Vikings - Packers

Well, that was just ugly. So ugly. 

The Green Bay Packers took apart the Minnesota Vikings on the spongy surface of Lambeau Field. The final score was a miserable 41-17. It really wasn’t that close. 

It’s difficult to believe that the Vikings fortunes against the Packers hinged on the health of center Austin Schlottman. Snapping in place of starter Garrett Bradbury for the past few games, Schlottman has held up fairly well. In this game, after a blocked punt, the Vikings started their second possession on the Packers one-yard line. It was a big-time opportunity in a big-time game. After an incomplete pass to Adam Thielen on first down, the Vikings tried the middle of the line with Dalvin Cook. There was no room largely because Schlottman broke his ankle on the play. Backup guard Chris Reed entered the game as the Vikings new center. His first NFL snap started another Cook running play between the tackles. It went nowhere as Reed whiffed on his block. From my comfy couch, I have no idea why you run a play between the tackles with a center fresh off the bench making his first NFL snap. The Vikings settled for one of the shortest field goals a kicker can kick. 

I have no doubt that the Vikings would’ve turned that big-time opportunity into a touchdown if Schlottman hadn’t broken his ankle. 

The loss of Schlottman was a direct cause of nearly all of the problems that the Vikings offense had on this miserable day. The pressures up the middle, the tipped passes, the tipped passes that resulted in interceptions, the interceptions, the strip-sack, and the loads of procedural penalties and communication issues. There were multiple occasions in which the Vikings had a nice first down gain setting them up ahead of the chains. Then they’d follow that with some procedural penalty. Second-and-five would turn to second-and-ten. It’s a terrible way to play football. The communication was so bad that on several occasions the other four offensive line members moved with Reed still gripping the ball. On one occasion, the communication issues forced the Vikings to call a timeout. Kirk Cousins was walking toward the sideline and Reed snapped the ball and it skittered through an empty backfield. It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so damn sad. 

Every offensive play begins with the center-quarterback exchange. When that isn’t working at all, it’s real difficult to get anything going. It’s wrong to put all of this blame on Chris Reed. He was put into a very difficult situation. He’s a guard, a good guard, that was forced to play center. Having three centers on a roster is a luxury. I’d imagine, in hindsight, the Vikings decision-makers probably should’ve activated Josh Sokol from the practice squad for the game. Despite being a rookie, he has a lot more center-quarterback exchanges in his football career. 

It always sucks to see the Vikings play like shit. It’s even worse to see them play like shit against the Packers. This Packers team is peppered with assholes. From the fraud that is Aaron Rodgers to Jaire Alexander. And now rookie linebacker Quay Walker. It’s a team of assholes. Alexander should’ve been flagged for taunting for doing the Griddy next to Justin Jefferson after getting away with pass interference. The official was concerned enough about Alexander’s clown show that he felt the need to get between the two players. It’s Walker that takes the top asshole award in this game for his body slam of K.J. Osborn. Football is a violent game. Even with rules designed to make it more safe it’s a violent game.There are 22 players on a football field. More important than the rules, the players make an agreement with each other to not kill each other. I vividly remember Jack Tatum deliberately ending the career of Darryl Stingley. That brutal, intentional hit is as vivid now as when it happened. Since then, I’ve seen scattered asshole players attack their football peers in a similar manner. Quay Walker is the most recent. He had Osborn stopped. He also had Osborn in a vulnerable position. He made that position even more vulnerable by lifting Osborn up and slamming him to the ground. Walker was penalized for the stunt. He should’ve been tossed. He will be fined. In my opinion, he’s a dirty player. He’ll always be a dirty player. A player like Tatum, Bill Romanowski, Andre Waters, Ndamukong Suh, and Nick Bosa. 

That spongy Lambeau surface? It seemed like it was only Vikings players that had issues with it. Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson slipped on several occasions. Jefferson reportedly changed to different cleats. It didn’t help. Two offensive linemen were lost to leg injuries. Greg Joseph missed two field goals. Who knows? Something wasn’t right with that spongy surface. 

This damn game felt kinda like the first half of the Indianapolis Colts game. Like the Colts, the Packers offense didn’t do much in gaining a huge lead. They didn’t have to do much. There was a kick return touchdown. An interception return touchdown. When the Vikings are feeling generous, they are very, very generous. Unfortunately, unlike the Colts game, the Vikings generosity continued throughout the game against the Packers. 

A week after benefitting from a concussed Tua Tagavailoa, the Packers lucky run to the playoffs got another boost. 

I’d love to see the Packers again this season. 

The Vikings finish the regular season against the Bears in Chicago. After this horrible loss, it appears that the Vikings are locked into the #3 seed. Perhaps, the Vikings decision-makers will decide to rest the starters. I hope not. I’d rather end the regular season on a higher note than this horrible loss and a preseason-like performance.