[ot-caption title=”Aaron Rodgers scrambles while under pressure behind his battered offensive line. (via, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)”]

After being picked by many to go all the way this year, the Green Bay Packers have fallen into an inexplicable slump after a red hot start this year. Sitting tied atop the NFC North with a Vikings team, picked by many to finish last (shows what we know), the Packers are injured, beat, and panicking. All eyes were on the Pack this weekend as they headed into TCF Bank Stadium to face the excited, young Vikings.

They did not disappoint.

The Packers showed that they were hungry. They squashed all negative speculations. They were dominant throughout the entire game. They looked like a contender. Aaron Rodgers brought it. Eddie Lacy had his best game of the season. But most importantly, the defense came to play. The Packers defense, expected to be a weak link of the team, was dominant for six weeks but had seemingly fallen off of a cliff in the last three games. Holding the Vikings to 13 points and coming up with a big stop at all times necessary, the Packers defensive unit’s play will alter the way the NFC turns out this season.

Coming into Sunday’s game in Minnesota, there was a lot wrong with the Packers team. The rushing game was non-existent, the defense was confused, and even MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemed out of sync. At 27%, they lead the league in the percent of drives that they went three-and-out. Such a stat is an all-telling number of what life without deep-threat WR Jordy Nelson has been like. If you prolong your drives, points go on the board, and that was the case for the balanced Green Bay attack as they scored on seven of twelve drives and only went three-and-out twice. The Packers offense was firing on all cylinders, as was the defense.

Heading into a fairly easy stretch of games that includes matchups with the Bears, Lions, and Raiders, the Packers should be able to sustain such success. They cannot lose winnable games against division opponents like Detroit and Chicago. A Week 17 duel with the Vikings could decide who represents the NFC North in the playoffs, but their most important game comes in Week 16 against the Cardinals. As is the case with the Bears and the Lions, the Cardinals will certainly look to air it out against the Packers.

Green Bay’s season lies in the hands of their secondary and their offensive line. Aaron Rodgers will step up his play. While it has been tougher than ever for him to find open men this season, he is the least of their issues. At 7-3, the rushing game can pick it up. Chicago and Detroit are both soft up front, and Eddie Lacy and James Starks make for a dynamic rush and pass backfield. The secondary is the pressing issue for this team, alongside their horribly injure offensive line. On Sunday, Corey Linsley went down. He was the last healthy starting offensive lineman on the Packers. That should offer a glimpse into how dire their situation is when it comes to protecting Rodgers. The Packers front five will need to step-up, but should certainly not be counted on. Lacy will have to do some hard, rough running and the passing game-plan will almost certainly need to be altered to fit quicker, smaller plays.

On the offensive line the problem is simple they are not healthy, and back-ups are playing for a first place team. However, in the defensive backfield, the issues are not as clear. They rank 22^nd amongst NFL defense in pass yards given up per game, and 21^st when referring to total yards. A trio of safeties and corners that includes Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Morgan Burnett, and Sam Shields is one that most NFL executives would love to have, but they cannot seem to find a grove this year. Things did not really change on Sunday, as they surrendered 248 yards to a rather weak Vikings passing attack. Even though they came out with a convincing win, the secondary was still subpar. If they turn things around, the Packers will only become fiercer.

Sitting at 7-3, most teams would not have much to worry about. This Packers team is different. They are injured, confused, and playing just well enough to win games. Things are going to have to change for Green Bay. Obviously, they cannot influence injuries, but strides can be made to help the ailing offensive line and especially the secondary. They have some winnable games coming up, and their fate will likely be decided in Weeks 16 and 17. There is still a lot to learn about a mysterious Packers team that is always a threat to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 50.