Vikings-Packers

 Well, how about that? 

Minnesota Vikings 28

Green Bay Packers 22

That wasn’t supposed to happened. All of the media honks honked that it wouldn’t. Couldn’t. 

The way that the Vikings played yesterday was probably the plan for the season from the start. Do the little things. Do some big things. Don’t do stupid things. It’s a conservative approach but it’s the best approach for a team that’s young, inexperienced, and a little suspect on defense. Lean on Dalvin Cook. Move the chains. Sustain drives. Make each game a game of management for Kirk Cousins. 

That’s how yesterday’s game against the Packers played out for the Vikings. Lean on Cook and do enough on defense. After two weeks of inactivity, Dalvin Cook was outstanding. 

Cook’s day:

30 carries, 163 yards, 3 TDs (21,1,1)

2 catches, 63 yards, 1TD (50)

His 226 yards was about 70% of the offensive production. The Vikings leaned on his production to control the game. The defense was mostly a nuisance to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense but it didn’t start that way. In the first half, the Vikings defense put up little resistance. Two Packer drives ate up large chunks of time and ground. Fortunately, the Vikings offense answered both drives. Each team essentially had two possessions over the first 30 minutes. Four touchdowns. The second half was a different story. The Vikings offense continued scoring. Their first four possessions of the game ended with Cook scores. The Vikings defense got in the way of the Packers’ intentions just enough to keep them from scoring. The Packers weren’t able to get into the end zone until they were desperate to do so in the final minutes. The defense presented enough of a pass rush to keep Rodgers from being happy in the pocket. They stopped the run. The pass coverage did enough at the right times. It wasn’t a display of defensive dominance but it was enough. Dalvin Cook was the difference throughout the game. The Vikings’ young, inexperienced, suspect defense stood up and made a difference in the second half. So, it was fitting that the game ended with a defensive play. Rookie defensive end D. J. Wonnum had a strip-sack of Rodgers to secure the win.  

The Vikings offense set the stage for the win over the Packers. The defense sealed it. It’s the way Mike Zimmer saw his team back in August.

The Vikings are 2-0 when Cousins doesn’t throw an interception. Imagine that. 

Beating the Packers is a sweet, sweet thing. So damn sweet. 

Game Balls:

Dalvin Cook

Offensive line

Eric Kendricks 

The cornerbacks

That’s a lot of balls. 

This was probably the best that the offensive line has played this season. Za’Darius Smith has made an unfortunate habit of ripping apart the Vikings offense since he arrived in Green Bay last season. His only mentions during the game were his introduction and an offsides penalty. Smith plays all across the Packers front so the entire offensive line neutralized a terrific football player. In his second start, rookie Ezra Cleveland played like the right guard job is his for the duration. He stood out as did the entire offensive line. Dalvin Cook was brilliant and the line was a big reason for that. 

The cornerbacks deserve special mention. It’s a young, inexperienced group when every one of them is suited up to play. They were depleted for this game against Rodgers, Davante Adams, and friends. Rodgers was supposed to feast on this young, inexperienced, and depleted group. He didn’t. The Vikings entered the game with about 4.5 healthy young corners. That isn’t enough against Rodgers. Cameron Dantzler left early with a scary neck/head injury. Mark Fields and Kris Boyd left the game with injuries in the second half. With only rookies Jeff Gladney and Harrison Hand available at the end of the game, rookie safety Josh Metellus had to cover Packer pass-catchers. Aaron Rodgers couldn’t break these young corners. 

Here’s hoping that Cameron Dantzler is fine. It was a scary injury. 

Other than Dantzler’s injury, it was a great trip to Green Bay. It’s a sweet win. The Vikings have another division game next week. The Detroit Lions come to US Bank Stadium.