PLAYER NOTES
–LB Anthony Barr told reporters on Monday that he planned to play Sunday against Green Bay after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury. Barr was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, further proving the progress Barr has made.
–LB Ben Gedeon was held out of Wednesday’s practice as he deals with a concussion. Gedeon is Minnesota’s starter in its base 4-3 alignment.
–TE David Morgan didn’t practice on Wednesday. Morgan has been held out of practice since injuring his knee in Week 9 against Detroit.
–S Andrew Sendejo was still out when Minnesota returned to practice on Wednesday. Sendejo has missed five games with a groin injury. Anthony Harris has started the past three games in place of Sendejo.
–DE Stephen Weatherly didn’t practice on Wednesday, but the absence was not injury related, according to the team’s injury report. Weatherly was also listed with a shoulder injury.
–WR Adam Thielen was limited in Minnesota’s practice on Wednesday. Thielen has been listed with calf and lowER back injuries. Thielen was limited all last week but played in Sunday’s loss to Chicago.
–WR Chad Beebe was limited with a hamstring injury as Minnesota practiced on Wednesday. Beebe was listed on the injury report last week with an abdominal injury.
–LG Tom Compton was limited in Wednesday’s practice for Minnesota with a knee injury. The injury, which has caused the starter to miss two games, caused Compton to tell the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he had to pull himself out of last week’s game. Danny Isidora, who is listed as a full participant with a knee injury, has filled in for Compton when needed.
–RG Mike Remmers was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice for Minnesota with a lowER back injury. He was limited last week as well but played in the game.
–DE Everson Griffen was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. Griffen is listed with a toe injury.
–CB Xavier Rhodes practiced in full on Wednesday as he plays through a foot injury.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: QB Kirk Cousins. Can there be anyone else? Which Kirk shows up? There’s the Cousins who threw two interceptions in last week’s prime-time divisional matchup and has four interceptions the past three weeks. There’s also the Cousins that pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback against Green Bay in the first meeting when he threw for season highs of 425 yards and four touchdowns. It’s difficult being asked to match up with Aaron Rodgers but that’s what comes with Cousins’ three-year, $84 million contract to be Minnesota’s franchise quarterback in the NFC North. Cousins carried the Vikings in the last meeting. Can he do it again and will he be needed to do so at home in another prime-time divisional game?
GAME PLAN: Green Bay should look different than the first meeting with Aaron Rodgers healed from injury and back to his mobile self, as well as running back Aaron Jones becoming a weapon on the ground. Minnesota will, of course, look to stop the run first as it preaches each week. Under head coach Mike Zimmer, the Vikings have done better in slowing Rodgers in the pass game. Rodgers owns a career 103.7 passer rating that rises to 110.7 in 20 matchups with Minnesota. But Rodgers has a single-game passer rating under 100 in five of the past six games with the Vikings. Minnesota has won four of those games.
On the offensive side, the Vikings want to get more out of their running game and, if possible, on screen passes to running backs. Zimmer has preached often the past two weeks of the need to run more. Cousins and the passing game has been a success, but Minnesota wants a more well-rounded approach and Green Bay is 26th in the league in run defense, giving up 126.1 yards per game.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes vs. Packers WR Davante Adams. Rhodes’ shadowing responsibility has led him to Adams, now Green Bay’s top target in the passing game. Adams is quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ first option many times and he’s fifth in the league in being targeted at 10.6 times per game. Rhodes has shadowed a few receivers in his career against the Packers and now it’s Rhodes against Adams. The two matched up in Week 2 with Adams catching eight passes for 64 yards and a touchdown.
–Vikings LT Riley Reiff vs. Packers LB Kyler Fackrell. You might be wondering who? This isn’t Clay Matthews, Nick Perry or even defensive linemen Mike Daniels or Kenny Clark. Fackrell has become someone Minnesota needs to account for along the line. The third-year linebacker leads Green Bay with eight sacks. Fackrell had three sacks last week against Seattle and added six tackles, four for loss. The Packers will alternate sides at times with Fackrell and Matthews, but Fackrell did much of his damage last week rushing from the right side of the defense. Reiff will draw the assignment on that side, Cousins’ blind side. Reiff had a tough time against Chicago’s Khalil Mack last week. Pro Football Focus said Reiff allowed six pressures on 54 pass blocking snaps.
