3 important storylines to watch for Packers vs. Vikings in Week 4

After another victory last weekend against the Tennessee Titans, the Green Bay Packers come into Week 4 with a winning record and a returning Jordan Love.

They won't have it easy this weekend, though, as they prepare to take on a formidable 3-0 Minnesota Vikings team that has looked excellent on both sides of the ball.

Can the Packers contain Justin Jefferson and get the best of an in-form Brian Flores defense? Here are three things you should keep an eye on this weekend.

Can the Packers find more consistency on early downs?

It seems to have gone unnoticed thanks to two straight victories, but this Packers offense hasn't been great at passing the ball on early downs so far this season. Through three weeks, they have an early down dropback success rate of just 34%, which ranks 31st. They are sandwiched between the 30th-ranked New York Giants and 32nd-placed Cleveland Browns - not the sort of company you want to keep.

The running game hasn't been much better on early downs either, with a 35.3% success rate that ranks 23rd. These numbers are both way down on last season, when the Packers finished 14th and seventh in dropback and rushing success rate, respectively.

You may wonder why this matters. After all, this is an offense that has just beaten the Indianapolis Colts and Titans without their starting quarterback. The reason it is particularly important against the Vikings is because of Brian Flores.

Flores is one of the best defensive coordinators in football, throwing all sorts of disguises and creative blitzes at opposing quarterbacks. As any defensive coordinator will tell you, the best opportunity for this kind of creativity comes on third-and-long when the offense is in an obvious passing situation.

If the Packers can't find the ability to move the ball consistently on early downs, they will be playing right into the hands of Flores and the Vikings defense. If they are to win this matchup they will need to find a way to stay ahead of the chains and prevent Flores from digging deep into his bag of tricks.

Will Kenny Clark show better play?

Green Bay's defensive line took over last week's matchup with the Titans, but Clark was conspicuously quiet. He finished the game with one tackle and didn't have a single pressure or defensive stop.

In truth, Clark's issues go beyond the Titans game. He has not played well this season and the adjustment to an even front defense under Hafley does not seem to be going well for him. His two defensive stops through three games is one of the worst runs of his career, and he has been particularly poor against the run.

After a bumper offseason extension, the Packers can justifiably expect a lot more from Clark, and they will need him to be at his best this weekend. The Vikings are the best offense that Green Bay has faced so far this season and they are able to move the ball well through the air and on the ground. Clark's ability to recapture his old form will be key if the Packers are to slow them down.

Can the Packers defense stop Justin Jefferson?

If you are looking for keys to victory, there aren't any more obvious than stopping Jefferson. The Vikings pass catcher is one of the best players in the league and has shown the ability to single-handedly put the Packers defense to the sword in the past.

He's off to a great start again this season. Jefferson is averaging an incredible 19.5 yards per catch and sits second in the NFL in yards per route run. He also has three touchdowns through the first three weeks.

The question for this weekend is whether Jeff Hafley and his secondary can put the clamps on Jefferson. The Packers have had mixed success in the past. In three of their last five meetings, Jefferson has been held under 60 yards. In the other two, he went nuclear, topping 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns each time.

In theory, Hafley's man-heavy scheme should help. Through those last five games, the Packers have done a good job of keeping Jefferson quiet with man coverage. In those games he managed just four catches for 68 yards when working against man. By contrast, he had 19 catches for 379 yards when working against zone.

The worry will be the health of Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine, who are listed as questionable and doubtful for this matchup, respectively. If they can't go, it looks like it will come down to Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine. That feels like a big ask, but if they can come close to replicating Alexander's ability to contain Jefferson, the Packers have a good chance of containing this potent Vikings passing attack.

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