What’s Changed For the Packers and Vikings Since Week 1

Green Bay Packers What's Changed For the Packers and Vikings Since Week 1 Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports By Matt Hendershott - November 11, 2026 The Green Bay Packers got their first sour taste of defeat in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite Jordan Love throwing for nearly 400 yards against Brian Flores’ stout defense and controlling the clock early, the Packers eventually faltered in a 39-22 loss. Since then, the Packers have tasted more hearty victories than defeats. Still, they’re in fourth place in the NFC North. Meanwhile, the Vikings had a strong start despite an invisible offense, going 6-0 before losing their last two. At the midpoint of the season, both teams are in a very different spot than they were in Week 1. What’s changed for the Vikings and the Packers, and do the odds favor Green Bay in Round 2? Week 1 saw the 2025 Packers’ meltdown trend on display once again. Green Bay handled adversity poorly. Love did his best behind one of the worst offensive lines in recent Packers memory and facing an aggressive blitzing attack from Flores. Then Love was intercepted on a deflected pass, allowing the Vikings to score and take a 32-22 lead. The offense never reclaimed its footing; the defense couldn’t overcome bad officiating, and the Packers lost full control. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray suffered an early concussion , and the Vikings managed just 3.9 yards per play, yet the Green Bay defense gave up 39 points, a season high. #Packers DC Jonathan Gannon on not taking the Vikings lightly despite their struggles on offense: He pauses. Then says: "We gave up 39 points to this crew." — Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) November 10, 2026 Still, there were some positives, including Love’s early play and Christian Watson , who had an 81-yard catch. On the Vikings side, Wentz looked like a serviceable backup. Dallas Turner also had a strong early start, and adding Harrison Smith back into the fold made an impact on defense. Meanwhile, the loss gave the Packers an early deficit in the North, one they’re still trying to claw back from thanks to their loss to the Detroit Lions. But let’s look ahead. With the Vikings losing to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, the Packers have an opportunity to get back on track in the division. And Green Bay is coming off a statement win in New England. That momentum could be the difference. The biggest loser of Week 1 was Green Bay’s offensive line, which proved it might be worse than it looked going in. Zach Bako-Bewele hadn’t shaken off the rust from his injury, while Jordan Morgan struggled in his first stint at left tackle. But the guards were the biggest problem. Jacob Monk and Donovan Jennings , who got the surprising start, were abysmal. It’s a miracle Love did as well as he did, even if the final stat line wasn’t pretty. Packers the only team that fought fire with fire vs. the Vikings. They got burned in the end when the OL ran out of gas but still, big outlier here. pic.twitter.com/KWEvVBKvN8 — Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) November 10, 2026 The offensive line still isn’t good, but it’s much better than it was. Green Bay added three veteran offensive linemen, and Laken Tomlinson has become a valuable starter. If the Packers commit to starting Kevin Zeitler over Aaron Banks , who isn’t playing well, they could field a defensive line this time. Flores’ attack is still frightening, but even a slight edge can make a world of difference. Assuming the Packers commit to playing Zietler over Banks, it improves another deficiency from Week 1 — the lack of a run game. As in Week 1, the Packers don’t have Josh Jacobs . Still, even with Jacobs back, he was playing poorly before you even consider his worsening off-field drama. Now Jacobs is out with an injured hand, and the Packers didn’t make a move for a running back at the trade deadline. But against the Patriots, we saw Zeitler’s run-blocking and Kaleb Johnson ‘s improved rushing give the Packers something resembling a jolt of energy. Johnson had a 34-yard run, a season-high for a Green Bay running back, and the Packers averaged just under five yards per run with Zeitler. If the offense can have a fraction of balance, again, it makes the offense’s life easier. Love is stone cold with his deep ball right now, but it’s hard for the offense to live that way against the league’s best defense. A somewhat valid rushing attack can set up better play action, and better blocking can help the short- and intermediate-passing game. In Week 1, Jonathan’s Gannon looked strong early, but it couldn’t overcome adversity (or the refs) to end the game. Now, that defense is one of the league’s best, with six straight games of multiple takeaways, Evan Williams playing at an All-Pro level, and a versatile pass rush getting everyone home even without Micah Parsons (and Edgerrin Cooper ). The defense smothered the Patriots last week, and Carson Wentz struggled mightily against Buffalo’s less-threatening defense. Because Wentz was so bad, the Bills controlled the game for nearly 40 minutes, leaving the defense gassed after a short week. The Vikings defense has been on the field for 39:40 and counting. It's a short turnaround before Week 10's matchup with the Packers. That doesn't bode well for Minnesota, and that's before you get into any of the QB discourse. — Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) November 10, 2026 Green Bay’s defense alone could have been the biggest factor, but Minnesota’s most recent change creates the biggest wild card. Because of Wentz’s terrible performance and Kyler Murray’s injury status, the Vikings turned to old friend Kirk Cousins to right the ship. The Las Vegas Raiders weren’t the most frightening team in the league, but Cousins looked good in Vegas considering the team’s issues. Minnesota’s offense has been its biggest concern, largely because of poor quarterback play, and now they’re getting a solid veteran who’s familiar with the offense and team. Green Bay has also struggled against recently acquired quarterbacks. (Look no further than last season’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.) As of late Tuesday morning, I’d think Green Bay’s improved offensive line, Jordan Love’s hot streak, and Gannon’s aggressive defense would be enough to tilt this game in Green Bay’s favor. But Cousins could be the biggest change for either team. Ultimately, the final factor might be this game being at Lambeau Field, where the Packers have had some solid wins but also their most embarrassing loss this year. Anything can happen, and this might be Green Bay’s most pivotal game in the next few weeks. One thing is clear, though. These teams are in very different spots from where they were in Week 1. Matt Hendershott All Articles