Protecting the quarterback could be key in Minnesota-Green Bay matchup

Minnesota’s Brett Favre and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers have quite the ground games this season.

That is to say, they’ve found themselves on the ground a lot.

Favre has been sacked 13 times, and Rodgers has been sacked nine in the last two games.

Whichever quarterback gets better protection could walk away the winner Sunday night when the Packers play host to the Vikings in the latest chapter of a bitter NFC North rivalry.

A matchup to watch is Packers Pro Bowl left tackle Chad Clifton against Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who was so dominant against Green Bay last season that Minnesota Coach Brad Childress called it a “feeding frenzy.”

In two games — both of which Clifton missed because of injury — Allen had 7 1/2 sacks, four hurries, a forced fumble and a safety.

But tonight he will be lined up against Clifton, whom Allen has identified as one of the more difficult matchups of the season.

Allen is off to an unusually slow start and has gotten to the quarterback just once, though he had five hurries against Dallas’ Tony Romo last Sunday.

By the Vikings’ count, their defenders hurried Romo 15 times and hit him nine, frequently forcing him to dump off passes to his backs.

“It’s all about pressure on the quarterback,” Childress told reporters. “I know sacks are nice statistics to keep. But nobody keeps hurries and hits. All those things add up.”

The Packers, meanwhile, are hoping star linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring) will be as close to full speed as possible. Green Bay failed to sack Favre in either of their meetings last season.

What’s more, Favre is 8-0 when facing a team or defense coached by Green Bay’s Dom Capers. The Packers aim to change that.

“We have to get pressure on Brett,” Packers defensive end Ryan Pickett told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “I don’t think we sacked him. That definitely can’t happen if we want to win. We have to get pressure on the quarterback, we have to get him down, we have to get some sacks.”

— Sam Farmer