Green Bay’s 2016 NFL campaign is off to a rousing start after it defeated Jacksonville, 27-23, in its opening match on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers dazzled in his season debut, throwing two touchdowns and running for another score. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 199 yards, throwing TD passes to Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson.
It was a triumphant return for Nelson who played his first game since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the 2015 preseason. With Nelson back, much is expected from the Packers’ attack which fell to 23rd in the league in total offense and tied for 25th in passing last season. Nelson finished with six receptions for 32 yards on Sunday, including a 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Rodgers and Nelson will look to build on that solid start when they face the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday. They will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Minnesota defense that allowed just 16 points in the Vikings’ season-opening win against the Tennessee Titans.
The Vikings’ D looked as menacing as their 2015 counterparts which ranked fifth in scoring, seventh in sacks and 13th in total defense last season. That being said, the Packers will still fancy their chances this coming weekend as they have fared extremely well against the Vikings on the road of late. The Packers are unbeaten in their last three meetings with the Vikings in Minneapolis.
The Packers are 6-4 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
No Teddy Bridgewater? No problem! Minnesota chalked up its first win of the season with a gripping 25-16 come-from-behind victory over Tennessee on Sunday. It was a morale-boosting win for the Vikings, who battled back from a 10-0 halftime deficit.
The victory wouldn’t be possible, though, without the heroics of their defense. The Vikings D buckled down to work in the second half, forcing three turnovers and recording two sacks in a span of just under seven minutes. That enabled Minnesota to score 25 unanswered points that helped turn the tide in the Vikings’ favor.
The Vikings now set their sights on a possible 2-0 start when they take on the Green Bay Packers this coming Sunday. For the Vikings to achieve this feat, they will need to get a much better performance from Adrian Peterson. He only had 31 yards on 19 carries in the win against the Titans.
That performance was quite a surprise considering Peterson led the league in rushing (1,485 yards) last season. It won’t get any easier for Peterson against a Green Bay defensive line that allowed just 48 rushing yards in the win against Jacksonville.
Peterson’s struggles on Sunday can also be attributed to the fact that Shaun Hill wasn’t able to get his passing game going against the Titans. He completed just 18 of 33 passes for 236 yards and didn’t throw a single touchdown pass against Tennessee.
That being said, we totally expect quarterback Sam Bradford to make his much-anticipated debut for the Vikings in Week 2. The Vikings surrendered a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick to acquire Bradford from Philadelphia.
The Vikings are 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Aaron Rodgers powers the Packers (-2.5) to a 24-17 win over the Vikings.
