NFL Green Bay PackersMinnesota Vikings

Predicting the Final Score of Packers vs. Vikings

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By @calling_allfans

Packers vs. Vikings

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings (4-6) will host the red-hot Green Bay Packers (7-3) and QB Aaron Rodgers (28 TDs and three interceptions this season), who is well on his way to being named the NFL’s MVP.

These two teams squared off in Week 5 this season at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 42-10. Christian Ponder started that game at QB for the Vikings and was 22-of-44 for 222 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Ponder has since been benched for rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater, who has had some moments, but overall is struggling this season.

Rodgers threw for only 156 yards on 12-of-17 passing, but he threw three touchdowns and zero picks. Packers RB Eddie Lacy carried the ball 13 times for 105 yards and had two touchdowns. Basically, the Packers dominated the game.

These two division rivals are set to square off again this Sunday. What will the outcome be this time? The Packers are 5-0 at home this season, but they are only 2-3 on the road. The Vikings are 2-2 at home and 2-4 on the road. Green Bay has won six of their last seven games, after starting 1-2, and Rodgers is on a short list of players who are truly playing at an MVP level. The Vikings are 2-4 in their last six games and they are starting a rookie QB.

Green Bay’s offense is ranked eighth in passing (267.3 yards per game) and 18th in rushing (102.2 yards per game). Minnesota’s defense is actually pretty good against the pass, allowing 225.2 yards per game (8th), but it struggles against the run, giving up 115.3 yards per game on the ground (21st). This may be a game where Lacy goes off and Rodgers actually looks mortal, but the Packers QB has shown he can play at an insanely high level this season, so who knows if the Vikings can slow him down at all.

The Vikings rank 29th in passing yards (192.1 yards per game), but 21st in rushing (117.0) even without Adrian Peterson, who has been on the Commissioner’s Exempt List for much of the season and was just suspended by the NFL for the remainder of the season. Green Bay’s defense ranks 13th against the pass (238.2 yards per game) and 29th against the run (139.2 yards per game).

Scoring wise, both defenses are almost identical. Green Bay’s defense is allowing 22.5 points per game (17th) and Minnesota’s is allowing 22.0 points per game (14th). If both defenses are pretty good against the pass and struggle against the run, and they are almost identical in scoring, this game will be decided by the team with the better offense and the Packers are scoring—a lot.

Green Bay is currently ranked first in points per game (33.0), while Minnesota is averaging only 18.1 points per game (28th). But with both defenses allowing over 100 yards per game on the ground and both teams defending the pass well, this may be a game where the running backs take over.

That could make this game closer than most would think and crazy things tend to happen as we get later into the season. But Green Bay has Rodgers, wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb (possibly the best WR combination in the NFL) and a really good running back in Lacy. Come on—if you watch football you know the Packers are the better team and there is no way they lose this game, even if it is on the road.

Prediction: Packers 34, Vikings 13

Justin Patrick is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @calling_allfans, like him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google. You can also email him at [email protected]

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