4 Stats That Prove the Vikings Are Better Than the Packers

Entering Week 15, the Green Bay Packers are ahead of the Minnesota Vikings in the only stat that really matters – wins. While that might lead you to believe that Green Bay is the superior team, a deeper look at the stats proves that Minnesota actually has the edge.

With that in mind, here's a look at four stats that prove the Vikings are the best team in the NFC North.

1. Adjusted Yards Per Attempt

Kirk Cousins is outplaying Aaron Rodgers this season. That's not to say he's the better quarterback, but he's been playing at a significantly higher level thus far. Cousins is averaging 9.2 adjusted yards per pass attempt (AY/A), which is the second-best mark in the league, trailing only Ryan Tannehill (who has started just seven games). To put that into perspective, Drew Brees has never had an AY/A mark above 9.0 in his entire 19-year career. Rodgers, meanwhile, is averaging 8.2 AY/A, which puts him at No. 9 in the NFL. In fact, Cousins is ahead of Rodgers in nearly every statistical category this season. That's a remarkable feat, considering Green Bay's pass blocking win rate is a league-best 68 percent, and Minnesota's is just 57 percent, which is the 20th-best mark (pending Week 14).

2. Scoring Defense Since Week 4

The Packers' defense jumped out to a remarkable start this season, but they've really struggled since. Green Bay surrendered 11.7 points per game (PPG) over the first three games, but have surrendered 23.5 PPG over their last 10 games. In fact, if we remove their last two contests against two of the league's worst offenses (the New York Giants and Washington Redskins), that number jumps to 25.9 PPG, which is the same total as the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota, meanwhile, has surrendered just 20.2 PPG over that same 10-game span.

3. Yards Per Play

It's not just Cousins who gives Minnesota's offense the edge though, as the entire unit has been playing at an elite level. With Cousins clicking, and Dalvin Cook back to full strength, Minnesota is averaging 6.0 yards per play this season, which is tied for the fifth-best mark in the league. For all the praise that has been heaped onto first-year head coach Matt LaFleur, his Packers are averaging just 5.5 yards per play (No. 17 in the NFL). That's a worse number than the notoriously inefficient Cleveland Browns' offense is averaging this season. With the offense firing on all cylinders, Minnesota has a plus-90 point differential, while Green Bay is only plus 39 on the year.

4. Quarterback Hits

Green Bay spent big in free agency this offseason, signing Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith to massive contracts. Those have certainly panned out, as the two Smiths have combined for 21.5 sacks thus far, but Minnesota still has the more dynamic pass-rushing unit. The Vikings have racked up 86 QB hits this season, which is tied for the sixth-best mark in the league, while the Packers are at No. 12 in the NFL with 80 QB hits. That has led to Minnesota racking up 38 total sacks (T-No. 9 in the NFL), while Green Bay is at 32 (No. 20 in the NFL). This pass-rushing unit has certainly helped Minnesota's secondary, as the Vikings are surrendering 6.6 AY/A (T-No. 7 in the NFL), while Green Bay is at 7.3 (T-No. 20 in the NFL).

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.