For the third time in seven seasons, the Green Bay Packers will open the year on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. The two teams have split their last two Week 1 matchups. Still, Green Bay may have a subtle advantage this time around that could help them outlast the “purple incarnation of Satan” (shoutout Tom Grossi) and start the season on the right foot.
That would be Jonathan Gannon’s familiarity with Kyler Murray.
Sure, there is going to be a training camp battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. Still, Murray is the better quarterback right now and will likely open Week 1 as the starter. That could be an advantage for the Green and Gold, considering how closely Gannon has previously worked with the former first-overall pick.
Gannon faced Murray in 2022 while serving as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator. He held him to just six yards per attempt, which was the second-lowest mark of Murray’s season. Gannon then spent the next three years working directly with Murray in Arizona before the Cardinals fired him.
I might sound contradictory because I just said Kyler Murray is the better quarterback, which probably leads to an obvious question: How is that an advantage for Green Bay? On paper, the Packers should rather face McCarthy than the more experienced player.
But the situation is more complicated than that. The Packers don’t have tape on Murray throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and the rest of Minnesota’s offensive weapons. Still, the Vikings are also entering the season with plenty of uncertainty themselves. Until the regular season begins, they don’t fully know what the offense will look like with Murray under center.
That’s where Gannon’s familiarity with Murray could matter. Gannon has seen Murray operate up close for years. He knows what the quarterback likes to attack, where he becomes uncomfortable, how he reacts to pressure, and what situations can take him out of rhythm.
In a matchup where both sides are still learning how this version of the Vikings’ offense will function, Gannon may be the person with the clearest understanding of the quarterback leading it.
Matt LaFleur’s teams have also shown they can handle Murray regardless of who’s running the defense. In 2021, the Packers picked Murray off twice in a wild Thursday Night Football game that ended with Rasul Douglas sealing the win with a game-ending interception in the end zone.
And keep in mind that Joe Barry was running the defense. Yes, the same Joe Barry who once had Preston Smith lined up in coverage against Justin Jefferson.
The Packers saw Murray again in 2024, this time with Jeff Hafley running the defense. Murray finished with 214 passing yards, but Green Bay largely eliminated the most dangerous part of his game by keeping him contained as a runner. He finished with only 14 rushing yards on seven carries, averaging only two yards per attempt.
Murray’s ability to escape pressure and create outside structure is arguably the best aspect of his game. Still, he had nowhere to go that afternoon at Lambeau Field.
The next time Green Bay sees Murray, it will come with Gannon arguably knowing more about him than anyone else involved in the matchup. That’s a real advantage for Green Bay entering Week 1.
That said, U.S. Bank Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, so this feels like the type of game that could easily come down to the final drive. Still, if the Packers can contain Murray the same way they have in previous meetings, there is a good chance Gannon starts his story in Green Bay on the right foot by asserting dominance over his former quarterback.
