The Packers have beat the Vikings once this year and lost once. Both times, Adrian Peterson ran for a bucketload of yards.
So, with the Vikings coming to Green Bay on Saturday night for an NFC wild card game, it would make sense that the Packers are zeroing in on the back that just keeps going.
“We aren’t giving up 200 again,” Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews said of Peterson, who has run for 409 total yards in his two games against the Packers.
Matthews and his teammates preached the importance of shoring up their run defense if they want to beat the Vikings. It’s a plan that couldn’t be timed better — Minnesota quarterback Christian Ponder, who has put up several less-than-stellar performances this season — is reportedly dealing with elbow pain that could limit him further.
“We want to take [Peterson] out of the mix,” Matthews said. “If we can limit those carries and force Ponder to beat us, then that’s the game plan we’re going to play. We need to do a better job of stopping the run, and we will do that. And that will help us get after the quarterback.”
The Green Bay defense is especially interested in keeping Peterson from the extra-long runs he likes to rip off, where he can chew up dozens of yards at a time.
While the Packers have a tall task ahead of them, at least they are approaching the challenge with a dose of humility and retrospect. The same cannot be said for all of their fans.
