Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) and Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (23) push each other after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings knocked off the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field last season. It was a sizable win clouded by Kirk Cousins’s loss. Kevin O’Connell’s team emerged victorious despite not having Justin Jefferson in that game. They then got molly-whopped at U.S. Bank Stadium. That game shouldn’t really matter, however.
Yes, the Packers should be flying high regarding how they handled the Vikings and Brian Flores’ defense the last time they saw it. However, things couldn’t be less the same this time around. When the Vikings hosted the Packers on New Year’s Eve, Minnesota’s season was all but over.
Kevin O’Connell started Jaren Hall after previously swapping him out. Nick Mullens also played in the game, and that’s beyond reflective of just how bad the quarterback situation had become. Green Bay raced out to a 10—lead and was up 23-3 by halftime. Sure, that means that Jordan Love picked apart the Vikings’ defense, but the offense constantly had them in poor positions.
This time, the Vikings bring Sam Darnold and an offense clicking on all cylinders. They should have Jordan Addison back for the offense, and their defense could get infused with Ivan Pace Jr. and Dallas Turner as well. Flores has orchestrated one of the best units in baseball, and the Vikings look legit.
Of course, the Packers aren’t a team to be taken lightly. They were seen as a legitimate competitor in the NFC North division, and they have Super Bowl aspirations as well. They signed Josh Jacobs for a reason, and Love got paid because there is a legitimate belief in his abilities.
Minnesota isn’t just going to waltz into Green Bay and assume the Packers will fall over. They also don’t have to feel like the throttling they took at home in their last meeting has any bearing on how things turn out for them this time.
If nothing else, the game in Lambeau was a much closer representation of what the 2024 team brings to the table.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.