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Minnesota offense vs. Green Bay defense
Although the Vikings gained only 34 yards rushing last week in their loss to the Raiders, the Minnesota coaching staff does not feel that they lacked the ability to run the ball. The team's offense self-destructed last week, especially in the red zone, which forced the Vikes into passing situations when they fell behind. Although Minnesota's offensive line is not playing at the level it did a year ago, this is still one of the most talented groups in the league.

	VIKINGS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	26
	Pass	6
	Tot. Yds.	14
	Scoring	18
	Int's allowed	18
	Sacks allowed	9
	PACKERS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	20
	vs. Pass	15
	Total yds. allowed	16
	Ints.	11
	Sacks	6
	Turnover differential	-4

Green Bay's run defense was solid last week against Detroit, but it's hard to judge how effective they were, because the Lions were playing with a fourth-string right tackle and a third-string left guard. Look for the Vikings to spread the field with their three-receiver sets and run plenty of draws and sweeps with speedy tailback Robert Smith. The key to Minnesota's run game is the athleticism of center Jeff Christy, who often is asked to lead upfield on sweeps and reach outside linebackers on traps.

Packers outside linebacker Brian Williams has played the most impressive back-to-back games of his career over the past two weeks. Williams must continue playing strong at the point of attack if the Packers are to duplicate the success they had against Smith last season. In the teams' two meetings in '98, Smith carried the ball 38 times for only 105 yards (2.7 avg.).

The Packers were embarrassed by the Vikings' passing game a year ago, as quarterback Randall Cunningham averaged 353 yards passing and four TD tosses in two games. The Vikings made it look easy, running simple "go" routes to wide receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter all game long. In the offseason, the Packers entirely reloaded their secondary in order to match up with Minnesota's explosive trio of Moss, Carter, and Jake Reed.

Rookie left cornerback Mike McKenzie, who replaced the departed Craig Newsome in the secondary, has looked spectacular at times, but he still makes too many "rookie" mistakes. Last week in Detroit, McKenzie was caught off balance when covering the motion man (Johnnie Morton) in the slot and subsequently was burned for a 45-yard score. The Vikings use plenty of motion, especially with Carter, so look for McKenzie to be tested again. In his defense, McKenzie made two spectacular pass breakups in the end zone that kept his team in the game.

It will be imperative for the Packers to put consistent pressure on Cunningham, so that he doesn't have time to hold the ball and wait for his receivers to get down field. An interesting matchup to keep an eye on is right tackle Korey Stringer against the rotation of left defensive ends Vaughn Booker and Keith McKenzie. The Packers' platoon duo registered three sacks last week, but Stringer is a much better athlete than either of Detroit's right tackles (Juan Roque or Barrett Brooks).

Green Bay offense vs. Minnesota defense
After quarterback Brett Favre's heroics in the season opener, his play last week proved that he is human. Favre's injured thumb was only part of the reason he completed less than 50 percent of his passes for only the fifth time in 127 games as a Packer. Favre will participate in practice this week -- something he did not do last week -- and should rebound with a better performance.

	PACKERS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	11
	Pass	3
	Tot. Yds.	2
	Scoring	12
	Int's allowed	7
	Sacks allowed	15
	VIKINGS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	22
	vs. Pass	23
	Total yds. allowed	25
	Ints.	30
	Sacks	19
	Turnover differential	0

The Packers offensive line did a tremendous job of protecting Favre last week, allowing just one sack and three knockdowns on 42 passing downs. The Packers will be without the services of Pro Bowl tight end Mark Chmura on Sunday, which will force backups Tyrone Davis and Jeff Thomason into more meaningful roles. Though neither is the complete package that Chmura is, the combination of Davis and Thomason should get the job done.

The Vikings have always done an excellent job of getting in Favre's face with plenty of blitzes. Defensive tackle John Randle and the rest of Minnesota's front four was held without a sack last week against the Raiders, so look for plenty of stunts and twists in order to get to Favre.

Wide receiver Antonio Freeman played with an extreme case of the flu last week and was thus not his normal self (six receptions for 85 yards). No. 2 receiver Bill Schroeder caught four passes for a team-high 87 yards receiving, but an untimely drop on a 50-yard bomb cost the Packers a touchdown.

After falling behind the Raiders a week ago, the Vikings defense was unable to stop Tyrone Wheatley from running out the clock. Aside from forcing a Wheatley fumble, Minnesota's front four looked sluggish and was simply being pushed around at the point of attack. Defensive coordinator Foge Fazio needs a better effort up front this week if his team stands a chance of containing Packers workhorse Dorsey Levens, who rushed for 153 yards on 29 carries last week.

Minnesota gave up 162 yards on the ground last week, but that statistic is somewhat deceiving because 48 of those yards were by Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon, who broke containment and ran much more than Favre will Sunday.

The key to last week's Green Bay ground success was the lead blocking of fullback William Henderson. Henderson was more aggressive last Sunday than at any time last season and must have another big day against Minnesota middle linebacker Ed McDaniel. Henderson has a definitive size advantage over McDaniel, which means the All-Pro linebacker must play with good leverage and beat Henderson to the hole.

Special teams
The Packers signed punter Luis Aguiar last week to provide more consistency, but he showed the ill effects of having a week off after being cut by the Chiefs. Aguiar doesn't have the boom in his leg that he once did, but he should be more consistent and accurate this week.

	NFL RANK
	Category	MIN	GB
	Punt return avg.	22	10
	Kickoff return avg.	4	29
	Opp. punt return avg.	24	16
	Opp. kickoff ret. avg.	11	29
	Time of possession	17	11

One of the premier matchups in this game will be between Minnesota return specialist David Palmer and Green Bay return specialist Desmond Howard. While neither player has made an impact this season, both players are capable of stealing center stage from players like Moss and Favre.

Green Bay's coverage teams look vulnerable on kickoffs. The key to Detroit's 91-yard kickoff return last week was the execution by the Lions' wedge. If Minnesota can keep its wedge tight Sunday, Palmer should have a chance for a big day.

The kicking game is a major concern for the Vikings. Minnesota kicker Gary Anderson is only 2-for-6 on field goal attempts this season, and both games have been played in domes. Green Bay's Ryan Longwell (2-for-2) has the clear advantage this week in Lambeau.

Key matchups