The Minnesota Vikings made a big-deal trade. And the details caught Packers head coach Matt LaFleur by surprise. Now these teams meet in a Week 10 NFC North battle, and here are bold predictions for the contest.

The Vikings enter with a 6-2 record, while the Packers sit last in the division despite a 6-3 mark. It's a different setting than it would have been before the trade deadline, as the Vikings dramatically improved their QB situation. They grabbed Kirk Cousins in a deal with the Raiders. Will he shine in his second debut with the Vikings?

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins will throw for 225-plus yards and two TDs

Let’s face it. If the Vikings don’t put the ball in the air against the Packers, they’re very unlikely to win. The Packers are going to score some points, even against that tough Vikings defense. So Cousins has to come out balling.

And there’s really no reason for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell to hold Cousins back, according to startribune.com.

“When there’s completions to be had, he’s going to find them,” O’Connell said. “That can be down the field, that can be in the intermediate areas, that can be checkdowns. Kirk is a quarterback that’s understood and progressed at a high level to a place of the power of completion, what it does to a defense, what it does to his teammates, what it does to the rhythm of the offense.

“That’s a unique thing, because he can understand the intent of a play, what we’re trying to get done and then how to attack that and play fast.”

And Cousins said he’s anxious to get a fresh start with the Vikings.

“To be back there, wearing the purple and gold, it has meaning,” Cousins said. “But you have to go make it mean something with the way you play.”

And the player-coach relationship matters.

“Kevin knows me,” Cousins said. “(He) knows what I do well. Kevin knows what I don’t do well. Kevin knows what I can handle, what I can’t handle, and I think that helps.”

Packers QB Jordan Love will hit three 30-plus-yard plays

Remember, this is a good defense. But the Packers aren’t going to stop doing what they do based on the Vikings’ abilities. Also, the big plays don’t have to come on long passes down the field. Love can hit Matthew Golden or Christian Watson against the blitz, and they can break into the clear for a big gain.

The Packers have to keep attacking, Love said, according to Packers.com.

“Against this defense, you know what it is, you can't get frustrated,” Love said. “There's going to be some times where they get you, or the call we got just isn't good enough versus what they're bringing.

“That's part of it. They'll win some reps for sure, and you just gotta stay focused.”

The Vikings are going to heat the Packers up. They lead the NFL with a 72.5% blitz rate on passing downs. And they do it from many angles. Toss in the fact that the Packers will have to deal with the crowd noise, and it’s quite a challenge.

“Oh, man, it makes a huge difference,” Love said of playing in the Vikings dome. “Silent count, it's easier for D-line to get a little bit of a get-off. They kind of know what's coming. But I think, too, just playing there, the environment, the noise, all those things, it throws communication off for an offense. We can't hear each other.”

But the reason Love will hit several big plays is his ability to carve up a blitz. He leads the NFL in passing yards against the blitz (967) and is tied for first in passing TDs with 10.

“His anticipation to see space and just trust his receivers and get the ball into wherever area that's supposed to be has been pretty awesome,” Vikings offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “Whether that's layering a ball, giving it some time or throwing it on a line, it's been pretty impressive to watch.

“He's calm, doesn't get rattled, so he's just a special player when it comes to that.”

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson will set season high in yardage

This is a strong bet for two reasons. First, Jefferson set his season high of 92 yards against the Packers. He also scored twice.

Since then, Jefferson has one TD and 301 yards in six other games. He’ll bounce back because Cousins is going to find ways to get him the ball. Not so much on deep shots, but on intermediate connections where Jefferson can turn a 15-yard pass into a 25-plus-yard play.

Cousins said it’s a matter of getting back into the connection with Jefferson, according to Sound the Horn’s post on YouTube via Heavy.com.

“For me, with Justin, it's just play to play, play in and play out,” Cousins said. “You're always going where your reads take you, and Kevin [O'Connell] will always do a great job of trying to give him opportunities. He's always done a great job of making us look smart. I think that's what my approach will be again.

“You don't go chasing things, but you also understand the player that he is, and you go where your reads take you. You know that he tends to make you right when you throw him the ball in his direction.”