GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – This is really bad football. There’s no getting around it after the Green Bay Packers once again proved impotent on offense for a first half, committed 11 critical penalties, died three deaths in a row on 4th down in the 4th quarter to lose their 4th straight game, 24-10 to the Minnesota Vikings on a cloudy, crisp, 39 degree afternoon at Lambeau Field. The win for the visitors, now 4-4 on the season came with a heavy price. Kirk Cousins, playing perhaps his best football of his career, suffered a non-contact torn Achilles stepping up to avoid a 4th quarter sack by Kenny Clark. He was carted off the field after throwing a pair of touchdown passes, giving him 18 over the first 8 weeks. Both TD passes came in a minute, thirty-seven second span of the third quarter when the Vikings put the game away. He found T.J. Hockenson between Rasul Douglas and Jonathan Owens, starting for the injured Darnell Savage, on a two yard pass. On the next Packer snap, Jordan Love’s deep ball down the middle to Jayden Reed was literally pulled from his hands by linebacker Josh Metellus who returned the pick 43 yards to the Packer 20. Cousins then found rookie Jordan Addison behind Jaire Alexander for an easy score to make it 24-3.
It took the Packers all 30 minutes of the first half just to reach 3. Incredibly inept offense had four consecutive three and outs to start the ballgame, a trend that has now become a curse. Their first first down came with just over 4 minutes left in the half on a drive that reached the Minnesota 12. Anders Carlson clanked a 35 yard field goal off the right upright but the Vikings were flagged for offside. On the untimed down, Carlson made good on his second try from 30 yards away.
The Packer defense was looking or a quick stop in the third to try and turn the tide but Minnesota converted on a third and nine with KJ Osborn running away from Quay Walker for 32 yards which led to the Hockenson score and eventual double dip.
Green Bay’s only TD drive came after the deficit hit 21. Reed pulled down an open 31 yard catch and drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone to set the ball at the one. It took five snaps from there to score. A.J. Dillon was stuffed twice from the one. An offsides penalty nudged it even closer. On 4th down, Love found Romeo Doubs in the left corner of the end zone for the score that made it 24-10. The offense was given two opportunities to close the gap. The first came after Karl Brooks blocked a 44 yard field goal try from Joseph. The ball floated into the hands of Owens who returned it 23 yards past midfield. The Packers reached the 10 where on second and five, Dontayvion Wicks dropped a slant, Love’s back shoulder pass to Watson in the end zone was tipped away and on 4th down, a low percentage shot to Doubs near the goal line with three defenders around him didn’t connect.
Preston Smith then came up with a strip sack on rookie backup quarterback Jaren Hall and Devonte Wyatt recovered the fumble at the 15.
A sack of Love led to a 4th and 16 desperation scramble and the quarterback was stopped one yard short.
After forcing a punt, the Packers reached the Minnesota 34 only to see Love get sacked again, actually losing a fumble but Zach Tom recovered and on 4th and 20, one last incompletion to Doubs ended the miserable day.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur must feel like he’s watching Groundhog’s Day, just like Bill Murray, he can’t escape the same looking Packer team for now four weeks straight in the most forgettable month of October in a very long time.
Despite a week where two players were placed on injured reserve for a month (Savage and Eric Stokes), a handful of other players were questionable going in, the Packers had them all available for a critical NFC North matchup but the poor execution and mistakes had them sink to 2-5 on the year, moving ever closer to the top of the draft list than toward even a sniff of a wild card berth which seems almost inconceivable now.
The Packers managed 270 yards of offense, putting up a scant 98 in the first half. Minnesota gained 346 yards and held the ball for over 36 minutes. The Vikes were 10 of 18 on third down, converting third and 8 plays five times, third and nine once. Green Bay was 5 of 14 on the money down and 1 for 4 on 4th. The penalties were debilitating, 11 for 99 yards including two personal foul penalties on he first Minnesota scoring drive, Owens for a late hit and Kingsley Enegbare for roughing the passer. False starts and holds for the offensive line which even led to the benching of left tackle Rasheed Walker who gave way to Yosh Nijman for a series or two before he left with an injury.
Love was 24 of 41 for 229 yards and a score with a pick, the underthrown just enough shot to Reed. He was also sacked four times. While his accuracy is often problematic, LaFleur counted at least a half dozen balls that were dropped. Love was also the leading rusher with 34 yards on 4 scrambles, another sign of how often the front is not opening holes for Aaron Jones (7 carries for 29 yards) or Dillon, (6 for 11). Dillon again led the receiving corps with five checkdown grabs for 41 yards. Reed had 4 for 83. Watson had three catches on 8 targets for just 33 yards. After Reed’s 34 yard catch, the longest offensive play was just 17.
Defensively, De’Vondre Campbell returned to the lineup for the first time since the New Orleans game coming off a high ankle sprain. He led the team with 14 tackles. Quay Walker, who had an interception on the opening series glance off his hands twice, was next with 10 stops. The run defense was fine, giving up 62 yards on 31 carries and a long rush of 10 to Alexander Mattison who led Minnesota with 16 carries for 31 yards.
It was the secondary which struggled against Cousins and the passing game. Alexander was not up to snuff after missing two games with a sore back. Osborn caught 8 balls for 99 yards, Addison 7 for 82 and Hockenson had 6 for 88, many of them the pitch and catch variety in open spaces.
Trying real hard to find a bright spot but punter Daniel Whelan averaged 51.8 yards on four kicks with a net of 43.3, unfortunately punting after each of the first four possessions of the game.
There didn’t appear to be any new injuries for the Packers beyond Nijman. Former Packer Dean Lowry left in the first half with a groin injury and didn’t return.
The inactives for the Packers were Malik Heath, Robert Rochell, Zayne Anderson, Brenton Cox Jr. and Caleb Jones.
There is little the team can do to right this sinking ship other than get back to work at practice and concentrate on the little things that can help the execution. Even with the NFL trade deadline looming early this week, General Manager Brian Gutekunst will almost stubbornly stick to his guns and hope his young club can reduce the mistakes through reps and make more plays. The product on display right now is painfully hard to watch.
The Los Angeles Rams are coming next with another noon kickoff at Lambeau to open November after a winless, at times hapless October.
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