Kirk Cousins is back in Green Bay, and the Vikings are asking him to hit the ground running.
Minnesota heads to Lambeau Field to face a Packers team that has found some rhythm, especially with Jordan Love under center. Love gave the Vikings’ defense more trouble in Week 1 than any quarterback has this season, and the home setting could help Green Bay keep that momentum going.
For the Vikings, that puts the spotlight right on Cousins in his first game back. If Minnesota is going to handle this one, it probably won’t happen with a modest offensive output.
The Vikings will likely need more than their usual 18 points.
The matchup comes with plenty of history behind it. Minnesota is 62-67-3 all-time against Green Bay, with a 28-36-3 road record and a two-game winning streak in the series.
The biggest Vikings win in the rivalry came on September 28, 1986, when they rolled 42-7. Their worst loss came on November 14, 2011, a 45-7 defeat.
And this has often been a tight series: 27 of the last 48 regular-season meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer.
The numbers on offense and defense set up an interesting contrast. Green Bay ranks second in the NFL in passing yards per game at 279.7, while Minnesota is second in fewest passing yards allowed per game at 161.1.
The Packers, though, have been awful on the ground, sitting last in the league at 68.2 rushing yards per game. That is usually the area where the Vikings defense can be vulnerable, but this Green Bay offense is built much more around the pass.
Cousins has handled the Packers well in his career, going 6-4-1 with a 106.7 passer rating. In Minnesota’s wins over Green Bay, he has thrown 14 touchdowns without an interception. In the losses, the numbers flip hard: five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The setup makes this one feel especially charged for Cousins, since his first game back comes against the team on the field where his time in Minnesota ended. Green Bay has a better-than-average defense, and Cousins will have a tough assignment right away.
Still, the expectation here is that Minnesota comes out with energy, fueled by the return of its quarterback. The Vikings have made it clear they believe this defense can carry them into a Super Bowl run, and that push starts Sunday.
The NFC North’s 25-9 record through nine weeks is the best any division has posted since the 2002 realignment, and this game drops right into that bigger picture. But the pick here is simple: the Vikings leave Green Bay with the win.
Vikings 23 - Packers 20
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Vikings Head Into Green Bay With One Injury Concern Getting Bigger
The Vikings are heading into Green Bay with the injury report still carrying real weight, and the concern only grows when you look at who is not taking part. Blake Cashman, T.J. Hockenson, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Jauan Jennings, Kyler Murray and Kyle Van Noy were all listed as non-participants, leaving Minnesota to manage a week that already had a thin margin for error.
The tight end spot remains the clearest pressure point for the offense, especially with Josh Oliver out for the season and no late trade-deadline help arriving to ease the load. Kirk Cousins is expected to start at quarterback, but the Vikings will need the rest of the roster to hold up around him if they are going to navigate a division trip with this many moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Cousins Is Already Reclaiming Control Of The Vikings Offense
Kirk Cousins was back in the middle of things Wednesday, taking part in his first full practice with Minnesota after arriving in a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2027 third-round pick. The scene around him made it clear how quickly he has re-entered the Vikings orbit, from the song the team played in his honor to rookie safety Jakobe Thomas giving up his No. 8 jersey to make room for the veteran quarterback.
Justin Jefferson also noticed the way Cousins has stepped back into the huddle and the meeting room, pointing to his leadership and the way he communicates on and off the field. For a Vikings offense that knows exactly what Cousins can bring, the early signs are less about a reunion and more about how fast he can settle back into the role of organizing everything around him. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fans Just Saw The Concern With J.J. McCarthy Under Pressure
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In the final minute, McCarthy was forced into a series of hurried decisions, and the stress of the moment showed up in the worst possible way. Washingtons increased blitzing helped speed up his process and exposed how much more comfortable he looked when the pocket was cleaner, leaving a late interception to close the door and raise the same old question about how he handles pressure when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]