STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
NFL Team Report - Green Bay Packers</h2><br>PLAYER NOTES<p></p> --CB Kevin King, who has missed the last two-and-a-half games with a hamstring injury, hopes to be back in the lineup. "I feel good," he said. "With soft-tissue stuff, you might wake up one day and feel 100 percent better. I've definitely had a few of those days. A few more and I'll be healthy." He did not practice on Wednesday.<p></p> --TE Jimmy Graham missed the second half of last week's game at Seattle after breaking his thumb while blocking safety Bradley McDougald by the helmet. "I know he intends to try to go. That's his intention," head coach Mike McCarthy said. He did not practice on Wednesday.<p></p> --DT Mike Daniels will be out for a "couple weeks" with a foot injury. That will mean another heavy workload for third-year standout Kenny Clark and more playing time for Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams and undrafted rookie Tyler Lancaster. The Packers figure to add another defensive lineman before Sunday, perhaps seventh-round pick James Looney, who is on the practice squad.<p></p> --WR Randall Cobb, who has missed five of the last seven games with a hamstring injury, was limited participation on Wednesday. "I've never had hamstring issues like this," he said. "I've done everything that I've been asked to do. I brought in (a physical therapist) that I work with in the offseason. I'm doing everything I can to get back on the field. But at the end of the day, I've got to be able to go out and play and be confident and be able to be myself. If I'm not myself then I'm hurting this team."<p></p> PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: With Jimmy Graham's broken finger, the door might be open for first-year TE Robert Tonyan to get more playing time. Tonyan had one of the big plays of last week's loss at Seattle, a 54-yard touchdown reception from Aaron Rodgers. With Graham's injury and the offense's general struggles, Tonyan's combination of size (6-foot-5) and speed (4.58 in the 40) could be an asset. "The big touchdown from Aaron Rodgers is a great first catch, definitely," said Tonyan, who started three games at quarterback as a freshman at Indiana State. "I just have to keep putting my head down, keep working and keep listening to the guys ahead of me because they do it best. I'm just ready to keep on learning and keep on succeeding."<p></p> GAME PLAN: Green Bay's surprising mediocrity on offense stems from its inconsistent play in the red zone and on third down. The Packers enter this week ranked 19th on third down (38.4 percent conversion rate) and 14th in the red zone (59.4 percent touchdown rate). Minnesota's defense is No. 1 in both areas. The Vikings' defense has been especially stingy on third down, with opponents moving the chains only 28.3 percent of the time. To steer clear of a defense that sacked Detroit's Matthew Stafford 10 times, Green Bay must keep itself in manageable down-and-distance situations.<p></p> Minnesota's glaring weakness on offense is its running game, where it ranks 31st. The Packers, however, got run over by Seattle last week and will be without defensive tackle Mike Daniels for the next couple games. Green Bay's revamped defensive line must put the clamps on running back Dalvin Cook and get after quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has turned the ball over 13 times this season (seven interceptions, six fumbles). Otherwise, Cousins and his prolific receiver tandem of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs could pick apart a Green Bay secondary that has been a revolving door due to injuries and personnel changes. Thielen and Diggs combined for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the first matchup.<p></p>MATCHUPS TO WATCH<p></p> --Packers LG Lane Taylor vs. Vikings DT Sheldon Richardson. Minnesota has two premier pass rushers with DEs Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. But this interior battle will be key. Richardson has only 1.5 sacks but is second on the team with 12 quarterback hits. While he had only a half-sack in the 10-sack onslaught against Detroit in Week 9, he was a constant presence in the Lions' backfield. Taylor, meanwhile, has allowed 6.5 sacks this season compared to a combined five sacks the past two seasons.<p></p> --Packers WR Davante Adams vs. Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes earned All-Pro honors the past two seasons, but Adams had his way with him in the Week 2 tie at Lambeau Field with eight receptions for 64 yards and one touchdown. That Green Bay offense featured Adams, Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison at receiver and Jimmy Graham at tight end. Now, Allison is on injured reserve, Graham has a broken thumb and Cobb has been sidelined by a hamstring injury. Adams will need to carry the load for the Packers' passing game to function. Said Rhodes: "I think he's having a great year. He's been having good years the last few years. Each year, him and Aaron Rodgers, they've gotten better and great. They were starting to get the rhythm when Jordy (Nelson) was there and once Jordy left, those guys became good."
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