Vikings - Packers

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau, 24-10.

A two-score win over the Packers should be cause for celebration. It’s tough to celebrate when it appears that the Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season with a torn Achilles. It was a very costly win. Cousins has never missed a game to injury. His lone game absence was due to COVID. For a quarterback and a quarterback that takes a lot of hits, he’s been remarkably durable. Nothing is confirmed until it’s actually confirmed. It’s likely that his remarkable durability has come to an end. Cousins is a man of great faith. Perhaps that faith can produce a medical miracle. 

Much has been made of the perilous artificial surfaces that cover most of the league’s fields. Cousins’ contactless injury was on the spongy Lambeau surface. His cleat apparently caught. Injuries can happen anywhere. In football, every surface can be the cause of snapped ligaments, tendons, and bones. 

As for the game, the Vikings dominated. The score could’ve/should’ve been more one-sided. The Vikings should’ve had 17 points at the half rather than 10. The Packers went three-and-out on their first four possession and five of their first six. Nearly all of the Packers’ 270 yards were desperation yards in their hopeless comeback attempt. Oh, the Packers had some late opportunities. The Vikings gave them those opportunities. A blocked field goal gave the Packers an opportunity near midfield. A fumble by quarterback Jaren Hall, in for Cousins, gave the Packers a late, great opportunity at the Vikings 15-yard line. The Vikings defense ended those opportunities with turnovers on downs. They did the same thing on the Packers final possession of the game. The Vikings defense simply didn’t let the Packers take advantage of Cousins’ injury. 

Jaren Hall looked like a rookie quarterback getting his first 11 NFL snaps. His 16-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson on 3rd-and-8 from his own 8-yard line may have been the play of the game. Without that first down, the Packers probably get the ball back in great field position, with more than four minutes to play, needing two scores. Instead the Vikings were able to whittle another 1:30 off the clock, better the field position, and drain Packers timeouts. 

The Vikings must run the ball better. Cam Akers did get the team’s first rushing touchdown of the season. In Week 8! That was good. For the game, the Vikings gained 62 yards on 31 carries. A disappointing 2.0 yards per carry. Part of that inefficiency was from the  seven run plays (including two kneel downs) with Hall on the field. The Packers defense simply came after the rookie and the running backs that were in the way. If Hall or Nick Mullens is quarterbacking the Vikings for the rest of the season, the running game must be better, much better than it’s been. 

The Vikings defense gets better with each game. That must also continue. 

The Vikings beat the Packers at Lambeau! Skol!

Get healthy Kirk Cousins!