TLDR: Green Bay just hung 45 on New England, and Minnesota has scored 21 points across its last 2 games. The Border Battle at Lambeau on Sunday, November 15 looks like a mismatch on paper, and the Vikings need it to play like the last division game they lost.
Green Bay hosts Minnesota with Jordan Love coming off a 372-yard, 4-touchdown game while the Vikings start a backup quarterback, with Kyler Murray week to week with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and Carson Wentz pulled in a 23-6 loss to Buffalo. Minnesota's defense has kept most of its games low-scoring, but its offense has scored 21 points over 2 straight losses. Green Bay's thin backfield, with Josh Jacobs' broken finger, and Micah Parsons' knee are the Packers' questions for the week.
+Love threw for 372 and 3 TDs, no picks, against New England
+Watson and Golden both over 160 receiving yards
+Secondary forced 4 turnovers, 3 of them interceptions
−Jacobs broken finger, Lloyd out: backfield down to Johnson
−Parsons (knee) missed the New England game
−Hopper chest, Melton concussion evaluation after New England
It starts at quarterback, and the 2 teams are coming from opposite places. Jordan Love completed 23 of 29 for 372 yards and 3 touchdowns, ran another one in, and threw no picks in the 45-27 win in Foxborough. Matt LaFleur said Love is taking "low-percentage throws in theory" and "making them look high-percentage." Minnesota is down Kyler Murray, who has a Grade 2 hamstring strain from a read-option run in the 19-15 loss at Detroit. The team calls him week to week. Carson Wentz got the start Monday night against Buffalo, didn't move the ball, and was pulled for Max Brosmer late in a 23-6 loss.
Neither roster is healthy. Green Bay has lost Josh Jacobs to a broken finger he suffered in the first quarter against the Patriots, and MarShawn Lloyd is out as well. That leaves Kaleb Johnson, who ran 14 times for 68 yards and a touchdown in relief, as the lead back unless Chris Brooks comes back from IR in time. Micah Parsons (knee) missed the New England game, and Ty'Ron Hopper (chest) and Bo Melton (concussion evaluation) both left it. On Minnesota's side, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins left the Buffalo game with an ankle injury, and Caleb Banks was inactive for it, so the defensive front is thin on the week Love is playing his best football.
The Vikings' defense is the reason this isn't a write-off. Minnesota allowed 10, 13 and 10 points in its 3 wins before this skid, and it kept a 4-point game going at Ford Field. Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Joshua Metellus and Byron Murphy Jr. each had double-digit tackles in that Detroit loss. The trouble is the offense, which put up 15 in Detroit and 6 against Buffalo, and a defense that is on the field that much eventually gives in.
Green Bay's offense is also getting big plays from its receivers, which is new. Christian Watson caught 7 balls for 171 yards against New England and Matthew Golden caught all 10 of his targets for 164. Xavier McKinney picked off 2 passes, Evan Williams added another, and the Packers scored 21 points off 4 turnovers. Minnesota's quarterback room is a backup who just got benched and a second backup behind him, and it is about to see the ballhawks who just forced 4 of them in a road game.
Both teams have lost to Detroit, so that's the one common result. Green Bay lost 20-17 in Detroit and Minnesota lost 19-15 there. Kickoff is 12:00 PM CT, and the forecast calls for a clear, 42-degree day with almost no wind, so the weather shouldn't hold back either offense. That puts the game on the Vikings' defense against Love. The biggest unknown before Sunday is Murray's hamstring and whether he's even in the conversation to play.
