The Athletic Outlines Keys to Vikings Victory vs….

The wait is nearly over, as Border Battle No. 122 kicks off in roughly 48 hours from U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota hosts Green Bay in Week 11, with both teams are looking to snag an important win.

The Vikings (4-5) are looking to get back to .500 and stay in the thick of the NFC playoff race. The Packers are 8-2 and trying to maintain their top spot in the conference.

So, how can the Vikings find a way to get a win Sunday at home? Chad Graff, Arif Hasan and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic recently looked at how Minnesota can get that done.

Graff wrote that the onus will be on the offense to put together a strong performance for the second week in a row.

The downfield passing works for a second straight week. [Kirk] Cousins hit Thielen and Jefferson on deep routes against the Chargers, which helped pick up some crucial third downs. If they can do that again, that will go a long way toward helping the Vikings keep pace with the Packers offense.

Graff also added that he’ll be watching “how the Packers guard Justin Jefferson.” He noted:

Jaire Alexander is one of maybe only two or three cornerbacks who you’d feel comfortable sticking against Jefferson without drastically altering your game plan. But Alexander remains out with a shoulder injury, so it’ll be fascinating to see what the Packers do to prep for the Vikings star receiver. Jefferson’s worst games a year ago came against the Packers, but he’s coming into this one after his best performance this season, nabbing nine catches for 143 yards against the Chargers.