After a long seven month wait, the 2022 NFL season kicks off this week! The Green Bay Packers will square off with the Minnesota Vikings Sunday at 3:25 CT. There is a long list of storylines to watch in this matchup such as: Za’Darius Smith facing off against his former team. The Packers running their offense without Davante Adams. A new look Green Bay defense. Rest assured, Packer fans are going be in for a treat this season. Let’s now take a look at three predictions that we might see come Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis:
Green Bay’s Defense Forces Three Turnovers on Kirk Cousins
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In case people have not heard, the Green Bay Packers are going to have a scary good defense this season. Brian Guteknust has invested in all three levels via the draft and free agency. The best way to challenge this defense is against the Minnesota Vikings’ offense. Minnesota enters this season with a top three wide receiver in Justin Jefferson, and a top five running back in Dalvin Cook. Both players have given Green Bay a lot of headaches in the past, which makes this matchup even more entertaining. The one outlier in of all of this is Kirk Cousins. The Minnesota quarterback has been the best quarterback the Vikings have had since Brett Favre’s tenure. However, Cousins has not performed very well against opposing teams with .500 or better records, or elite defenses for that matter. I fully expect Joe Barry to have a gamelan to get after Kirk Cousins early and often all game. With constant pressure and less time to make decisions, I think Cousins will crumble and give up the ball quite a bit to the Packers’ defense.
Six Different Packers Will Record At Least One Reception
The loss of Davante Adams had a major impact on the Packers offense. However, the front office has done a great job with filling in the void that Adams left. It is unclear how Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson will perform. But, Romeo Doubs had a fantastic preseason and looks to be the next target for Aaron Rodgers. Additionally, Green Bay has other weapons that will be utilized such as: Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Aaron Jones, and AJ Dillon. This exact reason is why the Packers’ offense has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. If this group of players can live up to the hype, the comparison is there to the 2010 offense that helped win Super Bowl XLV. Adam Stenavich is going to have to find ways to keep as many skill players involved throughout the game to keep the Vikings’ defense on their toes, and I think he will do just that.
Za’Darius Smith Records Less Than Four Tackles and Zero Sacks
Za’Darius Smith has had this game highlighted since the day he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He wants sole revenge on the team who released him and wants to prove it was a mistake. Only time will tell whether or not it was. But, it truly was the best decision for the Packers at the time. Smith has also been very vocal and loud this offseason about playing Green Bay. However, all the talk and noise will be put to a screeching halt. Green Bay has an outstanding offensive line, and they will make sure they will know where he is on the field at all times. There has not been much talk about how Smith’s preseason has progressed, but he still has the capability to wreck havoc. We are not sure yet who will start at the tackle positions on Sunday. In the end, whoever it is, will be up to the challenge to contain the former Packer looking for his revenge.
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