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The Green Bay Packers were penciled in by many as the favorites to win the NFC North after Aaron Rodgers announced his return. That left the Packers' most competitive rival in the division, the Minnesota Vikings, as the forgotten team.
However, NFL analyst Kyle Brandt believes that the Vikings could be just as good as the Packers, if not better. On Tuesday's episode of "Good Morning Football," Brandt hyped up the Vikings as a legitimate threat to Green Bay. Minnesota have interestingly won six of their last 12 games against the Packers.
Brandt said:
“The last seven years; not the last three, the last seven years. Aaron Rodgers has played against the Minnesota Vikings 12 times. Started and finished the game 12 times. How many times do you think he’s won? Six. Six times, .500%. Right down the middle. That's it.”
He added:
“During that time, the Vikings have won in Lambeau. Kirk Cousins has won in Lambeau. He’s also tied in Lambeau. They beat the Packers pretty much every year, including last year and the year before. Do not confuse the sins of the Bears and Lions with those of the Vikings. This is a real back and forth here.”
Kirk Cousins' success against Rodgers in the last 12 games isn't something that should go unnoticed. Cousins often gets slack for being 59-59-2 in his career starts, but metrics and stats show he's a better quarterback than that.
Brandt also cautioned against the lack of a lethal wide receiver after Green Bay traded Davante Adams, leaving them vulnerable in that position. He stated:
“And now the Vikings have eight draft picks, including the number 12 pick. They have a sparkly new whiz kid at head coach. They have Za’Darius Smith from the Packers. And the Packers are showing up with who I'm calling Mr. X receiver. I don't know who that is.”
Brandt went on to say:
“Could be a first-round pick. Could be a third-round pick. Could be Jarvis Landry. We don't know what they're coming to the party. And here comes Dalvin Cook, running through the Lambo Meadows like he owns the place.”
Brandt continued by stating that while Rodgers may be the reigning back-to-back league MVP, he hasn't always been his sharpest against the Vikings. He said:
“Don't think that as much as Rodgers as dominant, and as much as he wins MVPs, he doesn't win those MVPs against the Vikings every year, all right, he does not. So Minnesota, I think, gets filed into everybody who just bows down to Rodgers, and the rest of those teams should. The Vikings do not.”
As Brandt suggests, the Vikings have not struggled too much against Rodgers in recent seasons. They've always shown up and have handled the big-game atmosphere well.
Brandt also believes the Vikings will be a better team this year. That's why he doesn't see them being scared of having to face Rodgers like the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions may be in the NFC North. He concluded by saying:
“And I think the Vikings will be better this year. And I'm still waiting to see why the Packers will be better this year than last year other than just ‘Rodgers, Rodgers, Rodgers.’ I get it. The Vikings aren’t afraid of Rogers. They're not, and they shouldn't be.”
Vikings will look to dethrone the Packers from atop the NFC North in 2022
The Vikings may not be afraid to face Rodgers, as Brandt suggested. But that doesn't mean they may not have privately hoped the four-time MVP would retire during the offseason amidst speculation over his future.
In fact, Cousins admitted on the Pat McAfee Show that Rodgers calling it quits would've made their road to winning the division less challenging. When asked if he hoped Rodgers would retire, the Vikings quarterback said:
"I always want the neighbourhood to be as friendly as possible and as long as he's (Rodgers) at the end of the cul-de-sac, the neighbourhood is gonna be challenging."
Regardless of Rodgers' and Green Bay's decisions this offseason, they remain the team the Vikings will look to dethrone. With superstars Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and a new coaching regime lading the way, the Vikings are a sleeper pick to advance far into the NFC playoffs.
