Will the Vikings be ready to go in Lambeau? Our experts weigh in
The Minnesota Vikings dip their collective toes into divisional waters for the first time this season when they head to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Sunday.
Will Jordan Love play? It sure seems like it. Is that the right thing to do? That remains to be seen.
What 1-on-1 matchups are we looking forward to seeing?
And finally, who gets the big W in this early-season matchup between teams primed to be heavyweights in the NFL’s Black-and-Blue division?
We’ve enlisted Daily Norseman staffers Christopher Gates, Sam Buegler and Craig Williams as experts this week to answer all your burning questions:
Q1: On a scale of 1-100, how sustainable do you think the Vikings’ start is?
Christopher Gates: On a scale of 1-100, I’d have to give this at least a 75. On offense, Kevin O’Connell has obviously let Sam Darnold know that he has full confidence in him and isn’t limiting the playbook in any way. Darnold has always had the physical talent and can make all the throws, and this is the first situation that he’s been in that isn’t an absolute mess in terms of personnel and coaching. O’Connell has also gotten a bit more aggressive in his playcalling and has solid personnel all around that he knows he can rely on. It’s important to remember that this offense is doing this without Jordan Addison (editor’s note: he’ll return Sunday) and T.J. Hockenson, so things are going to open up that much more once those two guys are healthy.
On defense, Brian Flores is a mad scientist and now has players at every level that he believes in. Last year when the defense finally ran out of gas, he had a lot of young players in the secondary that struggled with different assignments and got beaten a lot as a result. Now, with Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin at the corners and the crew of safeties that the Vikings have, he can do a lot more and do it in ways that opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators aren’t used to and really can’t prepare for. As long as O’Connell and Flores remain at the top of their games as far as scheming and making the best use of their personnel, I think this is definitely sustainable over the course of a full season.
Sam Buegler: I’d say 70. I think that the Vikings have all the pieces to keep this hot start going, but there is a very real chance of regressing. If Flores’ defense starts to be figured out by opposing coaches, or if Darnold starts to fall back to Earth then we might have issues. However, there are enough other pieces around to be able to keep the momentum going even if one begins to sputter. We have enough elements that are all clicking to be able to give whatever may not be working a chance to rest and figure it out until it starts up again.
Craig Williams: I’ll say 75. The defense is very sustainable. The biggest question is whether Darnold can continue at his current rate. He’s playing well, but not perfect. I’m encouraged, but as a Viking fan, I can never get too excited too soon. Injuries are a risk to every team. I think 75 is really high.
Q2: Earlier this week, I contended that Matt LaFleur has a tough decision at quarterback. Does he start Malik Willis against a defense that has befuddled better young quarterbacks like Brock Purdy and C.J. Stroud? Or does he start a potentially not 100 percent Jordan Love? Is this a legitimate concern? What would you do?
CG: The prevailing wisdom at this point seems to be that the Packers are going to put Love out there, and Love probably gives the Packers the best opportunity to win this game. He’s a much better passer than Willis is and has the ability to win games with his arm. Willis, even though he’s gotten the Packers to two wins in his two starts (against two bad teams), is still pretty limited as a passer and would give Green Bay just about no chance against Minnesota’s defense with the way they’re playing right now.
Matt LaFleur likely doesn’t think he can afford to get two games behind the Vikings in the division this early in the season, but he does run a pretty significant risk of putting Love out there when he might not have his full mobility against a defense that has decimated opposing quarterbacks through the first three weeks of this season. It’s not an easy choice for LaFleur to make, but the Vikings should have the advantage regardless of who he starts.
Honestly, if it were me, I’d make sure my franchise quarterback was 100% ready before I put him out there again, but it doesn’t sound like LaFleur wants to wait.
SB: If the Packers are still unsure on Love being 100 percent back, then I think you have to sit him. We’ve seen players get rushed back from injury before and it just leads to worse games and the potential for a greater injury along the way. But, if he is feeling good then you need to start him. Malik has been playing very well for the Packers but our defense has just been brutal and could absolutely feast against Willis, considering he hasn’t played a defense of this caliber. So I’d say do whatever you can to have Love in, but if he doesn’t feel ready to go then it’s not worth the potential long-term risk.
CW: If Love isn’t 100 percent I don’t see how they justify playing him. He’s young and the franchise quarterback in Green Bay. They went 2-0 without him. If he returns to a 2-2 club, the season is still alive. If he re-injures himself? The downside is so much more than the upside.
Q3: What 1-on-1 matchup are you most looking forward to vs. the Packers?
CG: One of the big ones I’m going to be looking at is Preston Smith vs. the Vikings’ tackles. Smith has been a Viking killer over the past couple of years and the Packers will move him around a bit so he won’t be going against either Christian Darrisaw or Brian O’Neill all afternoon. The rest of the Packers’ front seven really doesn’t do a whole lot for me, so it will be key to keep Smith away from Darnold as much as possible in order to keep him upright. If the Vikings’ tackles can do that, it will go a long way toward the Vikings winning this one.
SB: It is the obvious answer, but Jefferson vs. Jaire is always a fun matchup to watch. Both are players who can just turn it on, so it will be exciting to see who wins the battle between them. Jefferson loves to prove why he is the best in the game, and I have a feeling that he is going to show that on Sunday.
CW: Andrew Van Ginkel against Rasheed Walker. Van Ginkel has been a consistent disrupter and a leader on defense. The third-year left tackle out of Penn State will have his hands full.
Q4: Finally, what’s your final prediction for Sunday afternoon in Lambeau?
CG: On paper, the Vikings should win this one. If Green Bay decides to keep Love on the bench and start Willis at quarterback, it could be the sort of game we saw last week against Houston, which I’d be perfectly okay with. If Love does start, it’s hard to see him being all that effective against this Brian Flores defense. Remember, he’s only been a starting quarterback for a year and a couple of games and the Vikings just made two quarterbacks who are, frankly, better than Love look pretty bad over the past couple of weeks. The Vikings should be able to come out of this one with a victory and head into their matchup in London with the Jets at 4-0.
SB: I think it’ll be a tight game. Both offenses will have their moments and it will come down to which defense is able to get the stop at the most critical point — which I do believe the Vikings will execute better at the end of the day. Flores has his unit playing unbelievably, and the KOC offense with Darnold at the helm will be able to take the win in Lambeau. I’ll say 21-17, Vikings.
CW: I have a decisive win for the Vikings. I think the Packers will either sit Love or he will come out rusty and they’ll call it safe. The Vikings defense is playing too good right now to be beat by Willis and a run-first Packers team. The offense is humming and assuming Darrisaw recovers from his illness (editor’s note: he’s off the injury report as of Thursday), I don’t see the Packers being able to stop it. Addison returning is huge. I’ll say the Vikings win, 35-6.
