The rivalry showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings on Sunday hardly needed more added intrigue, but it just got some.
The matchup at Lambeau Field will decide first place in the NFC North in the earlygoing. The war of words is already well underway, with ex-Packer Aaron Jones and star wideout Justin Jefferson already planning their touchdown celebrations at Green Bay's expense.
Meanwhile, the Packers have bigger fish to fry, because it's still uncertain as of Saturday who will play quarterback for the green and gold. Malik Willis has done a fantastic job filling in for injured starter Jordan Love in the last two games, but Love's return appears imminent.
While Love may play Sunday, that wouldn't necessarily mean Willis would be fully relegated to backup duties yet. Dianna Russini of The Athletic said Saturday that head coach Matt LaFleur is considering using both quarterbacks in certain packages in an attempt to keep Minnesota off balance.
"If he plays on Sunday, Love won’t be 100 percent, but keep an eye on LaFleur possibly using Willis in a package to keep the Vikings on their toes — even if Willis doesn’t start, he could get on the field," Russini said. "The Vikings are preparing to see both Love and Willis on Sunday (think 2019 Titans, with Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota)."
On one hand, a two-quarterback system could theoretically help ease Love back into a starter's workload while allowing Willis to keep using his legs to make plays. It's a bold strategy, for sure, but it's one with some potential merit if Love isn't quite himself yet.
On the other hand, this could be pure gamesmanship from LaFleur. Russini said in the same article that Love's most likely return date was always Week 5, and the Packers coach may just be wasting Minnesota's time by making them think Love could play this one.
We'll all be waiting to find out what LaFleur's real plan is--and how soon he lets the Vikings in on that plan. Kickoff is still almost 24 hours away, but the mind games are well underway.
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