Jaire Alexander called the Vikings’ explosive Week 1 loss to the Packers a “coincidence” ahead of this week’s expected NFC North rematch. It turns out the Green Bay star didn’t go far enough in his remarks. With a chance to stay in contention for the No. 1 conference playoff, not to mention sweep and eliminate Aaron Rodgers and co., Minnesota has barely picked up a fight at Lambeau Field. The Vikings gave up at every stage of the game, falling behind early on due to a special team blunder, failing to stop Aaron Jones-led ground play, and then being mauled by Green Bay’s revived defense as the Packers suffered a 41-17 loss , which balanced was more skewed than the score indicated.
The Vikings (12-4) clinched an NFC North title earlier this season. But Sunday’s Week 17 rematch was all Packers (8-8), who can now earn a wild card spot with a win over the rival Lions in Week 18. While Rodgers didn’t post gaudy numbers himself, working against a vulnerable Minnesota defense, Kirk Cousins had a particularly head-scratching performance, throwing three interceptions without connecting with Jefferson.
Here are some additional takeaways from Sunday’s blowout:
Why the Packers won
The defense and special teams came into action early on: Joe Barry’s unit limited Minnesota to 14 plays for 20 yards on the Vikings’ first four drives, and Keisan Nixon made a 105-yard kick-return TD look easy. As the game progressed, it was primarily the “D” that was the driving force behind the Packers’ resurgence as a playoff hope. Jaire Alexander dominated the coverage against Justin Jefferson with a vengeance and set the tone early on with physicality. And the rest of secondary was opportunistic as ever, getting receivers and Kirk Cousins’ throws on key downs, with Adrian Amos, Rasul Douglas, Darnell Savage and TJ Slaton all recording at least a pick or multiple pass deflections.
Offensively, Rodgers relied mostly on Aaron Jones, who conquered one open lane after another but also sealed the game with a TD scramble of his own and switched to the touchline with more than seven minutes to go as Jordan Love took over cleanup duty. Mason Crosby, meanwhile, contributed with a perfect 56-yard field goal to keep Green Bay ahead.
Why the Vikings lost
Although they seem to have fate on their side in close matches of equal or lesser opponents, they know how to fold against the big dogs. An early punt block seemed to set the stage for an upset, but immediately thereafter they failed to pot the ball from the 1-yard line and got no push for Dalvin Cook on a night the running back largely was not available. Cousins, meanwhile, did almost nothing through the air while blasting passes into a tight secondary, only hitting TJ Hockenson with any regularity. When the Packers had a sizable lead, things got worse when Green Bay simply bullied them at every level. Ed Donatell’s “D” was actually better than expected against the pass, but ended up being a total sieve against the run. Greg Joseph stuck to the program by sailing a pair of field goals well off the post. Their only real points came after the game was decided.
turning point
A little over halfway through the first quarter, the Vikings appeared to be gaining momentum after Dalvin Tomlinson sacked Aaron Rodgers in fourth and 1 with a 16 loss. Minnesota took over Packers territory with a chance to retake the lead. After four games in the series, however, Cousins fired one over the middle to Hockenson and Green Bay cornerer Rasul Douglas dumped the ball in the air – and the waiting hands of Darnell Savage, who went on to run 75 yards for the score. The Packers went up 14-3 thanks to the takeaway and never looked back.
game of the game
Pretty much every third snap from Packers’ secondary belongs here, but Savage’s pick-six took the cake among the crucial plays in coverage:
What’s next
The Packers (8-8) remain at Lambeau Field in Week 18 where they take on the rival Lions (8-8) in a showdown that will decide the NFC’s final wild card. The Vikings (12-4), meanwhile, will visit Chicago to take on the Bears (3-13), who were routed by Detroit on Sunday.