SnoTap Packers Preview: Minnesota vs. Green Bay

Every fanbase is filled with hyperbole. There is no way to get around it. Further, it is only hyperbole when it is over-the-top. To say, this Green Bay Packers game is a must win does not fit in the hyperbole term rather it is fact. Green Bay loses their fourth straight, something they have not done since 2008, their playoff hopes become limited at best, but Packers should know Minnesota would like nothing more than to crush Green Bay's playoff dreams on a chilly Sunday afternoon.

The weather in Green Bay will be arctic conditions with the projected temperature of 23 degrees with 12 miles an hour west winds. These are the type of games where Eddie Lacy should thrive in. It is the reason you drafted him for these cold weather games. Now, this will probably be the first time Lacy is playing in temperatures under 30 degrees given he went to Alabama and went to high school in Louisiana.  He will have to adapt quickly to the cold weather which includes holding onto the football.  Sometimes people forget how difficult it is to keep ahold of a football during cold weather games because the ball is a complete rock. I would also expect to see more James Starks than what we have in the last couple of weeks. Starks had seven carries for 57 yards in the first game against Minnesota, and he has played well in cold weather games before. Expect a solid dose of Lacy and Starks. 

Many people will wonder about Scott Tolzien because the microscope on him might be bigger than Aaron Rodgers in 2008, but personally, there is no reason to keep rehashing the same things about Tolzien. We know what needs to happen with him. He needs to play within himself, and not make mistakes yet that is difficult to do as a young quarterback.  I do not see a situation where Matt Flynn gets into this football game unless Tolzien looks like an icicle out there.  I do hope with another full week of practice Mike McCarthy will open up the playbook a little more with him. 

Vikings fans are using the same microscope on Christian Ponder.  He will be starting again with a bum left shoulder, and trust me, there will be the dolts out there if Ponder does well wondering why Rodgers could not do the same thing. It is amazing how many people in Wisconsin understand the human body when the star player of the football team goes down. Ponder is typically not good on the road and outdoors. Weirdly enough, he throws more passes without having more touchdowns and ends up having more interceptions than getting in the endzone. When is the last time Ponder had a big road win? It is hard to really find one that is not in a dome or early in the season. He is not a cold weather quarterback and Packers defense needs to be opportunistic on Sunday afternoon. 

People do not know what they will get from the secondary. Sam Shields and Micah Hyde are still sidelined with injuries. Now Hyde told reporters yesterday he was going to play on Sunday with Shields status still unknown. Tramon Williams had his best game in the last year, maybe last two years against New York. It will be interesting to see if Williams can follow-up with another big start. If he does, is it fair to wonder if he got hurt somewhere during the beginning of the year plaguing his play?

Cordarrelle Patterson is the player to watch not named Adrian Peterson on the Vikings offense. Greg Jennings is banged up with an Achilles injury meaning Patterson becomes a bigger part of this offense. Patterson really has not had a breakout game where everyone is talking about him the next day. Let's hope this is not Sunday's game. But let's not forget about Peterson. He is banged up yet he could still torment the Packers. Peterson had a massive game against Green Bay at home last season with 210 yards, but typically, he has been hit or miss when running at Lambeau. The cold weather will certainly not help his bum hamstring. Their rush defense took a step back in the last couple of weeks, and this is a big week for them. If they can stop AD and force Ponder to throw the football, good things will happen. 

If anyone knows me personally, I am an optimist. No matter what the situation is, I try to see it glass-half full. It has been hard to do this in the last couple of weeks with Green Bay. A couple things break differently, they beat Philadelphia. Who knows what happens if Jason Pierre-Paul does not pick off the pass last week. I think Green Bay is close to winning games, and Minnesota is in a bad spot right now overall as a team. Green Bay does not win this one, they do not deserve to be in the playoff conversation. Simple as that. Packers 28 Vikings 17 

Charlie.