Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was efficient and productive against the Vikings on Sunday, throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns while also escaping pressure with his feet.
The task doesn't get any easier for Minnesota's defense this weekend as the Vikings get ready to face off against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field.
Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune wrote that the Vikings defense needs to be in-sync if it wants to try and slow down Rodgers, who has 32 touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season.
The Vikings don't allow many deep completions because of a potent combination of pass rush and sound coverage. When one fails, the other needs to be there to compensate. That wasn't the case on Sunday, when Luck wasn't sacked for the first time in 17 starts, against a defense that entered with the third-most sacks in the league.
"We didn't do a good job in coverage, either," Head Coach Mike Zimmer said.
After Sunday, the Vikings' chief concern against Rodgers might be the coverage play of their safeties.
Stalwart safety Harrison Smith has been missed in many ways, even if he wasn't the same player while gutting through a severe ankle sprain. On Sunday, Frank Gore knifed through the middle of the defense for more than 100 rushing yards, and Luck successfully targeted tight ends and backs vs. Vikings linebackers and safeties.
The Vikings fared well against Rodgers in the teams' Week 2 matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium. Rodgers was sacked five times and fumbled three times, losing one of them. He was held to a passer rating of 70.7, his second-lowest mark of the season so far.
Rosenthal: Griffen has earned Pro Bowl bid
The players selected by a combination of player, coach and fan votes to the 2017 Pro Bowl will be announced this evening on NFL Network.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com went through each NFC team and picked a player he thinks is deserving of a selection to the Pro Bowl.
Rosenthal's pick for the Vikings was Griffen. He wrote:
*It might be tough to find room for Griffen at a crowded position, but this would be a terrific lifetime achievement honor for one of the most underrated pass rushers in football. *
Griffen earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season after he racked up 49 total tackles, 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.
He is closing in on double-digit sacks this season with 8.0 heading into Saturday's game against Green Bay. The fourth-round draft pick in 2010 has 48 career sacks in 104 games.
