5 Vikings players to watch vs. the Packers in Week 16

Danielle Hunter – DE

Danielle Hunter got some much-deserved props and was named to the Pro Bowl this week. It’s nice that this beast of a defensive end is getting some league-wide recognition for his play and man, has his play been great lately.

Hunter has had five sacks and two forced fumbles in his last three games. He sparked the defensive performance that shut the Detroit Lions down in Week 14 and forced the fumble that turned last week’s game against the Chargers into a blowout.

Hunter’s strip-sack of Los Angeles quarterback Philip Rivers led to a defensive touchdown by Minnesota after defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo picked up the ball and ran it into the end zone. That play caused the Chargers to implode and the Vikings went on to earn a 39-10 victory.

Hunter is going to need to stay on fire against the Packers as they have a couple of excellent offensive tackles in Bryan Bulaga and David Bakhtiari. These guys can shut down the best pass rushers in the NFL and they are even able to get away with very blatant holds.

Hunter will need to be aware of this and continue to fight to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers. If the Vikings can make Rodgers uncomfortable in the pocket and cause him to rush throws, that will be huge.

When the Green Bay quarterback starts missing throws, he begins getting frustrated and his play usually begins to decline. If Minnesota is going to win on Monday, Hunter is going to need to be in Rodgers’ face every single time he drops back.