💥 Could the Packers’ hidden ace finally dismantle the Vikings’ relentless blitz?.QQ

The Minnesota Vikings’ defense is led by one the most aggressive coordinators in the NFL, Brian Flores.

The Green Bay Packers’ offensive line is led by Sean Rhyan, who is coming off his first career start at center.

On paper, that could be a huge advantage to the Vikings when they face the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. However, Rhyan’s secret weapon could be his intelligence.

“He’s a very smart, a very smart player,” running back Josh Jacobs said. “When we go to the meetings, really, since I’ve been here, he’s always the one answering all the questions. He gets called on the most. He’s the guy that they know is going to have the right answer every time.

“I think the way that he goes about working every day, the way that he’s trying to make sure he’s the best version of himself that he can be, I have a major respect for a guy like that.”

Rhyan, who replaced injured Elgton Jenkins after the Pro Bowler sustained what’s likely a season-ending injury against Carolina, is not a football genius or anything. Rather, it’s been his studious approach to the game.

“A lot of work. A lot, a lot of work,” Rhyan said. “Luckily, I came from a program where it was a little bit like an NFL program with Chip (Kelly) over at UCLA.

“But just a lot of work. I’m really hard on myself – I was in school, too. So, just hard work and being called on, whether I want to be called on or not. So, I had to know the answers. A little bit forced, a little bit of hard work on my end. Just repetition.”

Rhyan, of course, just wants to play. He started all 17 games last season but was the odd man out in Green Bay’s new line this season. Going to center not only gives Rhyan an avenue to becoming an every-down player but allows him to flex his mental muscle, which is something he enjoys.

“A little bit, yeah, just because, like we were talking about, the Vikings do throw so much at you,” Rhyan said. “Being able to kind of pick through it and put us in the right protection or point the right guy is kind of fun, because once we block it up and spring an X play or whatever, it’s fun because it’s like ‘Oh, yeah, got everything blocked up right and it kind of just worked out.’ So, it’s fun, yeah.”

Rhyan spent a lot of training camp and the preseason playing center, so he wasn’t moving to a completely foreign position following Jenkins’ injury. But last week was his first regular-season start at the position.

Offensive line coach Luke Butkus liked what he saw.

“He’s the quarterback of the offensive line,” Butkus said. “He’s got to step in there and he’s got to make the calls and get us in the right position. It’s a lot of work. We’ve been very fortunate to have some great centers here.

“It’s kind of like a security blanket for all of us. Elgton, get us right. Josh (Myers), get us right. Corey (Linsley), get us right. Now, it’s Sean’s turn. I’m excited for him and he battled his butt off last week. I think he can continue to grow. Never satisfied – that’s who Sean Rhyan is.”

It’s been an adjustment for quarterback Jordan Love. His first two seasons were spent with the veteran Myers. This year, he had to adapt to Jenkins and, now, Rhyan.

“I think he did a good job of communicating to other guys, make sure we’re all on the same page,” Love said. “There will be stuff for him to build on personally obviously, but it was a good test. Obviously, Dexter Lawrence, he’s going up against a really good guy kind of sitting right in his lap the whole game. It was a good test for him, and I think he did a good job.”

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich pointed to a couple wayward snaps, something that can’t happen, but the coaches were impressed with his physicality and how he got everyone on the same page.

“I think Sean’s done a great job,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “There were a couple things, obviously, that I think that we’re going to continue to improve and work through in regards to just making sure that we have clean operation from center to the quarterback. But I was really impressed, No. 1, with his poise out there, and I thought he did a great job. So, I’m happy with him, and I think it’s only going to get better the more he does.”

The Giants blitzed on 37.9 percent of Green Bay’s plays overall and on 12 of Love’s 28 dropbacks. If they threw a few kitchen utensils at him, the Vikings with Flores will throw the kitchen sink at him on Sunday. On Sunday against Chicago, Flores blitzed Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on 28 of his 36 dropbacks, according to PFF.

Sticking with kitchen analogies, that means there will be more on Rhyan’s plate than usual.

“Shoot, that’s being a center now,” he said. “It’s one of those things of I got to figure it out. Make all the right calls and do it quick.”

If Rhyan wins the mental game, it will give the Packers a chance to win the physical game.

“They have a bunch of things that they’re going to try to throw at us, but we have to hold up and it’ll allow some other things to open up,” he said. “So, it’s kind of like a double-edged sword. If you’re going to bring a certain pressure, you got to be able to cover the back end if you’re going to do certain things.”