Well, that didn't go as it should.
The Green Bay Packers did much of what they wanted to do in the 43-34 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
I suppose this could be considered one of those games in which the final score was closer than the game. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit open receivers. He hit open receivers from a safe, cushy pocket. He was rarely pressured and he had a field full of open receivers. A football game can be pretty easy under such circumstances. So, saying that the game wasn't as close as the score is probably an accurate thing to say.
A loss is a loss and any effort to explain it away is basically a waste of time. I'll still try to find some positives in this negative start to the season. Perhaps I'm just an optimistic sort but I don't see yesterday's game as the disaster that most fans feel that they saw. The game really turned during the final minute of first half. On their first possession of the game, the Vikings crisply cruised down the field for a touchdown. Great. It was a terrific start. Their next three possessions:
2 plays, -1 yards-Safety
3 plays, -5 yards-Punt
2 plays, 0 yards-Interception
Very ugly. Despite really having only one offensive possession over the first 29 minutes of the game, the Vikings trailed 8-7. The Packers offense was on the field for all but 6:47 of those 29 minutes. The Vikings defense jumped offsides on two third downs gifting Rodgers and the Packers offense extended possessions. The Packers offense was on the field too damn much and the Vikings offense was on the field too damn little. The severe time of possession and play imbalance was the difference in the first half and eventually the game. The Vikings defense simply couldn't gift the Packers new downs with poor snap discipline. Despite the time and play imbalance, it was only 8-7. Then came that final minute of the first half. The Packers offense scored their first touchdown with 39 seconds remaining in the half. Trying to get something before the half, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins threw his one bad pass of the game. He was throwing an intermediate out route to Adam Thielen. At best, he hits Thielen in stride and the Vikings have something going before the half. At worst, he throws wide of Thielen and it's simply incomplete and they either try again or run out the clock. The only options for that throw are on Thielen or incomplete in front of him. Instead, Cousins throws behind Thielen and Packers corner Jaire Alexander intercepts. Two plays later the Packers had their second touchdown of the game and their second touchdown in the final minute of the first half. Just like that, 8-7 became 22-7. As a sign of what the Vikings offense could do if they stick to their business and not help the Packers, they drive to a field goal in the final 14 seconds of the half. 22-10 with the second half to play.
Speaking of the their first half, the Vikings did their best to jump-start the Jaire Alexander for the Pro Bowl campaign. His blitz and sack of Cousins in the end zone earned the Packers two points.The blitz was nicely timed but Cousins has to get rid of the ball. If nothing else, he throws at the back of Thielen's or Tyler Conklin's head. Both looked to be wide open in the area Alexander vacated. Hopefully, one or both receivers were alert enough to give their quarterback a target. Alexander's interception of a poorly placed pass led to seven more points. Both plays could've/should've been avoided and Alexander is still looking for Pro Bowl attention.
The Vikings had to score in the third quarter. They didn't. They moved the chains a few times and crossed midfield on each of their two third quarter possessions but they didn't score. On the second possession, Cousins threw deep on fourth-and-three but didn't connect with Tajaé Sharpe. At the time it seemed like a terrific gamble. In hindsight, I'd rather that the three yards that were needed for the first down were the goal.
The Vikings offense did get rolling. They scored 24 points in the fourth quarter. The only problem was that the Vikings defense simply couldn't slow Rodgers and the Packers offense. Too many receivers running free. Too much time to find them.
The stats that decided the game:
Time of Possession:
Packers: 41:16
Vikings: 18:44
The 18:44 time of possession is the worst that the Vikings have posted since the statistic has been officially tracked (1977). Scoring 34 points in less than 19 minutes seems nice.
Plays:
Packers: 76
Vikings: 49
That sort of imbalance typically leads to a game decided by 20 points or more.
The ease with which the Packers offense cruised the football field increased as the Vikings defense spent more and more time on the field. The defense needed breaks that they were never able to get. Even when the Vikings offense ripped off three touchdowns in the fourth quarter they scored them so quickly that the defense never got a breather. For any game, the defense was on the field too much. For the first game? Without the benefit of preseason games to get in game shape? It was a difficult start.
I've only hinted at yesterday's biggest Vikings issue. The young cornerbacks. They are so young. They are also very talented. Mike Hughes is the most experienced. He's entering his third year with five starts. He's 23. Holton Hill is also entering his third year. He's started four games. He's also 23. Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney are rookies. They are going to have growing pains this season. It's tough to start those growing pains against Aaron Rodgers. I believe in the talent of these football players. I believe in the coaching. It will get better. I'm certain that the going won't be so breezy for Rodgers in Week 8.
The Vikings defense also need closer to a full game from Yannick Ngakoue and a healthy return from Danielle Hunter. The pass rush that those two will eventually provide will help the young corners considerably.
A positive: The Vikings succeeded on all three of their 2-point attempts. Yay.
It's a terrible start to the season. The Vikings are already chasing the Packers. It will get better. That starts next week in Indianapolis against the Colts.
