Packers 26, Vikings 23 — Staff, Bleacher Report
For starters, the Minnesota Vikings have a new coaching staff led by Kevin O’Connell, who may push the tempo offensively. They’ll face a Green Bay Packers team that must adjust without two-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, whom the club traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in March.
Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have an elite perimeter playmaker, but Head Coach Matt LaFleur could transform his offense into a ground-heavy attack, which doesn’t bode well for a Vikings defense that ranked 26th against the run in 2021. He called running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon 1A and 1A in the backfield.
Sure, Za’Darius Smith can rush the passer, but the Vikings may need more than the addition of nose tackle Harrison Phillips to stop Jones and Dillon.
Packers 28, Vikings 22 — Bill Bender, Sporting News
This is a tough one to pick. Aaron Rodgers has an unproven group of receivers at U.S. Bank Stadium, which is one of the tougher venues. The Vikings have a new coach in Kevin O’Connell, and Kirk Cousins will be aggressive with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. The Packers are 2-4 in their past six trips to Minnesota. This won’t be easy, but we’ll trust Rodgers to be better than last year’s Week 1 disaster.
Vikings 24, Packers 20 — Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News