Everything You Need to Know About This Week’s Vikings Game: Week 8 at Green Bay Packers
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings are coming off one of the most impressive victories of the young NFL season, upsetting the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
While that victory happened less than 48 hours ago, we already have to begin looking ahead to the next Vikings game, which happens to be a road matchup against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
As the Week 8 NFC North showdown gets closer, here is a look at everything you need to know ahead of this week’s Vikings game.
How to Watch This Week’s Vikings Game
Week 8’s matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will take place on Sunday, October 29th at 12 PM Central. The game will be broadcast on FOX, so folks in the Twin Cities can watch the game on FOX9, or fans can stream it on NFL+.
Packers/Vikings History
The Packers and Vikings have one of the strongest rivalries in the NFL. Since the start of the Vikings franchise, the two teams have met 125 times in their history, including a pair of playoff matchups. Currently, Green Bay leads the all-time series with a record of 65-57-3 against their division rivals.
Kevin O’Connell’s first game as Vikings head coach came in a 23-7 win over these Packers, but Green Bay got their revenge by stomping Minnesota with a 41-17 victory in Week 17 at Lambeau Field.
Vikings Injury Reports
WEDNESDAY
- LB Brian Asamoah (Ankle, DNP)
- TE T.J. Hockenson (Foot, DNP)
- LG Ezra Cleveland (Foot, Limited)
- WR Jalen Nailor (Hamstring, Limited)
Packers Injury Reports
WEDNESDAY
- RB Aaron Jones (Hamstring, DNP)
- TE Luke Musgrave (Ankle, DNP)
- C Josh Myers (Ankle, DNP)
- CB Jaire Alexander (Back, Limited)
- LB De’Vondre Campbell (Ankle, Limited)
- LG Elgton Jenkins (Knee, Limited)
- OT Yosh Nijman (Knee, Limited)
- DL Devonte Wyatt (Knee, Limited)
- S Zayne Anderson (Hamstring, Full)
- WR Christian Watson (Knee, Full)
Vikings Spotlight Player: DE Jonathan Bullard
The Vikings run defense has taken a massive step forward over the past few weeks. They have allowed fewer than 100 yards in four of their past five games since getting absolutely stomped by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2.
A big reason for these improvements has been Jonathan Bullard. Among defensive linemen who have played at least 50% of defensive snaps, the Vikings defender is PFF’s 8th-highest graded player in run defense at 75.0. He’s been graded at 72.7 or higher in that department in three of Minnesota’s past five games.
The Green Bay Packers have not been able to establish much of a presence in the running game, especially without Aaron Jones in the lineup. If the Vikings are going to pull off a road win at Lambeau, they will need to ensure that the Packers do not find their footing in the ground game. Bullard will play a big role in stopping Green Bay’s offense.
Packers Spotlight Player: WR Jayden Reed
There were plenty of wide receivers that got hyped up going into the 2023 NFL Draft, including Vikings rookie Jordan Addison. However, a player that went a bit under the radar was Michigan State WR Jayden Reed, who the Packers snatched up with the 50th overall pick.
To this point, Reed has proven the Packers correct with that selection. Through his first six NFL games, the rookie receiver has caught 16 passes for 231 yards and 3 TDs. He is averaging over 50 receiving yards through his last four games and his been one of Green Bay’s few bright spots on the offensive side of the ball this year.
The speedy slot receiver will certainly play a role for the Packers in this game against the Vikings, so Minnesota must be prepared. If not, Reed could break free for a couple big plays.
Additional Links
- Kevin O’Connell Dispels MNF Theory
- The Vikings Have Arrived at the Perfect Time
- One Veteran Viking Really Stepped Up on Monday
- Former Vikings GM: Cousins Had Career-Best Game on MNF
- The Vikings Offensive Line Is the Real Deal
NOTE: This article originally appeared on our sister-site, PurplePTSD.com.
Jordan Addison Did It in a Big Way
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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