For the Packers, Week 1 brings a Vikings team that looks different on the surface but still feels familiar underneath.
Minnesota has gone through another quarterback reset, and that part of the story hardly needs much explanation at this point. Since Kevin O’Connell arrived, the position has been in constant motion.
The latest name in the mix is Kyler Murray, who gives the Vikings a better chance than J.J. McCarthy, Max Brosmer, and the mess they got from the position a year ago.
But a big leap from there to “explosive offense” just isn’t supported by what this team has actually done.
That’s true even with Justin Jefferson doing Justin Jefferson things. Going back to the 2022 season, the Vikings’ offenses have finished 29th, 15th, 23rd, and 20th in DVOA.
Even in 2024, when Sam Darnold revived his career, Minnesota still landed in the middle of the pack. Murray’s own numbers don’t exactly scream breakout either; in that same span, he ranks 25th in EPA/play, just ahead of Mason Rudolph.
So yes, Murray should be an upgrade over what Minnesota rolled out last year. No, that doesn’t mean the Vikings are suddenly built to light up the scoreboard. If anything, an ordinary offense might be enough when paired with the defense Brian Flores keeps squeezing for every last drop.
Flores remains the real engine here. Minnesota’s defensive DVOA ranks under his watch have been 3rd, 2nd, 11th, and 24th through 2022, and he’s done it without an elite player at every level of the unit.
Harrison Smith is still around, even if he hasn’t been in his prime for half a decade. He’s still smart and still dangerous, which counts for plenty.
The front, though, has taken hits. Jonathan Greenard is now in Philadelphia after an offseason trade, and the team also let Jonathan Allen and new Packers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave walk.
That leaves the Vikings depending on two rookies and a collection of younger, unproven players to help patch things together up front. Byron Murphy is still a key piece in the secondary, but beyond him there are real questions at corner.
Flores has been able to paper over a lot of those issues by disguising coverage and blitzing more aggressively than anyone else in the league. The Packers have seen versions of that before.
Jordan Love was the NFL’s best quarterback against the blitz last season, and he did it behind a below-average offensive line. When Minnesota leaned more heavily on man coverage in the second meeting last year, it caught Green Bay off guard.
But the matchup looks different now. In 2025, the Packers were one of the league’s best offenses against man coverage, and Tucker Kraft was one of the best players in the NFL against man last season before he got hurt.
That’s the push and pull heading into Week 1: the Vikings’ identity is still there, Flores is still pulling the strings, and the Packers are better equipped to answer it than they were a year ago.
In Other News...
Brett Favre Controversy Just Put His Packers Legacy Back In Focus
Terrell Owens reopened an old wound around Brett Favre this week by repeating his accusation that the former Packers quarterback misappropriated welfare funds in Mississippi. The comments landed hard because they came as Favres name was already back in the public conversation, this time with the former MVP framed against the recent arrest of Daejon Love in a separate scam case.
Favre has denied wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged in connection with the welfare fund allegations, but the renewed attention again puts his Green Bay legacy under a harsh light. It also comes at a difficult personal moment for Favre, who revealed in 2024 that he has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and is actively fighting the condition, leaving the Hall of Fame career and the off-field controversy intertwined once more. [Read more 🡒]
Brett Favres Latest Video Has Packers Fans Worried Again
Brett Favre has been back in the public eye in recent months since revealing his Parkinsons disease diagnosis in 2024, and his latest appearance was aimed at helping promote a Packers event in Mexico City. The Hall of Fame quarterback posted a video inviting fans to the gathering, giving Green Bay supporters another chance to see the player who defined so much of the franchises modern era.
But the reaction to the clip quickly shifted from nostalgia to concern, as many fans noticed changes in Favres appearance and speech. He has already explained that his symptoms have centered more on rigidity and stiffness than tremors, and he continues to pursue treatment options, but the video served as another reminder that Packers fans are watching his health closely. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Face A Week 1 Line Problem They Still Havent Solved
The Packers are still trying to sort out the front of their offense as they head into their 2026 opener against the Vikings, with injuries to Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bewele complicating the picture. Building continuity along the offensive line is always one of the first real tests of a new season, and Matt LaFleur acknowledged the challenge while the team tries to settle the group ahead of Week 1.
Green Bay also confirmed its leadership structure for the year, naming five season-long captains as camp and the opener approach. And while the roster picture is still shifting, the Packers added Lenny Krieg and Scott Daly to the practice squad, giving them a little more depth as they keep working through the issues up front. [Read more 🡒]