The Green Bay Packers dug themselves out of a 28-0 hole and climbed back into the game with a 22-0 run, but ran out of gas tardy in a 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday’s 2024 division opener at Lambeau Field.
Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong in the first half for Matt LaFleur’s team. A robust second half wasn’t enough to overcome the stink of the first 30 minutes.
The Packers are now 2-2 and are looking at the undefeated Vikings in the NFC North standings after four weeks.
Here are the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ loss to the Vikings:
Good
Passing game potential: Sure, Jordan Love threw three interceptions, and each time the receivers fumbled the play after missing the throw. But even though the Packers passing game was fading quickly and he made too many mistakes overall, it’s impossible to overlook the enormous potential bubbling beneath the surface. It’s one thing to struggle in the passing game due to covered receivers, needy blocking, or misreading the quarterback. This is another situation where a rusty quarterback shows erratic accuracy in his first game back from injury and an otherwise talented receiver is open but doesn’t finish the play. Throwing the ball consistently at the NFL level requires precision. The Packers don’t have him right now, but the foundation looks incredibly robust. Once Love settles in and improves his timing and execution, the passing game could explode in terms of production and efficiency. It’s all there. The Packers need to improve slightly in a few areas and the sleeping giant will wake up.
WR Jayden Reed: Eight touches, seven receptions, 141 total yards, three explosive plays and a touchdown. Reed is a star. In four games, Reed totaled 427 yards, three touchdowns and 11 explosive plays – seven receptions of 20 or more yards and four rushes of 15 or more yards.
X goes 4/4: Xavier McKinney’s streak continues – four games, four interceptions. His pick ahead of Aaron Jones prevented a score in the second half and made team history – McKinney became the first player in franchise history to intercept a pass in his first four games with the team.
Badly
Pass rush: In a game without Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine available, the Packers desperately needed a defensive tackle to take control of the game. But after sacking Will Levis eight times last week, the Packers had a challenging time stopping Sam Darnold in Sunday’s game. Played from too many spotless pockets, especially on key passes. The Packers only had three quarterback hits, and two of them came on sacks by Quay Walker and Keisean Nixon on blitzes. The Packers’ four-man pass rushing unit, led by Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark, wasn’t good enough. Both Gary and Clark need to play more. It didn’t support that Devonte Wyatt suffered an ankle injury in the second half.
K. Brayden Narveson: He missed a 37-yard field goal from the right side, and his 49-yard shot had no chance. His two missed attempts in the first half cost the Packers six crucial points, but Matt LaFleur later capitalized on them by scoring 4 and 10 points from the field. Let’s say Narveson made his first two kicks and the Packers were leading 28-6 when the decision was made on a 4th-and-10 from the Vikings’ 34-yard line. Is LaFleur kicking? The special teams turnovers really hurt after a two-point loss. Narveson missed four field goals in four games.
Ugly
First half: It would be arduous to script a more terrible start for the Packers. Jordan Love threw two interceptions that resulted in touchdowns. Brayden Narveson missed two field goals. The Vikings scored on their first three possessions and four of their first five. Christian Watson suffered an injury. The topic of punishment was a recurring theme. It took a crazy sequence — including a muffed punt, a 15-yard penalty to coach Matt LaFleur and a Love touchdown pass to Jayden Reed — to salvage the first 30 minutes after the Packers were down 28-0. In the winning team’s dressing room, Kevin O’Connell said his team caused an “avalanche” in the first half. It’s challenging to disagree with the description. The Packers looked buried under the weight of their own mistakes.
