The Green Bay Packers will travel to Minneapolis to open the start of their season against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Packers went 13-4 and claimed the top seed in the NFC. However, they ultimately fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round playoffs. The Vikings went 8-9 and missed the playoffs while finishing second in the NFC North. Now they look to start the season on a great note against one of their largest rivals.
Green Bay is 4-5-1 in the last 10 games against Minnesota. Moreover, they are 2-3 in the previous five games at U.S. Bank Stadium. These teams constantly battle in tight games at U.S. Bank Stadium, and last year was no exception as the Vikings edged out the Pack 34-31.
Aaron Rodgers no longer has the services of Davante Adams, who the Pack traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon return to help move the chains, and Rodgers may lean heavily on them. Alternatively, he has some new young receivers to throw to.
The Vikings have a new head coach as Kevin O’Connell takes the reigns. The defense has multiple question marks this year, but the offense remains solid. Justin Jefferson will look to get even better.
How To Watch
Match: Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings
Date & Time: September 11 @ 4:25 PM (ET)
Venue: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
TV Channel: NBC, CBS Sports, Fox Sports Network
Online Streaming: fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu, & Peacock (Try for free)
Watch in Canada: TSN, CTV & DAZN Canada (Try for free)
Team News
Green Bay Packers: The Packers have the defense to hold up against what’s coming.
While everyone in the NFC North is trying to get more pop to the attack, Green Bay has bee beefing up the other side. That’s about to pay off with a great group of corners in a pass defense that’s going to take the ball away in bunches.
The high-powered receivers might not be there with Davante Adams living his best life in Vegas, Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to turn the ball over, he’ll manage the game just fine, and the defense should be able to take care of the rest.
Minnesota Vikings: Are you buying into the new offense, the new coaching staff, and all the high-powered big things about to come with all of it?
Head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips are going to open it up more, and the weapons are there to do it.
Justin Jefferson doesn’t get quite enough love in a league that gushes over top receivers, but he’s about to take his stats and game up a few notches.
Kirk Cousins is better than you think – really, do the side-by-side stat comparison with the reigning MVP on the other side – and there’s a chance Minnesota just comes out and cranks up too much offense for Green Bay to keep up.
Prediction: The Vikings were 2-5 in one-score games last year, including two games where they led by double digits. However, a new coach is in town, and the time for failure is over. The Vikings come out on Week 1 and make a statement, delivering a victory in front of a packed house at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Pick: Packers 17, Vikings 27