A road loss in Week 17 cloudies their playoff seeding just slightly, but not much was on the line for the Green Bay Packers against the Minnesota Vikings. A 27-25 loss looks much closer than it felt, as it took a serious second-half comeback from the Packers to draw that close.
Playing in U.S. Bank Stadium has never been a fun setting for the Packers, as they have struggled when heading north. Combined with the fact that the Packers have only won one game against an NFC North opponent, and this had the makings of an uphill battle from the start.
Offense
A fumble from Josh Jacobs on the opening drive put a sour taste in the offense’s mouth to start, a taste that they fought hard to get rid of as the game went on. While a heavy run focus was vacated as the game went on, Jacobs enjoyed a decent amount of success early on.
Jacobs racked up 17 carries for 69 yards and a score, with Emmanuel Wilson also finding the end zone on one of his six carries. As a whole, the offense ran for 104 yards, a low total for a unit that is used to incorporating the run at a heavier clip.
Jordan Love seemed off all game, as he struggled to only 185 yards on 30 attempts. Love was sacked three times and only averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, as he was off by a beat or two with his receivers.
Romeo Doubs was his most-trusted target, as he was the only pass catcher to earn double-digit targets (11). Doubs hauled in seven receptions for 58 yards, and Malik Heath caught Love’s only touchdown on his lone reception.
Defense
The pass defense for Jeff Hafley was taken to the woodshed by Sam Darnold, as Darnold threw for a career-high 377 yards in the win. Darnold connected with Jordan Addison, Cam Akers, and Jalen Nailor for touchdowns, as the passing attack paced the Vikings offense.
Old friend Aaron Jones did not see much of the field Sunday, as he was held out by the team after suffering a lower-body injury. But the offense didn’t seem to lapse without Jones in there, as Akers and others shouldered a heavier load.
Carrington Valentine intercepted Darnold in Minnesota territory, which led to Jacobs’ touchdown run. Edgerrin Cooper was easily the best defensive player on the field on Sunday, flying all over the place, racking up 11 tackles and four tackles for loss.
Looking Ahead for Green Bay
Falling to the seventh seed, Green Bay still can pass the Washington Commanders for the sixth seed with a GB win and a WAS loss. But as things currently stand, the Philadelphia Eagles would play host to Green Bay, as travelling out east has not always been a pleasant place for the Packers to play.
Sunday’s game was a disappointing performance that Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love need to take accountability for, as they are both at fault for the loss. The players did not come out of the gate in a way that showed that they wanted to win, and the offense took almost three full quarters to really come out of its shell, something that cannot happen against a team like the Vikings.
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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
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