The Packers Will Have To Rely More On Shorter Concepts Against Minnesota

Green Bay Packers The Packers Will Have To Rely More On Shorter Concepts Against Minnesota Photo Credit: Mark Hoffman via Imagn Images By Felipe Reis - November 12, 2026 Look at the numbers Jordan Love faced the last time the Green Bay Packers met the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. He took four sacks and 15 QB hits, along with 25 pressures, the most faced by any quarterback in Week 1. He also faced 10 unblocked pressures, tied for the most in a single game by any quarterback over the previous five seasons. To win in Week 10, Green Bay’s offensive approach will need to look considerably different. Matt LaFleur must find ways to get the ball out of Love’s hands quicker, particularly against a defense that gave him so little time to operate in their first meeting. In Week 1, Love was pressured on 25 of his 46 dropbacks. Flores sent extra rushers on 40 of those dropbacks, blitzing Love on nearly 87% of his attempts. There’s little reason to expect a different approach this Sunday. And with Green Bay ranking 32nd in pass-block win rate , allowing Flores to dictate the terms of the matchup could leave Love taking another beating in the pocket. Through nine weeks, Minnesota’s defense ranks first in EPA per play, success rate, EPA per dropback, and pressure rate . The Vikings have also yet to allow an opposing quarterback to finish a game with a passer rating above 90. “This is one of the top defenses, if not the top defense in the league,” LaFleur said on Wednesday. “They put a lot of pressure on you, and when they do get to the quarterback, they do a great job of getting the ball out.” However, finding ways to get the ball out quicker doesn’t mean the Packers should abandon their downfield passing game. Entering Week 10, Love ranks second among all NFL quarterbacks in average depth of target ( ADOT ), which measures how far, on average, his passes travel downfield beyond the line of scrimmage. Attacking downfield is an important part of what makes Green Bay’s offense efficient , but LaFleur will need to be more selective about when he asks Love to hold the ball and wait for Matthew Golden and Christian Watson to get open. That also means giving Love easier opportunities to punish Minnesota’s aggressive playstyle. That’s something LaFleur didn’t do nearly enough in their first meeting. For example, the Packers didn’t call a single screen pass against Minnesota. That’s a particularly useful play against an aggressive defense like the Vikings because it takes advantage of the extra defenders rushing the quarterback and the space they leave behind. There are a few other wrinkles Green Bay could use to make Minnesota’s defense uncomfortable. According to Sumer Sports, the Packers have used 12- and 13-personnel at the ninth-highest rate in the NFL this season. Those formations put more tight ends on the field, giving LaFleur more options to keep players in protection and help Love handle Minnesota’s aggressive pass rush. There’s another interesting matchup to exploit. The Vikings play light boxes on just 22% of their defensive snaps, the lowest rate in the NFL by a considerable margin. The Arizona Cardinals rank second, at more than 10 percentage points higher. Green Bay could use more tempo to take advantage of that, making it harder for Flores to substitute players and forcing Minnesota to keep its heavier personnel on the field. With more tight ends on the field, the Packers would also have extra blockers available to help protect Love against the blitz. Meanwhile, Minnesota could have fewer defensive backs on the field, giving Golden and Watson more opportunities to use their speed against a less favorable coverage matchup. Therefore, Love should have enough time to work through his reads. Sunday’s matchup should be a chess match between two of the NFC’s top five teams. According to The Athletic ‘s playoff simulator , a win over Minnesota would push Green Bay’s postseason chances to roughly 77%. A loss, however, would drop those odds to 46%. Felipe Reis Felipe Reis covers the Green Bay Packers for Zone Coverage and CheeseheadTV. He has a Journalism degree from Estácio in Brazil and shares his Packers analysis on Twitter at @Aceti_Felipe. He lives in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. All Articles