Which Vikings players need to step up to get a win in Week 1?

Who needs to step up for the Minnesota Vikings to clinch a victory in Week 1?

With the season finally upon us, the Green Bay Packers head into Minneapolis for a Week 1 clash against the rival Minnesota Vikings.

The tension between the two teams can be felt during each day leading up to game time. These two teams despise each other, and the fanbases love to bring the heat to one another.

Everyone has been waiting for this day. Teams have prepped the entire offseason and fans have been chomping at the bit for the first action of professional football.

Who do the Minnesota Vikings need to step on Sunday to get a win?

With the offseason officially in our rearview mirror, let’s take a look into Minnesota’s upcoming matchup against the Packers. Who needs to be the guy that steps up to help ensure a victory for the Vikings over their hated rivals?

Kirk Cousins

Yes, a quarterback usually has to play well for a team to get a victory. But if Kirk Cousins plays similar to how he did in both games against Green Bay last year, Minnesota may be in a world of hurt.

Cousins combined for a measly total of just 352 passing yards against the Packers last season while also throwing a total of two touchdowns and three interceptions. His completion rate was just 47.6 percent and these numbers are not going to win the Vikings any games against a Green Bay team that has a solid secondary and an excellent defensive front.

With Minnesota’s receivers, outside of Adam Thielen, lacking experience, Cousins is going to need to be prepared to work off-script more to allow time for his young receivers like Bisi Johnson and Justin Jefferson to create space and get open.

Cousins will need to have pinpoint accuracy on Sunday and work the middle of the field in the short and intermediate areas of the field to allow for potential deep shots to Thielen.

The Vikings quarterback is going to need to exploit the matchups in his 12 personnel set (one RB, two TEs). Utilizing Kyle Rudolph‘s big frame and large catch radius will be critical against the Packers safeties and linebackers.

Irv Smith Jr. should also be a factor that Cousins needs to use. His speed and route-running ability, combined with his hands, should be a key red-zone asset on Sunday.

Minnesota’s defensive backs

This group looks a lot different than it did last year. The Vikings went from starting former first-round picks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes on the outside in 2019 to starting Mike Hughes and Holton Hill, with rookies Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, and Harrison Hand likely to play some role during the upcoming season.

Minnesota’s new group of cornerbacks are going to need to play a crucial piece in stopping Green Bay’s passing attack.

The Vikings did a good job last year, as they held Aaron Rodgers in check for both games. He failed to top 217 passing yards in both matchups against Minnesota and he only threw two touchdowns and one interception. However, he did complete nearly 65 percent of his pass attempts.

With that being said, the Packers came out on top in both of their games with the Vikings. Minnesota’s defense allowed just 23 and 21 points in both of these contests with a lot of Green Bay’s production coming from their ground attack.

One might say the Vikings’ focus on Sunday needs to be on stopping Aaron Jones and the Packers running game. But with Minnesota’s young secondary, a bet can be made that Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur and his future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers will look to feast on the inexperience of the Vikings’ new cornerback group.