Posted on September 13, 2018, by Travis Pulver
There is a reason why the Green Bay Packers made Aaron Rodgers the highest paid player in NFL history with his new extension. If you’re not sure what that reason is, see Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears for reference. Knee injuries would slow down most guys, but it almost seemed to make him better.
The Minnesota Vikings wouldn’t mind not facing Rodgers this week. There is a chance that could happen. But it would be surprising if he were to miss. But even if he does play, it will not be an easy win for the Packers.
Via @NBCSports
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Green Bay Packers
The Packers go wherever Aaron Rodgers takes them. While he was able to get the job done on a sprained knee Monday night, the Vikings defense is not going to be as easy to control. Green Bay still doesn’t appear to have much of a running game. But with how Aaron Rodgers works his magic, that doesn’t seem to be an issue.
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Even after missing a chunk of the second quarter, Rodgers still nearly threw for 300 yards (20-30 for 286 yards and three touchdowns—all in the fourth quarter).
He’s admitted to having a sprained knee, but it remains to be seen if he’ll play this week. But it will take a lot for Rodgers to miss a game:
“I want to play obviously,” Rodgers told the media Wednesday. “You’re just taking it one day at a time. See how it feels tomorrow and see how it feels Friday, Saturday and then hopefully ready to go Sunday.”
If he’s in the game, they’ll have a chance to win against anyone.
Minnesota Vikings
Even though the Packer may not have Aaron Rodgers available this week, the Vikings are preparing like he is going to be in the game. To do otherwise, would be foolish. They will have more luck adjusting to DeShone Kizer on the fly then they would Rodgers.
“He [Rodgers] walks on water, so I’m sure he’s going to play,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said during a conference call with the media.
They’ll have to be ready for him to throw the ball quickly and then tackle the receiver well. The mistake many teams make against the Packers is tackling poorly. Give Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, or Randall Cobb even a sliver of space and they can break a play wide open.
But the Vikings are pretty decent tacklers, so maybe YAC will not be an issue.
No matter how well the defense plays, the Vikings will need Kirk Cousins to get some points on the board. His debut was okay last week. But it wouldn’t hurt to see a little more production.
So—who’s going to win?
If Rodgers sits and Kizer starts—Minnesota wins with ease. But if Rodgers starts as expected, it is going to be a very tough, very competitive game. But in the end, despite all of the magic Rodgers has, the Vikings are a better team.
They’ll pull out the win. It may take a last-second field goal as time expires, but the Vikings (-1) will win.