There was no shortage of excitement in the Packers' first date with the rival Vikings on Sunday. For the ninth time this season, Minnesota was part of a contest that was decided by one score or less, this time securing what was potentially a job-saving victory for head coach Mike Zimmer - and keeping the Vikings in the playoff hunt.
Division losses are always bitter, but this one happens to be extra painful for the Packers. In what could have been a road win that effectively locked up the division, they instead dropped a second game in three weeks, shrinking their lead in the NFC North to 2.5 games.
What's worse: the defeat came with yet another injury to a key contributor. Late in the second half, OL Elgton Jenkins went down with what's believed to be a torn ACL, which has the potential to put the ascending lineman's early 2022 season in jeopardy. Assuming Jenkins' 2021 season is over, he'll join nine other Packers currently on injured reserve.
On Offense
Personnel gaps on offense were magnified during the first half of Sunday's game, as the passing game continued to miss tight end Robert Tonyan and the rushing attack was hindered by the absences of Aaron Jones as a ball carrier and Allen Lazard as a blocker. Early on, receivers had a difficult time getting open, forcing Rodgers to take sacks and force a number of throws to Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Coming into the game the least-penalized team in the NFL, the Packers were uncharacteristically sloppy, perhaps affected by the loud indoor playing environment. The combination of holding and false start penalties killed many promising drives during the first half, in particular, causing the Packers to have to play catch-up the remainder of the game.
It seemed like Matt LaFleur wanted to lean more heavily on A.J. Dillon, but two things prevented that from happening. Firstly, the offensive line simply wasn't creating many holes for Dillon inside versus a pedestrian Minnesota D-line. Secondly, the Packers were trailing by one or more scores for most of the game, requiring play calling that got Green Bay into opposing territory faster.
On Defense
For a Packers defense accustomed to being burned by Minnesota's rushing game, Sunday was a change of pace: a stout front seven largely contained Dalvin Cook and the Vikings' game. Unfortunately, the damage shifted to the air.
With Green Bay missing its top three edge rushers, Kirk Cousins continued to build on his impressive 2021 stat line, throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns. While Kenny Clark, De'Vondre Campbell and Kingsley Keke managed to supply some pressure on passing downs, the rush seemed to be a half-second too late, with Cousins able to get rid of the ball three of the five times he was hit.
On the receiving end of Cousins' 35 pass attempts, a youthful Green Bay secondary had its hands full with star receiver, Justin Jefferson. Coming off his best game of the season, rookie Eric Stokes underwhelmed in Week 11, getting mixed up in coverage early on that led to a big gain by Jefferson and allowing a potential interception to go right through his hands on a separate occasion.
Stokes' whiff was one of three passes that should have been intercepted over the course of the game, the worst coming on the watch of Darnell Savage during the game's final drive. While the Packers' makeshift secondary has found a way to get the job throughout October and November, it was the clear culprit in today's loss.
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