7 things to know about the Vikings and Packers heading into Week 8
By Dustin Baker
What are some stats to know about the Minnesota Vikings matchup with the Green Bay Packers in Week 8?
As owners of just one win this season, the Minnesota Vikings are in an awkward spot for the 2020 campaign. They have too much talent to roll over and die, but they’ve encountered too many injuries and too much ineptitude to make an extended run to the postseason.
For that reason, the Week 8 showdown with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field has a muted degree of excitement. Most rational folks predict the Vikings will be defeated convincingly, sending head coach Mike Zimmer’s bunch to a 1-6 record on the season. This point of the 2020 season is one of the few junctures of the Zimmer era where a football game does not really have any playoff implications. In theory, yes, the Vikings could win 5-7 straight games and be “right back in it,” but that is unlikely to shake down. Minnesota is missing too many defensive players in Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce (and now Cameron Dantzler, Mike Hughes, and Holton Hill for at least a while).
Yet, Vikings fans are devout and shall find reasons to remain enthused. Some might enjoy watching youngsters emerge and win jobs for 2021, some folks just enjoy watching trainwrecks. There could be a little bit of both this Sunday.
As an accompanying manual of sorts, here are seven things to know about the Vikings and Packers heading into their Week 8 matchup.