That, IMO is the key to the win.

If ever there was a game for our offense to come out of the gate rolling - this is it. We need to start fast, keep up the tempo, and put TDs on the board. Based on recent history though, I'm pessimistic this will happen. For someone reason we suck at the start of games and second halves.

Getting up early in the game will allow us to take the crowd out of it. Huge benefit when playing in the Metrodome.

If the Pack enter half time with a considerable lead (at least 2 TDs) then you're looking at a HC in Childress who has shown a propensity to go away from his best player. That must happen - don't just stop Peterson, but make it so the situation detracts from his usual carries. Peterson just seems to get stronger in the second half - best way to stop him is to have situations where All Day's touches are limited.

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I have one key that noone has brought up, We need to win the special teams battle. HArvin is very dangerous on returns and guess what we have been prone to giving up big returns already this year. Crosby has to make all of his kicks.

Beside that people pretty much covered the rest.

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Yup GREAT point

I was going to say Crosby has to nail every FG and xp he gets

Exactly.

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I said this in another thread. AP is the big threat here (or at least he has been for the first few games of the season). When he is neutralized, it will force [strike]Brett the Jet[/strike] ViQueen Favre to take the game on his shoulders. We all know how he gets when he gets the jitters (recall some of the early, pre-96 Cowgirls games down in Dallas). He wants to win this one bad and may put himself in questionable positions to try to make something happen. Then it is up to the awesome secondary to take advantage of those opportunities.

That being said, your other key point was giving A-Rod time. Sure, he has no INTs this year but that is b/c he's been sacked TWELVE TIMES! He is a heckuva QB but any good QB needs time to perform.

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Yes. At this rate, Rodgers will be sacked somewhere around 64 times this season... SAD!

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Keys..


1. Pickett says it well..


2. We absolutely must do two things well to make #1 happen, the outside linebackers must protect the edge well and the interior backers need to flow better in the traffic fray and stay in the running lanes.

I truly hope that Jolly, Jenkins, Pickett and Raji are ready to roll some long stretches this weekend.. they gotta help slow done the blockers from getting on Hawk, Barnett and Chillar, this isn't a group of interior backers that fight off blocks well.

2b. I hope to see a minimum of the 3-5 that we ran last weekend to try and take away the running attack of the Rams.. 5 Backers on the field.. Brett will expose that...

3. Brett likes to work the middle of the field, IMO, you make him throw over the defense to the edges of the field, giving these defensive backs some chances at a couple picks.

4. On Offense, we gotta handle the edges of the pass protection. Shocker I know, but Edwards and Allen can not be allowed to beat us.. force them to send people to get to Rodgers. The Vikings secondary, IMO, isn't the best tackling group.. force them to tackle well.

5. No matter how little the running game is gaining early in the game, we have to make sure that we stay with it and force the defensive line to at least look for the run. If not, it only gives the Ends an advantage against our questionable tackles at this point.

6. Rodgers has taken care of the ball extremely well this season, this will be a close hard fought game, this is even more of a priority this week. Brett will probably give us a couple chances.. we can't give them any.

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IMO, the three keys to this game are:

They are GB's
1. RG.
2. C.
3. LG.

much has been said about the tackles, but this game gets decided inside. If Sitton/Spitz/Colledge or Sitton/Wells/Spitz can find a way to dominate, the Packers will run well and pass well enough. If they don't?

Well, it won't be pretty.

Next most important is how well Adrian Peterson does. But IMO that's a distant fourth.

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If we can get up on them early and take the game out of AP's hands, we have a good chance.
Of course thats a BIG if.

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Exactly, if we are really a WCO offense, then lets act like one. Lets dink and dunk the first half, control the game, then get an opportunity to lean on the defense the second half. I agree completely about Grant, we need to get the passing game going first and see if we can open up the running game as the game wears on.

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