5 keys to the game

My sources have confirmed that our favorite QB used to, in fact, play for the Packers.  But "Favre returns to Lambeau" hype aside, tomorrow's game is extremely important to both teams, as Mark Craig astutely pointed out today.  After a bye week, the Vikings will play 3 consecutive very winnable home games against Detroit, Seattle, and Chicago.  If the Vikes win, they could easily be 10-1 and the division could be all but wrapped up while we're still eating Thanksgiving leftovers.  A Vikings loss likely means a dogfight the rest of the way.  Here are my 5 keys to a victory for the good guys:

• Run 'All-Day' long.  Adrian Peterson hasn't really had an Adrian Peterson-type game since week 1 against the Browns.  He had a nice game against Baltimore, but not a truly dominant performance.  It seems like most of the running plays have been designed to go outside.  I'd like to see more running between the tackles.  AD has had good success against the Packers in the past.  I just get the feeling he is due for a breakout game.  The Vikings (and my fantasy team) could definitely use one.
• 'Tis better to receive than give.  When the Vikes are in the Red Zone, they have to come away with points, preferably touchdowns.  For the first 5 weeks, it seemed like every time they were in the RZ, the Vikings were scoring touchdowns.  In the Baltimore game, they started settling for field goals.  Last week, they had problems coming away with anything at all.  The Vikings cannot afford to have turnovers like they had last week.  And it sure would be nice to force a couple (or 6).   
• Put the crowd to bed early.  Moving the game to a 3:15 start from noon was a coup for Green Bay-area liquor stores.  Packer fans now have an extra 3+ hours of drinking time.  Their collective blood alcohol content will likely approach a number similar to the federal budget deficit.  At the beginning, expect an extremely electric and rabid environment.  If the Vikings can jump out to an early lead, maybe the "passed out" stage begins a couple hours earlier than normal?
• Here's to the Yankees' A-Rod having a better Sunday than Green Bay's!   Aaron Rodgers is a good quarterback.  The Vikings did a good job of containing Pittsburgh's passing game, but Green Bay's is better.  The DBs and LBs need to limit big passing plays.  The D needs to force field goals in the Red Zone.  The more plays you force Green Bay (or any team for that matter) to run, the more likely they are to make a mistake.  I think that as long as the D can avoid giving up quick strikes, the Vikings win. 
• Return of the King.  I don't think anyone knows what to expect out of Brett Favre tomorrow.  If history is any indicator, he will have a big game, as he typically does in "emotional" games, like the Monday Night game after his father died and the 1st Packers game this year.  But this is uncharted territory.  Will he try to do too much in an effort to overcompensate for the boos he is sure to receive?  Or will he stay within himself and dissect the Packers D, like he did earlier this year?  As mentioned above, I am hoping for a monster game from AD, rendering the Favre story second page-worthy. 

Nationally, a lot of pundits have decided that Green Bay's defense is fixed after allowing 3 combine points to Detroit and Cleveland the last 2 weeks.  They seem to think the Packer D will be able to slow, if not stop, the Vikings offense.  Color me unconvinced.  In the 2nd half of last week's game, the Vikes moved the ball almost at will against a much better 3-4 defense.  Now, they didn't finish their drives and that's a credit to the Steelers (with a possible assist from the officials).  I don't think Green Bay's D has the same success.  What concerns me more is the Vikings defense.  I'm not sure I trust the Vikes D to stop Green Bay either.  Can Jared Allen come close to a repeat of his performance from the 1st game?  Can the patchwork corners have another good game?  Will our safeties EVER make a play? 

I predicted a Vikings win last week.  I actually think they are going to win every week.  However, since last week's prognostication didn't work, I'm going the other way this time - Packers 34, Vikings 31.  And since I'm generally wrong about these sorts of things, enjoy the Vikings blowout win tomorrow!