As we all know, there are a number of former Green Bay Packers players who have ended up in Minnesota playing for the Vikings over the years.
Brett Favre, Ryan Longwell, and Greg Jennings are just a few, but even during this most recent offseason, Chandon Sullivan and Za’Darius Smith would become the latest former members of the Green Bay Packers to end up joining the Vikings.
However, this year, in particular, there is a lot more that these two teams have in common than a few players and wanting to win the NFC North. On both sides of the ball, there is an overlap in philosophies.
New Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell most recently spent time with the Los Angeles Rams as the offensive coordinator under Sean McVay – just as Matt LaFleur did previously as well.
Similarly to the Packers’ offense, we very well could see more pre-snap motion, 11 personnel, and the wide zone running scheme, among other key elements.
O’Connell has even used the same phrase “illusion of complexity” when describing what he wants this Vikings offense to look like. In short, this means running similar plays from a variety of formations while also having plays that begin similarly but end very differently. All of which is utilized to keep opposing defenses off-balanced and guessing.
“There is a lot of carryover in offenses in the NFL these days,” said LaFleur. “I’m certain that Kevin learned a lot from Sean as I did, I know they have a ton of talent on that offense. It’s going to be a great challenge for our defense.”
The Packers, at least on paper, may boast one of the top defenses in the NFL, with no apparent weaknesses from front to back among the starters. However, they will be tested on Sunday against a Vikings offense that is loaded with playmakers, including Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, and a new offensive system that is meant to maximize the play of the quarterback.
As far as the defensive side of the ball goes, new Minnesota defensive coordinator Ed Donatell spent the last three seasons in Denver coaching under Vic Fangio and is implementing a similar style of defense.
Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry has also implemented a version of Fangio’s defense. Prior to joining Green Bay, Barry was the linebackers coach for the Rams and coached under Brandon Staley, who comes from the Fangio coaching tree. It was also clear that during the hiring process, LaFleur wanted this style of defense in Green Bay.
“It’s very similar to our system; there is a lot of carryover there,” LaFleur said on Wednesday. “I’m sure they’ve added their own wrinkles, but definitely from an offensive perspective, it keeps you a little off balance because you’re not sure what to expect in terms of how they’re going to match personnel.”
As of now, we don’t know what the configuration of the Packers’ offensive line will be, but we do know that they will be up against a stout Vikings defensive front. As always, the play in the trenches is crucial. But if the Packers can get the run game going, it will keep this Vikings defensive front from being able to pin their ears back regularly, and it will also give Aaron Rodgers time to attack the Minnesota cornerbacks, a potential weak point on this team.
Throughout the game, the similarities on both sides of the ball may create advantageous moments at various points for each team, given the familiarity between these two and their systems. However, in order to overcome the commonalities, the winner will be determined by which team can execute better as well as adjust the best and the fastest, thus keeping the opponent guessing.
“The tendency is to overanalyze, and I’ve watched a lot of tape from different situations,” said LaFleur. “At the end of the day, you have to think back to some of things that you do well, and ultimately it’s about our players feeling confident in the plan and going out there and executing, whether it’s offense, defense, or special teams, that’s what we have to do. It always comes back to you and how you prepare, and hopefully, you have enough adjustments because there are going to be unescorted looks that come up over the course of Week 1. You have to be ready to adjust.”
