Photo by Evan Siegle - packers.com
Malik Heath vs. the Vikings at Lambeau Sept. 29, 2024
Malik Heath vs. the Vikings at Lambeau Sept. 29, 2024
On Monday Night against the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff completed all 18 of his pass attempts. It was as flawless a passing performance as you will ever see, bolstered by a strong, reliable rushing attack as running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. The first three weeks of the NFL season are typically messy due to the shortened preseason and a limit on tackling in practice, but by week four, most teams have hit their stride, and after a bit of a slow start, the Lions managed to put it all together.
This was absolutely not the case for the Green Bay Packers, who have yet to play anything close to a clean game with Jordan Love behind center. Against the Vikings on Sunday, Minnesota buried the Packers early as the Vikings executed their game plan perfectly in the first half while the Packers committed several penalties, receivers dropped passes, kicker Brayden Narveson missed easy field goals, and a still-recovering Jordan Love threw two first-half interceptions (three in total). The Vikings got out to a 28-0 lead and were able to withstand a furious comeback attempt from the Packers in the second half. Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold was an efficient 20/28 with 275 yards, three touchdowns and a single interception while old friend Aaron Jones carried the ball 22 times for 93 yards and added another 46 through the air.
The Packer effort in the first half was a shame as the Vikings have been one of the best teams in the entire NFL to date, and the second half effort by the Packers showed that they’re vulnerable if you play a clean game. The Vikings’ defense had trouble stopping anything late as, in the second half, Jordan Love was 19/29 for 271 yards and three touchdowns and an interception, but it wasn’t enough to recover from every self-inflicted wound from the first half.
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Struggling Defense
Love’s first interception of the day set the tone. Green Bay was already trailing 14-0 in the first as the defense struggled to contain Justin Jefferson, and Narveson missed his first field goal, a 37-yarder. The Packers needed to respond, but instead Love threw a terrible ball into triple coverage, intended for Christian Watson. The throw lacked Love’s characteristic zip as he clearly didn’t trust his plant leg after his MCL strain that sidelined him for two games. Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill picked the pass, and more importantly, Watson was injured and will miss at least one more week with a likely high ankle sprain.
In place of Watson, Dontayvion Wicks had one of his worst games of the season, dropping at least three passes, and failing to win contested catch opportunities on several others. Wicks’ final line of 78 yards and two touchdowns is superficially fine, but he is one of the main reasons that a comeback was necessary in the first place. Tight end Tucker Kraft played well, but with the Packers’ hopes still very much alive, he was stripped by Minnesota corner Byron Murphy. Minnesota recovered the fumble, essentially ending the game.
On the positive side, slot receiver Jayden Reed continues to cement himself as the team’s number one receiver, catching seven of eight targets for 139 yards and a score. Reed was instrumental in the comeback effort, as was safety Xavier McKinney, who recorded his fourth interception in as many games. After halftime, the defense held Minnesota to just a field goal, and finally managed some pressure on quarterback Sam Darnold, while the offense showed how explosive they can be when players aren’t making mistakes. In fact, the Packers lead the NFL in explosive plays (rushes of 10 yards or more, and pass plays of twenty yards or more) with 38. The Chicago Bears have just 12.
But this team still looks like they’re playing in the preseason. They remain among the most penalized teams and were hit eight times on Sunday (seven in the first half), and self-inflicted mistakes are the only reason they’re not undefeated. The Vikings have proven to be a very good team with an impressive coaching staff, and if the Packers are going to take them down and get back into the hunt for a division title, they need to clean up the small stuff.
Next week they face a depleted Los Angeles Rams team, and they should be heavy favorites. It’s a good opportunity to get things right before a more difficult stretch against the Cardinals and Texans. They will also need to address their kicker situation. Brayden Narveson has yet to post a clean game, and he is the only kicker in the NFL to have missed a kick under 40 yards this season. There are not many great options available, but special teams continue to hold the Packers back, and it’s hard to imagine Narveson attempting a field goal in the playoffs several months from now.
