Let’s Reid between the lines…
Thanks to a very rough start to the season, the Minnesota Vikings are heavy underdogs against the Green Bay Packers. A Vikings victory is highly unlikely, but still possible. Regardless of the outcome of the game, there will be plenty of interesting storylines in this division collision.
WIN-WIN SITUATION
Win or lose, the Vikings come out of this game as winners. Oddly enough, they probably are more like winners if they lose. Huh? Losing aligns most with the tanking mentality, which looks to be where the team is headed with a 1-5 record. Racking up losses is no fun during the season, but it positions the team high in the upcoming NFL draft.
If the Vikings manage to beat the 5-1 Rodgers-led Packers, it would either mean Green Bay forfeited, or Minnesota played an epic game. Although a Vikings win worsens their future draft pick, it gives fans mega bragging rights for taking down a Super Bowl contender.
YOUNG GUNS
The injury bug and Covid-19 invaded team headquarters during the bye week. Consequently, the Vikings defense is depleted at several positions. This Green Bay game will be a great opportunity for rookies to get some experience and make a name for themselves
Minnesota is down their top two corners, so it’ll be up to rookies Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler to fill the voids. Both have seen action this season, but Rodgers and Co. provide a special challenge. A solid performance could earn either player higher rank when the regular starters return.
The Vikings are also shorthanded at linebacker, so rookie Troy Dye will get the first start of his NFL career. He played sparingly back in week two, but a foot injury took him out before we had a chance to see much. I’m excited to see how the fourth-round pick does in this trial-by-fire situation.
POST-BYE VIBES
Plenty of drama occurred on social media during the bye week. Fan-crafted trade proposals, fake news, and general angst towards the team spiraled to no end. I am very curious how the players will respond, namely those who fans talked about wanting to trade (Thielen, Smith, Harris, Rudolph). Hopefully the off-field drama doesn’t affect their play… at least not negatively. If they do perform poorly or look disinterested, trades may materialize.
Cousins was of course also mentioned on social media. Ravaged, shamed, or verbally abused would probably be better descriptors than ‘mentioned’… Let’s see how he responds to the criticism. A resounding road victory would silence some of his haters, so perhaps he’ll play with some extra pep in his step. A bye week can do a wary quarterback a lot of good.
Even if you’ve rightfully given up your Super Bowl dreams, there’s still plenty to watch for against the Packers.
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