Vikings WR’s Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison have been difficult for the Packers, but they have a new way to stop them
The Packers have a new way to stop the Vikings’ dynamic wide receiver duo.
All of the focus on the Minnesota Vikings is on quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and for good reason. He’s been incredibly up and down with his performance, mainly because of mechanical issues. He’s been all over the place, and it’s due to rushing his footwork throughout the course of the game.
The problem that the Vikings face is the rest of the season. How much better can he get in the short term to help them win games this season? We know that head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings are in this for the long haul. Even so, there were immense expectations for this season, and having six losses after 10 games was not on the bingo card with this roster.
Packers won’t be ignoring Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison
The biggest problem the Packers will have is facing off against Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson. They are arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league. Plus, the Vikings have T.J. Hockenson and an emerging Jalen Nailor as well.
The answer is a simple one, and it has nothing to do with their weaker secondary, and our Packers beat writer, Wendell Ferreira, gave a very nuanced answer.
“Probably, by not giving the Vikings enough time to throw them the ball. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine haven’t been bad necessarily, but they are not reliable cornerbacks to play against top competition. That’s ultimately why the Packers are just 20th in EPA/dropback. Nevertheless, Micah Parsons is a transformative player, and he’s made the entire defense look better. That’s why the unit is 10th in dropback success rate. On a down-to-down basis, the unit is still pretty good — the problem is more related to third downs and situational football. The Packers have good safeties in Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard, but some teams — the Dallas Cowboys in particular — have been able to attack Green Bay with the quick game to avoid pressure and to exploit the fragility of the cornerback room.”
Ferreira is right about how to approach this. Getting pressure on McCarthy is going to be key. However, he’s gotten infinitely better at sack avoidance.
Now, McCarthy also struggles under pressure when throwing the football, completing 26-51 for 366 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Get pressure on McCarthy, and you can make a serious impact on the Vikings’ offense.
The counter for Minnesota would be quick passes and letting the wide receivers thrive in open space. Will head coach Kevin O’Connell want to do that? He hasn’t as of yet, but it could be a major impact on getting a win on Sunday.
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