VikesCentric: Vikings-Packers preview--joining a bitter rivalry

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Green Bay to play the Packers on national television Thursday night, and the teams will renew one of the better and most bitter rivalries in the NFL. Both team fan bases have already engaged in pregame trash talking and things are heating up. Yet, the Vikings head coach and (potential) starting quarterback know little about it.

"Honestly, I don't know that much about it," Zimmer told the Star Tribune when asked about the rivalry. "I understand about the rivalry, but I'm just trying to get our guys prepared to go play a good game Thursday."

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who may or may not start on Thursday due to rehabbing his sprained ankle from the Atlanta Falcons game, was at least willing to say he has plenty of memories of watching Brett Favre at Lambeau--which has more to do with Packers history than the border battle he might soon experience first hand.

"It'll be very exciting to be out there on Thursday," Bridgewater told the Star Tribune. "You talk about Lambeau Field, the history and the tradition behind that stadium. It's going to be a great feeling just being able to play in that facility with all of the history that's behind it."

But it's not important whether or not these two principles in the game are tuned into this heated NFC Division rivalry. It's more important that they are ready to go on a very short week for a road game on Thursday night. That remains to be seen.

But it does help to stoke the rivalry (both on and off the field) that both teams are currently 2-2 and are coming off of big wins last weekend. The Packers dismantled the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, while the Vikings beat the Falcons in convincing fashion at home in Bridgewater's NFL debut start. The stakes are high, which are to keep pace in the NFC North—the only division in football without a team below .500.

The Packers struggled some out of the gate this season but played their best game on Sunday in Chicago. The typically vaunted Packers offense had been slumping, and Packer fans became quite worried. But quarterback Aaron Rodgers told the fans to "relax" and then proceeded to put up 302 passing yards and four touchdown passes against the Bears.

The Vikings will see more of the same. The Packers offense is benefitting this season from the return of wideout Randall Cobb, who missed 10 games in 2013 with a broken leg. While Jordy Nelson has been racking up receiving yards (459 to lead the NFL), Cobb leads the team in touchdowns catches with five (and is tied for the NFL lead).

"Randall, he's a pro, number one, and he's just an excellent, versatile football player," McCarthy said. "You can do a lot of things with him, as far as punt returns and kickoff returns, and offensively he can play inside and outside, so he's just a versatile football player. [He's] just a smart player, very instinctive. He had a nice game in Chicago."

Green Bay's running game is starting to get untracked—running back Eddie Lacy returned from an early season concussion and is rounding back into form. So much so in fact, that some observers are complaining that the coaching staff has forgotten about backup James Stark, who didn't record a carry or reception against the Bears.

The Vikings defense, which has already faced three quality quarterbacks this season (Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan), will have to slow down Rodgers, who is definitely starting to hit his stride. They can't expect to shut down the Packer passing attack, but the Vikings defense under Mike Zimmer has certainly improved.

"You look at their scheme--it's different under [defensive coordinator] George Edwards, and you can see Mike Zimmer's influence," McCarthy said. So schematically [it's different] with their pressure packages and their lead coverages and complement coverages—that's the biggest thing. Personnel-wise, they had some changes. We're impressed with Linval Joseph, and I think their younger players, like you always like to see, they're taking a big step in their second or third year. So I think it's a better defense than in the past."

"We would have a lot more sacks just with our four-man rush if we would learn to rush as a team and not rush as individuals," Zimmer said. "We are rushing as individuals. It's no different than any other part of defense. You play good as a team, you know where you're supposed to be at and then good things happen for other people and consequently good things happen for you."

The big question for the Vikings yet to be answered is who will be under center. On Wednesday, Bridgewater was a limited participant in practice and listed as questionable for the game—it's looking like a game-time decision. Bridgewater and his coach certainly hope the rookie gets his second start, and nothing they've said this week points to it not happening.

"Teddy is doing much better. If he can play he will play," Zimmer said on Tuesday. "We will just see how he is, and we'll go from there. We just take it one day at a time."

At his Tuesday media availability, Bridgewater appeared to be more forward looking

"It feels pretty good," he said about his ankle. "Each day making progress and just kind of keep moving, moving forward and trying to get ready for this Thursday."

The Packers could put a spy on him, but they are having a little injury trouble at linebacker with backers Clay Matthews, Brad Jones and Sam Barrington on the injury report this week. The good news for the Packers is that Matthews (groin) had full participation at practice on Wednesday and is listed as probable. Matthews (who can show up all over the defensive front) together with Packers' new edge rusher Julius Peppers can wreak a lot of havoc in an opponent's backfield.

The Vikings may depend even more on the run against the Green Bay defense, which is ranked last in the NFL in that category, giving up 176 yards per game. With the Vikings rushing for 241 yards last week against the Falcons, the Packers will certainly be looking for it.

One player hoping to stop the Vikings rushing attack is former Viking nose tackle Letroy Guion. Guion, who was released by the current Vikings regime in March and signed with the Packers, became the Green Bay starter after B.J. Raji suffered a season-ending injury. He has been vocal about his excitement for this match up.

"I'm going to be amped up the highest intensity possible," Guion told the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.

Guion is the latest in a long line of players in this rivalry who have traded teams—which currently includes Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings. The back-and-forth personnel shifts trace back to kicker Ryan Longwell and most famously Favre (who is predicting a lopsided Packers victory) and have fueled the rivalry, which has never really needed anyone to fan the flames.

"The history, obviously," Rodgers told the Star Tribune when asked about what makes the rivalry so intense. "I think there is a mutual dislike between the fans. An interstate rivalry always helps. We've had some great games over the last few years, some important games. A lot of Monday or Sunday night games that have always been highly rated. The Metrodome was always a fun place to play because of the noise component, and Lambeau for sure will be rocking--a night game, a divisional opponent, on Thursday night football."

If Bridgewater and Zimmer aren't quite up to speed on the rivalry, they will change very soon.

Game Notes

Series record: 56-49-2 (Green Bay leads)

Last game: Vikings 26—Packers 26 (Nov. 24, 2013 @ Green Bay)

Prediction: Green Bay 27—Minnesota 24

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