Following a decade-plus of lobbying and 2½ years of construction, the Minnesota Vikings have arrived at the grand opening of their new stadium, with the Green Bay Packers serving as the fitting visitors on the national stage of a Sunday night game. The Vikings lost 30-13. “Green Bay has got such a great tradition and history and all of those things that they have done, and we’re trying to build a program”.
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Green Bay has a 4-1-1 record against the Vikings with Lacy in the lineup.
Now the Packers get another crack at Minnesota.
The Vikings also ruled out backup tight end MyCole Pruitt (knee), who missed the opener, too.
The one-two punch that awaits the Packers on Sunday night in Minneapolis is unlike anything they will face all season.
At least the Packers won’t go in blindly. That’s why he’s glad Green Bay doesn’t have to contend with the transparent roof at U.S. Bank Stadium, and instead will take the field at night in a game nationally televised by NBC.
“Even when you think he’s wrapped up, you’ve still got to bring extra help to make sure you secure the tackle”, Burnett added. I think Rodgers will be well prepared for this matchup and will spoil the housewarming party for the Vikings. It opens up more of the playbook, and makes the Vikings offense more unpredictable. Both teams will enter the game 1-0 and it could set the scene for the rest of the year and start building hype for the week 17 game which will be played in Green Bay.
The Vikings were tinkering with their touchdown celebration special effects during the preseason, and the one used Sunday won’t necessarily be the same as what was seen against the Rams.
Asute draft picks in recent years are coming into their own, safety Harrison Smith, linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd. On the flip side of that, the Packers offense still seems to have issues moving the ball consistently, and I don’t see them being able to move the length of the field at will.
– Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is looking to get back on track after a disappointing start to the season.
They will also have a raucous home crowd behind them.
Minnesota needs to let the Packers know that their new home is going to be a much harder place to win in than any other place they have played before.
CORNER CONCERN, PART TWO: The Vikings played their opener without cornerback Xavier Rhodes, whose knee injury kept him out of practices this week too. The team lists him as questionable. Trae Waynes stepped in and was targeted often by Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, with mixed results in coverage. Don’t bother asking head coach Mike Zimmer because his lips are now sealed. “He’s done a good job”.
McCarthy said music is being cranked up “very, very loud” during practices and walk-throughs this week.
“There were a couple opportunities, I’d say three, maybe four, where I think patience and using our vision more would allow for some big chunks”, Peterson said this week. “You’ve just got to try to extend and understand where a guy wants to go”. “I don’t know (why)”.
– Can Packers find the end zone vs. the Vikings?
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Cook told members of the media who cover the Packers this week that he has “no idea what to expect just because he’s new there”.
