Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players to watch vs. Packers in Week 2
Minnesota Vikings and long-time rivals, the Green Bay Packers, face off in Lambeau Week 2. These three players will be the Vikings keys to victory.
The Minnesota Vikings are heading to Lambeau Field to battle their arch-rivals, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday in Week 2. The Vikings first road game is against an injured Aaron Rodgers, though the start quarterback will play on Sunday with a banged-up knee.
Due to the fiery nature of this 50+ year old rivalry, it’s unsurprising that Rodgers is ready to go. This is a game where guys want to come in and step up big.
With that in mind, here are five Vikings players that will be the keys to Minnesota getting a coveted road win in Lambeau.
CB Mike Hughes
Vikings 2018 first-round pick Mike Hughes (30th overall) showed flashes — most notably with a pick-six — in a successful Week 1 for the rookie. This confidence-boosting play will help move Hughes towards another big game.
He should have lots of opportunities to make plays while Xavier Rhodes shadows Davante Adams. The rookie, replacing the retired Terrance Newman, will trend in the right direction facing receivers not named Jordy Nelson.
FS Harrison Smith
Long-time Vikings stud safety Harrison Smith will prove his value in exploiting Rodgers’ lacking mobility. Smith will roam the defensive backfield, making life more challenging for the Packers offense. Expect him to make one or two monster plays this week.
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RB Dalvin Cook
After a disappointing Week 1, Cook should be able to rebound against an average Packers run defense. He is fresh off the ACL injury that ended his 2017 rookie season, leaving his knee bubble wrapped during the preseason. In Week 1, Cook shared the workload with Latavius Murray. The rust was shaken off and Cook should see an uptick in yards per carry. The bruising back will wear down the Green Bay defense as Kirk Cousins‘ Week 1 performance will open up the box for Cook.