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Vikings must beware of ball-hawking Packers’ cornerbacks

Charles Woodson couldn’t help but shake his head and wonder what might have been had the Packers’ normally sure-handed secondary held on to at least three interception possibilities in Sunday’s 19-16 overtime loss to the undefeated Tennessee Titans at LP Field.

“I feel like I left at least two out there myself,” the veteran cornerback said. “Those are definitely game-changers that you have to come up with. It makes all the difference in the world when you come up with those instead of dropping them.”

The Packers don’t drop many. In fact, the worst quarterback in the NFL is typically whichever one is playing the Packers.

Green Bay’s opposing quarterbacks have combined for NFL worsts in passer rating (59.9), completion percentage (51.3), interceptions (13) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (five).

“If you misdirect a throw or put it in a bad spot,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said, “those are bad deals, and they have a tendency to go the other way (for a touchdown).”

It took the Packers only seven weeks to score five defensive touchdowns. They head into Sunday’s game against the host Vikings needing one more to tie the franchise record set by Vince Lombardi’s 1966 Super Bowl I champions.

All 13 interceptions have come from the Packers’ secondary. And they’ve come despite a pass rush that has slipped to 23rd in the league in sacks per pass play.

“I think what makes them dangerous is their experience and their man coverage,” Vikings receiver Bobby Wade said. “You don’t see as much man-to-man coverage as you see when you play the Packers.”

The cornerbacks are 11-year veterans Woodson, 32, and Al Harris, 33. The safeties are Nick Collins and Atari Bigby. Woodson and Collins are tied atop the league in interceptions (four) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (two). And Woodson has done all that despite playing with a broken toe since the season-opening victory over the Vikings.

Harris returned last week after missing four games because of a spleen injury. Former practice squad player Tramon Williams started in his place and had three interceptions.

Bigby also returned last week after missing five games because of a hamstring injury. And all that his backup—Aaron Rouse—did was return a Peyton Manning interception 99 yards for a touchdown in a nationally televised, prime-time rout of the Colts.

In each of Green Bay’s four victories, the secondary has had at least one key interception late in the game. The 24-19 victory over the Vikings on Sept. 8 wasn’t sealed until Bigby intercepted Tarvaris Jackson late in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings take a five-game losing streak against the Packers into Sunday’s game. Gus Frerotte will be the fifth different quarterback to start against the Packers in the past six meetings.

Frerotte has faced the Packers only one time. Playing for Detroit in 1999, he completed 20 of 39 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 26-17 loss at Lambeau Field.

After studying the 2008 Packers on film, Frerotte said a quarterback has to be careful but not afraid.

“They play man, so they’re around a lot of balls,” Frerotte said. “They’re reading the quarterback’s eyes, going to the right spots, getting tipped passes and they’re getting turnovers. You see that and you say, ’Well, that’s been some of our trouble in the past and we really have to try not to do that.’

“But, then again, if you want to push the ball down the field and you want to have big plays, you’re going to have to throw the ball downfield. Not every throw can be a safe throw. That’s the way I play. We’re going to take shots when we can.”