6 reasons why the Vikings will beat the Packers in Week 16
By Adam Patrick
Kendricks can shut down Jones and Williams
It was a bit of a surprise when Eric Kendricks’ name wasn’t among the Vikings selected for this season’s Pro Bowl given the season he’s been having.
This year, Kendricks is leading Minnesota in tackles with 110 and his 12 pass breakups are also the most among any Vikings defender. The young linebacker has really stepped up his play in pass coverage this season and he’s emerged as one of the best at his position in the entire NFL when it comes to defending the pass.
On 57 targets this year, Kendricks has only allowed 56.1 percent of these passes to be completed. His percentage is better than any other Minnesota defender who has been targeted at least 20 times this season.
On Monday, the Vikings will need their linebacker’s pass coverage skills when it comes to shutting down the Packers’ running back duo of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. This year, Jones and Williams have combined to haul in 82 passes for 659 yards and eight touchdowns.
Kendricks will likely be tasked with covering each of these Green Bay running backs at least once on Monday and judging by how the linebacker has performed so far this season, Minnesota should be able to prevent Jones and Williams from gashing them in the passing game.