5 keys to victory: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers in week 16
By Adam Carlson
#3. Run the football
Another week of keys to victory means another week of beating the dead horse that we call the Minnesota Vikings running game. It has actually become more of a joke than a concern over the weeks, which is never good.
There were hopes that the return of Adrian Peterson could be the spark the team needed to finally get the ground game going, but that was just a pipe dream. When Adrian was in the game, he was just as ineffective behind the Vikings offensive line as the other running backs.
Now, for even more bad news. The Packers only allow an average of 4 yards per carry, which is the 11th best in the NFL. They average giving up 96.1 yards per game on the ground, but it would be surprising to see the team reach that mark.
Instead, the team may need to rely on the running game to help control the tempo of the game and pick up first downs. Without that contribution, moving the ball efficiently will be a major challenge for the team.