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The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most notable overachievers as they prepare for their Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers. They are one of the five undefeated teams through the first three weeks of the season, and based on the quality of their opponents and their margin of victory, an argument can be made that the Vikings are the most impressive team in the NFL at this point. Ahead of the Vikings-Packers game, we’ll be making our Vikings Week 4 predictions.
While their opening victory on the road over the New York Giants was predictable, they followed with significant victories over the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans. The 49ers are clear favorites to get back to the Super Bowl as the NFC's representative, while the Texans are viewed as major challengers to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
They dominated the Giants 28-6 and they overpowered the Texans by a 34-7 margin. Minnesota' 23-17 win over the Niners has been their closest game of the year.
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While a great start is certainly a positive for head coach Kevin O'Connell's team, it does not guarantee a brilliant season is at hand. The longer they play well and continue to win, the greater the target on their backs will be.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold will throw 2 touchdown passes against the Packers
The Vikings face their primary rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in Week 4. The game is at Lambeau Field and the Packers are 2.5-point favorites. This is the first divisional game for both teams, and it could set the tone for the rest of the season for both teams. The Packers have a 2-1 record and are not going to be intimidated by a team with Sam Darnold at quarterback despite his great start.
This is a game that could go down to the wire and could be one of the most exciting games of the first month of the season.
Darnold has been one of the top stories for the Vikings this season. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell made the decision to let veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins walk in free agency. They signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract and they also drafted J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the first round.
It was widely assumed that Darnold was a placeholder at the QB1 position until McCarthy proved ready to take over as the team's starting quarterback. However, McCarthy suffered a meniscus tear in the first preseason game, and the position clearly belonged to Darnold.
He has developed an excellent rapport with O'Connell, and Darnold has looked like an elite quarterback at this point. He is completing 67.9 percent of his passes with an 8-2 touchdown to interception ratio. One of those scoring passes was a 97-yarder to Justin Jefferson in Week 2 against San Francisco.
Prior to signing with the Vikings, Darnold had played for three other teams in seven seasons. While he had occasional decent performances, he was not able to string good games together. That has changed in the early part of 2024.
Aaron Jones will punish his old employers with 80 yards and a touchdown
When the Vikings signed Darnold in the offseason, it was an expected move once Cousins left. It was known that O'Connell wanted to see improvement from the running game, but there was little reason to think that the Vikings would successfully entice Jones to move from Green Bay to Minnesota.
When the Packers wanted Jones to take a team-friendly contract and the running back balked, the Vikings swooped in and signed Jones as their No. 1 ball carrier.
So far, Jones has been a big hit for the Vikings, and he will want to have a statement game against his former employers. Thus far this season, Jones has carried the ball 42 times for 228 yards with a robust 5.4 yards per carry average. He has scored one rushing touchdown and he has also caught 12 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Jones enjoyed his time in Green Bay, but now he is playing for their top rivals. He would like to deliver a powerful game for his new team and send a message to the Green Bay at the same time.
The running back knows he does not have to carry the Vikings, because Jefferson and fellow wideout Jordan Addison should be in a position to cause quite a bit of damage themselves. The Vikings offense — both the ground attack and the passing game — should be in excellent shape for this game.
Vikings defense will register 3 more sacks
The Vikings rank second in the league in points allowed. They are giving up just 10.0 points per game which ranks right behind the Pittsburgh Steelers who allow 8.7 per outing.
The Vikings lead the league in sacks with 16.0 through the first three games. Pat Jones II has stepped up this season with 4.0 sacks and newcomer Jonathan Greenard also has 4.0 QB traps.
Minnesota has been able to put a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and Jones, Greenard, Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel should be able to pressure either Malik Willis or Jordan Love.
The Vikings have improved quite a bit on the defensive side of the ball, and it is their ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks that stands out as they prepare to play the Packers.
