Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is trying to lull the Green Bay Packers defense to sleep.
The Vikings offense has been among the most potent in the NFL in recent weeks, particularly through the air, as Darnold has tossed just 1 interception over his past six games — all of which Minnesota has won.
Now, with a record of 13-2 and hosting Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, December 29, Darnold is doing everything he can not to rile up a Packers defense that is ravaged by injury and unlikely to enter the Week 17 matchup anywhere near full strength.
Reporters on Thursday asked Darnold for his thoughts on Green Bay’s defensive unit, and the quarterback did his best to be blunt while also remaining respectful.
“They’re pretty much good everywhere,” he said.
Top Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Doubtful Against Vikings
GettyGreen Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is unlikely to play against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 due to lingering injury issues.
While that respectful summation of Green Bay’s defensive unit may be true when the team is healthy, several important players across multiple levels of the defense are far from it with just three days remaining until a rivalry game of significant consequence.
Multiple-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander will “probably not” suit up for the Packers on Sunday, according to head coach Matt LaFleur.
That doesn’t bode well for a Packers secondary that Darold will seek to attack with star wide receiver tandem Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
“On top of Alexanders’ status, the fact that Keisean Nixon has been playing in the slot recently could force two backups — Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes — into starting outside cornerback roles against the Minnesota Vikings,” Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co. wrote Thursday.
Safeties Javon Bullard and Evan Williams are also battling injuries, with Bullard limited all week and Williams sidelined for every practice through Thursday, according to Green Bay’s injury report.
Quay Walker also sat out every practice this week, while fellow linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper missed Wednesday’s session and was limited Thursday.
Vikings Offense, Sam Darnold Playing Best Football as Regular Season Winds Down
GettyQuarterback Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings will try to best the Green Bay Packers for the second time this season in Week 17.
Green Bay’s secondary/defense has been elite at creating turnovers this season, with 15 interceptions recorded in 15 games played. However, the group also ranks 20th with 3,434 yards surrendered through the air across that same span.
Darnold has been gettable — to a degree — when it comes to turnovers, with 11 interceptions to his name on the season. However, he has also thrown for 3,776 yards and 32 TDs while completing more than 67% of his pass attempts along the way.
Darnold’s mastery of head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system has been such since a 3-INT game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 3 that it is difficult to see such a banged up Packers defense give Darnold a truly hard time in a must-win game on the Vikings home field.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Sam Darnold Sends Blunt Message to Banged Up Packers Defense appeared first on Heavy Sports.