5 Packers players the Vikings should worry about in Week 1

Aaron Jones – RB

One of the biggest concerns about the Vikings defense this upcoming season will be their ability to stop the run.

Minnesota cut Linval Joseph this year and his replacement, Michael Pierce, decided to opt-out of the season due to health reasons. This unfortunate chain of events led to the team bumping Shamar Stephen over to nose tackle, with a rotation likely in place at the three-technique position.

Stephen was once seen as an above-average run stuffer, but last year struggled mightily. If he gets pushed around as easily as he did last year, Packers running back Aaron Jones will have a huge afternoon on Sunday.

The Vikings linebackers probably won’t have clean looks into the backfield and they could struggle to get off of blocks. This will create huge lanes for the explosive Jones to burst through and he could be among the league leaders in rushing after Week 1.

Hopefully, Minnesota will keep a short leash on Stephen. If he struggles early, maybe they’ll rotate Armon Watts in at nose tackle for a few series.

Watts did show plenty of ability as a run-stuffer in his brief time as a rookie in 2019. He has a knack for fighting through blocks, while keeping contain on his way to the ball carrier. He’s the team’s best bet if Stephen can’t anchor against Green Bay’s rushing attack.

While the run defense is a concern, if Stephen reverts to his 2017 form, the Vikings should be fine in this regard. But we won’t know this until the game kicks off on Sunday.