, and that is Romeo Doubs. Doubs had an outstanding preseason and training camp, showing flashes of his talent. Even if the preseason games were 2nd string players playing, he still did great against NFL talent. With Allen Lazard questionable with a foot injury, Romeo should be the clear cut number 1 receiver. This means that Aaron Rodgers will more often than not, be looking towards Romeo’s way. Romeo needs to shake off that rookie status and play like a vet in this game if they are going to have any success in the passing game. Romeo isn’t going to be going against great talent when playing the vikings secondary, with their number 1 cornerback being an out of prime Patrick Peterson. Look for Romeo Doubs to take advantage of the Vikings subpar secondary group and score some points.
