The Green Bay Packers (8-2) and Minnesota Vikings (4-5) will do battle in a pivotal NFC North showdown on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

This is the first meeting between the two long-time rivals this season. The Packers and Vikings split the season series in 2020, with each team winning away from home. Can the Packers keep up the trend and beat the Vikings in Minneapolis for the third straight season?

To help preview the contest, Packers Wire asked five questions of Jack White, the managing editor at Vikings Wire. Here’s the Q&A.

Kirk Cousins and the Vikings passing game has been great. What has made this group so good in 2021?

Vikings Wire: The third option in the passing game. In seasons past, the Vikings have had stellar wide receiver tandems. Kirk Cousins had elite weapons with wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. With Thielen and Justin Jefferson as the main options, that’s still true. However, Cousins has found WR K.J. Osborn and TE Tyler Conklin in the passing game this year — which has made a huge difference. Osborn scored the game-winning touchdown against the Panthers. He’s found ways to get open and move the chains in key moments. Conklin has become a red-zone target reminiscent of TE Kyle Rudolph. Cousins has helped Jefferson and Thielen have big days, but he hasn’t honed in on his main targets as he has in the past.

The Vikings have lost a bunch of close games. Unlucky? Or is there a common theme here?

Vikings Wire: I think when you play like the Vikings, you get what you deserve. Minnesota relies on a run-heavy offense and strong defense. Minnesota can’t pull away from teams due to its conservative style. Sure, you can look at the losses and think that they’ve been a bit unlucky. But if you’re constantly playing teams close, you leave things up to chance at the end. Minnesota has to be too lucky to be consistently good.

Fans are back in stadiums. Have the Vikings been better at home this season?

Vikings Wire: Yes and no. Homefield advantage is such a tricky thing, isn’t it? Some people aren’t even sure it exists anymore. The Vikings have looked good in certain home games. But Minnesota also lost to the Dak-Prescott-less Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium. It’s complicated. I think if I was betting on the Vikings, I would still rather they play at home – U.S. Bank’s crowd atmosphere borders on deafening. Opposing teams still call timeouts and commit false starts due to crowd noise. But does that make Minnesota a considerably better team? It’s hard to say.

Who are some underrated players on the Vikings defense?

Vikings Wire: Eric Kendricks might be the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL. I don’t have to tell Packers fans about Everson Griffen, but I think his resurgent 2021 is flying under the radar a bit among fanbases outside the NFC North. Defensive linemen Kenny Willekes and James Lynch have both looked promising in a small sample size of snaps.

How do the Vikings pull off the big win here?

Vikings Wire: Kirk Cousins needs to keep up with Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings beat the Packers at Lambeau last year by taming the harsh conditions with a run-heavy style. Minnesota has to keep up with Green Bay in an indoor stadium now.