Packers @ Vikings Preview - Pack stays on road, hopes to get back on track against Vikings

Coming off an emotional loss to the Tennessee Titans in overtime last weekend, the Packers immediately have to re-focus as they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. The Packers are aware of where they’re going and the challenges involved with playing in the Metrodome, particularly the high level of crowd noise. It is well-known among NFL players how difficult it is to play inside of the Metrodome, and it was important for the Packers to be able to replicate that environment heading into this week.

"It's hard to coach," Coach Mike McCarthy said about preparing his players for the Metrodome. "Frankly, the Hutson Center (the Packers' indoor practice facility) is really--from a surface and being inside--is a really good training ground, in my experience, for going up to the Metrodome. It's a very similar environment..."

One distinguishable source of noise in the Metrodome is the Viking horn that is sounded repeatedly throughout the game when the Vikings make a positive play. Do the players think highly of it?

“I hate the horn!” All Harris said on Wednesday. “You can hear that thing after the game, while you’re on the plane, you hear the horn.”

But the Packers will have more than crowd noise to worry about this week. They also need to worry about Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. While Peterson isn’t putting on the same kind of show that put him on pace for over 2,000 yards rushing at this time last year, he still has the potential to take over a game. He has four 100-yard efforts this year, including a 139-yard day against the Texans last weekend. In order for the Packers to control the game clock as they have for much of this year, they will need to stop Adrian Peterson.

But the Packers cannot focus all of their attention on the run game. They must also be able to stop a Vikings offense that has moved the ball efficiently through the air, led by the surprisingly strong play of quarterback Gus Frerote. Since taking over the starting quarterback job, Frerotte has led the Vikings to a 4-2 mark, throwing for eight touchdowns along the way. His favorite target is deep threat Bernard Berrian, who has racked up 583 yards receiving and four touchdowns in Frerotte’s six starts.

“There's a commitment to a vertical game more than I recall in the past,” McCarthy said about the team he is 5-0 against. “I think they've advanced their scheme a little bit, and they're more productive this time going into this game prior to the other contests that we've played in the past.”

Frerotte does also, however, have eight interceptions, a downfall that the Packers will look to take advantage of after their first game without a takeaway all year. They will have one of their healthiest defensive lineups of the year, with only one starter, Charles Woodson (Probable), listed on the injury report. Woodson has been there basically all year with a broken toe.

On the offensive side of the football, Aaron Rodgers looks to recover from what he described as his poorest performance as a starter. Rodger eclipsed 300 yards passing for the third time this year, but two costly turnovers contributed to the heart-breaking loss in Tennessee.

“I think we need to continue to limit our turnovers on offense, convert third downs and convert in the red zone, which are three things we didn’t do last week,” Rodgers said of the Packers’ downfalls against the Titans. “The defense did a great job and gave us an opportunity to win the game, but those are three key areas where, in the second half (of the season), we need to be really good, and if we do I think we’ll win a lot of games.”

In order to win a lot of games, the Packers need to continue to run the ball. Ryan Grant has surpassed 80 yards rushing in each of his last four games, including a 100-yard effort against Indianapolis. His yards per carry is lower than expected at about 3.5, but the commitment to the run has allowed the Packers to keep opposing defenses honest and given them opportunities to move the ball down the field. As Rodgers said, if the Packers convert more opportunities in the red zone, they should have an opportunity to win this game handily.

This is an important game for the Packers, and they need to walk away with a win. The Packers are currently tied with the Vikings and one game back of the Bears in the division. A victory would essentially put the Packers two games up on the Vikings (owning the tie-breaker with a season sweep), and with two games against the Bears left on the schedule, it would also keep their playoff fate in their own hands regardless of what the Bears do on Sunday.