In a must-win matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, the Green Bay Packers kick and punt coverage units will need to fare better the second time around.
In Week 8, when these teams first met this season, Ty Chandler had just one kick return attempt, but it did go for 27 yards. On punts, Brandon Powell averaged over 11 yards per return on three attempts, with a long of 16 yards.
“They got after us a little bit on teams the last time we played them,” said Matt LaFleur of the Vikings special teams unit.
Overall, the Vikings’ return units haven’t been overly dominant by any means. Chandler is averaging 24.3 yards per kick return, which ranks 25th, and Powell is averaging 8.0 yards per punt, ranking 29th.
However, in this matchup, the Packers will have to contend with Kene Nwangwu on kickoffs. Nwangwu missed Week 8 when these teams last met.
Five of Nwangwu’s seven kick return attempts have come since Week 12, where he is averaging 23.2 yards per return but has had two attempts of 30-plus yards. In 2022, he ranked second in total kick return yards with 944, which included 166 coming against Green Bay.
Simply trying to have Anders Carlson kick the ball through the end zone on each attempt to avoid Nwangwu is “a lot easier said than done,” as special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia put it.
“They’ve been good for a while,” said Bisaccia of the Vikings’ return units. “I think they do a good job schematically. Their returner has been a good player. They’ve been playing well. They can all run. I think the whole unit is really good.
“We’ve gone back and forth with them. They hit us on some plays. We’ve hit them on some plays. I think they do a tremendous job coaching. We’re familiar with the scheme. We’ve played against it before. So it’ll be a challenge for us. They can run, and they’re physical.”
As a collective unit, the Packers special teams unit has not been as good this season as hoped. They currently lead the NFL in penalties and rank 28th by DVOA.
On kickoffs specifically, Green Bay is allowing 22.4 yards per return, which is right in the middle among the rest of the NFL. On punts, the 12.7 yards per return given up is the third-most–although, worth noting, Whelan is top-10 in lowest punt return rate.
“I think he’s improved tremendously from the beginning of the year,” said Bisaccia of Whelan’s play. “I think he’s improved in the red zone. He’s done some good things in the red zone. Situational football is new for him to some degree. Where we are on the field. What hash we are on. What the wind is doing–those things.
“I think he’s improved and gotten better, and the coverage is a big part of that. Last week, we had three punts and no returns. So, I thought he performed well against a good return team.”
In a playoff-like game that could come down to the wire, some often forgotten about elements, such as winning the field position battle or not giving the opposing offense a short field to work with, can play key factors, especially for a Green Bay defense that has struggled as of late.
On the flip side, the Packers’ return units have found previous success against Minnesota, most notably Keisean Nixon’s punt return in Week 17 of last season. Jayden Reed also brings a dynamic presence to Green Bay’s punt return unit.
The Vikings’ coverage units both rank 11th in fewest yards per return given up this season, according to PFF.
“This week coming up will be another tall task,” added Bisaccia. “We’re playing in a really good environment. Sometimes, those guys get in really good environments and think they want to crush the ball and out-kick their coverage and some things. Staying disciplined in this arena will be important.”