This season has brought out the very best in Jordan Love

Wes Hodkiewicz

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

Should we assume Cousins will start Sunday for the Vikings? If so, his past experience with the Vikings says he will have command of the offensive playbook. How many times has he gone up against a Gannon defense? How successful was he?

I cannot believe we're previewing a Green Bay-Minnesota matchup in 2026 with Cousins once again under center for the Vikings. Time is indeed a flat circle. To the best of my knowledge, Gannon has only faced Cousins once before as a defensive playcaller and it came in 2022 when Gannon was in Philadelphia. Cousins threw three interceptions in a 24-7 loss on Monday Night Football.

Ron from Wichita, KS

Insiders: Kirk Cousins' record at noon or early afternoon is 94-86-2. During primetime he has a 15-21 all-time record and 7-11 as a Viking. Is there any chance at all the game can be pushed to Sunday night?

I put in a request, but it might be too late.

Darren from Wakefield, MI

What did I witness Monday night? Is the Vikes' offense that bad? I realize the Bills are a great team. Vikes' D looks super tough. What do the Packers do on both sides of the ball to try to exploit either of those if possible?

Monday was bad. No ifs, ands or buts about that and it's why the Vikings quickly moved a third-round pick to acquire Cousins. Plan A, B and C fell through, and something needed to be done. Brian Flores' defense gives Minnesota a chance in every game it plays, but it's not infallible. Jahmyr Gibbs ran through it, and Buffalo wore it down over the course of 42 minutes. The Packers need to establish the run, control the football and keep the Vikes guessing.

Jake from Decatur, GA

Good points by Mike yesterday. All other things being equal, Packers probably have the advantage in the second half this game, when the Vikings' D will be tired and Gannon will have a better idea of what plays the Vikings have been able to get Cousins ready to run. Packers will also be able to completely empty the tank with the bye coming up. I'm feeling good, is what I'm trying to say.

As much attention as Cousins is likely to get, count me curious how the Vikings' defense looks on a six-day week after playing 80 snaps in primetime over 42 minutes of regulation against Buffalo.

Matu from Germany

What is Kirk Cousins' record as the Vikings QB at Lambeau Field? Not sure if we should be frightened to play a team running "new" QB?

He's 2-2-1 and either been really good or really not-so-good. In the two wins and a tie at Lambeau, Cousins completed 34-of-45 passes for 434 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions (127.5 passer rating). In two losses, he was 32-of-63 for 435 yards for two TDs and five INTs (50.7 passer rating). Cousins also threw for 425 yards with four touchdowns and an INT in a 29-29 tie in 2018.

Gary from Chippewa Falls, WI

Much is being made about Cousins' TDs and overall play this year. What is not being said is the quality of competition so far this year. To plagiarize Charles Woodson, same old Kirk.

The Raiders are very much a 4-5 team. They've won the games they should win and been routed in the games they should lose. But Cousins was steady through it all.

Al from Green Bay, WI

Yes, the NFC North is historically good, and we don't know how things will play out. My belief is that when the dust settles, it will be Chicago and GB fighting for the division crown. Of course, a win against Minnesota is a must. Can Cousins step in with only a week of preparation and have command of the Vikings offense?

I'm expecting to see a poised, collected Kirk Cousins on Sunday, but I still believe the Packers are the better, deeper and more talented team. This is the Packers' shot to prove the first three quarters of the opener against the Vikings was the true story of that game. To do it, Green Bay must tighten up the areas it fell short in Week 1 penalties, blocking, explosive plays allowed, offensive execution, etc.

Frank from Medford, OR

No one is happier than Justin Jefferson about the Cousins trade. Jefferson's current stats don't even place him in the top 50; he will start rising now unfortunately. What I'm looking forward to in the upcoming Minnesota game is seeing whatBrandon Cisselearned from the first matchup with J.J. where Cisse struggled. I imagine the kid is looking forward to the rematch. Thoughts?

That's the first thing that came to mind when the trade was agreed upon Jefferson got his quarterback back. Cisse is a different player today than he was in the opener, though. He has a half season of, uh, seasoning and the best safety room in the NFL behind him. It'll be a fun battle.

Sean from Chicago, IL

Good morning, Insiders! Mike mentioned the OL acquisitions and the impending return ofMicah Parsonsas our trade deadline "moves." I know there was some clamoring for a running back addition, especially withJosh Jacobs' injury, but the lack of a move signals to me thatChris Brooksmust be close to returning.

He is. With Jacobs possibly avoiding injured reserve andKaleb Johnsoncoming off a strong game in New England, it makes sense for the Packers to stand pat there and build off their best game of the season.

Benjamin from Bear, DE

I'm certainly not a defensive coordinator, but I can't help believing the Vikings are game-planning to stopChristian WatsonandMatthew Goldenfirst. With that said, wouldn't this be the perfect game to start to highlight, target and focus a little more production out ofTucker Kraft. In addition to yards and possibly a touchdown or two, he will definitely be an asset in blitz pickup, in my opinion.

Minnesota's game plan is always going to be centered on pressure and deception up front and making it as difficult as possible for Love to find Watson and Golden on deep routes. The only question is how many men will Flores devote to achieving those goals? To your larger point, Kraft appears a perfect counter with his ability to catch quick screens and generate yards after the catch. That, and establishing a respectable run game, is how you burn overly aggressive defenses selling out their front.

Thomas from Madison, WI

I have a feeling this is a stupid question, but is it possible that the porous offensive line (mostly at the beginning of the season) and having to hyper-process each play flipped a switch inJordan Love? It just seems like everything is coming to him much faster than in years prior, and I'm not talking about the opposing DL.

Yes and no. On average, Love plays the position faster than Aaron Rodgers, so it's not like he's doing something completely different than past years. I do feel like this season has brought out the very best in Jordan Love. The statistics show that Love is getting the ball out quicker than any quarterback in the NFL and that's impressive considering he also leads the league in explosive completions.

Steve from UK

Every successful team has players who might not always get the headlines but make a huge difference behind the scenes. Who is one player within this current Packers squad that you think deserves more recognition from fans for what they bring to the team?

Isaiah McDuffie. Not many defenses would hold it together like the Packers did without three inside linebackers.Karl Brooksis a close second. He's coming off his best game of the season and leads Green Bay's D-line in playing time.

Bill from Menominee, MI

The Packers win this game if the receivers catch their catchable passes. Those one or two extended drives due to clean play will put continued stress on a tired defense. Those extra three points as a byproduct could be the difference.

The glass half empty way of looking at Matthew Golden's season is the drops. The glass half full approach is he'd probably be leading the league in receiving if not for them. The kid's gonna be all right, as Sunday showed.

Ben from Cripple Creek, CO

Also, people will say this is a biased take (and is to some degree) but I think I like where GB's defense is compared to MIN's, though national media would never suggest such. Their scheme leaves a lot of explosive gains on the table, but they bank on you not finding it enough to matter. GB's defense has chaos with it, but the explosive gain possibility is not there (as much). Sometimes, MIN could easily let multiple TDs happen. Here's hoping Love finds them.

Outside of the Atlanta loss, which is looking more and more like an anomaly of Thursday Night Football, the Packers' defense has been tough in the trenches and a difficult Rubik's cube to solve in the secondary. But you can't let up now. Green Bay has to keep evolving and improving.

Edward from Sioux Falls, SD

Hello, Wes! I read online that the Packers can improve their chances of making the 2026 NFL playoffs from 64% to 77% by beating the Vikings this Sunday. Let's do it! Just beat the Vikings!

The Packers have won 66.7% of their games and 33.3% of their divisional matchups. Improving both percentages is the only math I care about at the moment.

Bill from Maple Grove, WI

If you count "former" and "new" stadiums during Rodgers' time in GB separately, there are more stadiums he never won for the Packers in: Texas Stadium (Dallas), Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis), RCA Dome (Indianapolis), Gillette Stadium (New England), old Highmark Stadium (Buffalo), and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta). He obviously won in Dallas, AZ, and Atlanta but those were in other stadiums. Post-GB, he's also not yet won in either Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) or new Highmark Stadium.

You can't win 'em all, but he won most.

Josh from Arvada, CO

All this talk about Packers vs. Chiefs in Germany has me a little disappointed. I believe that game was likely to be an away game, and me and my buddy Dan (who lives in KC) already had it penciled in for next seasonespecially since it will be the last go for old Arrowhead Stadium. Do you think the NFL might throw us Sconnies a bone and schedule during Oktoberfest to make up for it? Thanks for all the morning banter and insight, go Pack!

No possibility is a probability until the schedule is released. On one hand, I thought it a certainty that the Packers would debut overseas when the Chargers were in midst of their move to Los Angeles in 2019. On the other, the NFL once shipped me up to Canada to cover a preseason game on an 80-yard field. Every possible series of events is happening all at once. Live that way and nothing will surprise you.

Yotam from New Zealand

Did you hear about the Bengals' trade debacle? Not realizing you will be losing a third-round comp pick is crazy! Feeling even better about having Russ Ball on our side. Hope nobody trades for him.

Thank goodness for Twitter, I guess. But yeah, Arnold Ebiketie counts towards the net-gain/loss formula because Philadelphia signed him as an unrestricted free agent from Atlanta last year. Bold move on Howie Roseman's part, too, attempting to unload a player counting towards their net-gain/loss formula.

Jeffery from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

With Malik Willis going on IR, will that impact the compensatory pick we are projected to get next year?

It might. Playing time factors into the formula, but average per year salary remains the most important criteria. The concern isn't unwarranted, though. The NFL only divvies out a handful of third-round compensatory picks for losses in free agency and then you're waiting another 32-plus picks to get to the end of the fourth round.

Tyler from Cross Plains, WI

Hey guys, regarding the playoffs, I think I'm OK with a division winner under .500 making the playoffs, but maybe they don't get a home game?

Division titles should mean something, especially now with three wild-card berths. I don't even object to division champions hosting in the wild-card round. If they prevail, however, I would like to see brackets reseeded by record. If a seven- or eight-win team wins at home in the wild-card round, then it should travel to face the No. 1 seed in Round 2.

Mike from Lake Villa, IL

Equal Parts Informative and Galactically Stupid! Now there's a T-shirt slogan for you!

Mike's words. Not mine. The Packers are 2-0 since I last commented on officiating. They're doing a fine, fine job.

Andrew from Brownsburg, IN

To what extent should the Week 1 result be viewed as "glorified preseason"? And should we expect entirely different results this week now that starters, especially the offensive line, have had time to work together?

I mean, it sure was for Shawn Hochuli. I'm sorryI couldn't help myself. You've all watched enough NFC North action to know one game does not guarantee any outcome in the next.

Dennis from Hanna City, IL

Speaking of theDani Dennis-SuttonRTP penalty, I commented to my wife at the time that, hey, they didn't show a replay of that. Then I read an article yesterday that noted the same thing and suggested the NFL might have made that decision because they knew it would only fan the flames of frustration toward the refs. Your thoughts?

It wasn't a great call, but I see no conspiracy. It was late in the game, the Packers were up by four scores and the Patriots were operating in a form of no-huddle. I think FOX was keeping the main thing the main thing.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Wes, does it surprise you the Packers have more players from Iowa than any other university?

Not in the slightest. They gotta be up near the top of NFL teams with former Georgia Bulldogs, too.

Randy from Klamath Falls, OR

Just an observation. The Vikings' website does an "inbox" once a week, so I headed over yesterday to see what was being said. You would think they are 2-6they want the front office fired, a new head coach, and someone who can develop a quarterback. I guess Packer fans aren't the only impatient ones.

Yeah, these waters ain't for everybody.

Carol from Mountain, WI

No question, just a comment on if you dive under the ball and catch it when a quarterback is spiking the ball, is it a turnover. You said yes, it happened in Colorado. It actually happened in a Gillett, WI, game several years ago and was highlighted on SportsCenter!

The most impressive thing is that the kid leapt the center, who was cutting his legs, rather than diving underneath like you occasionally see in the NFL.Such a fun play. Go Tigers.

Marteen from Reno, NV

Hi Mike and Wes, I am really enjoying Wes's "The Takeaway" segment. It's nice to see Wes get some exposure and I have also seen him have a little fun with the team. I hope the segment continues along with the creativity. Wes could probably wear some chains next week when we beat the Vikings! GPG!

Deal. Have a great Thursday, everyone.

HAVE A QUESTION?