The Green Bay Packers sputtered through a nightmare first-half start and then didn’t make enough plays late to finish off the comeback attempt in a 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
A 28-0 deficit in the first half proved to be too deep a hole to dig out from. The Packers got 22 points in the fourth quarter but came up one or two plays short.
A brutal combination played out in the first half: Jordan Love needed time to settle in after returning from injury, and Jeff Hafley’s defense couldn’t find answers. Once Love settled in and Hafley adjusted, the Packers made it competitive. Regardless, the Packers are now 2-2 after four games.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— A lot in the second half. The Packers actually outscored the Vikings 22-3 over the final 30 minutes. Jordan Love threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes, and Jeff Hafley’s defense got two takeaways and a fourth-down stop while forcing three punts. The Vikings gained fewer than 15 yards on five of their second-half possessions.
— Jayden Reed turned eight total touchdowns into 141 total yards and a touchdown. He had a 15-yard touchdown catch right before the half to give the Packers some hope, and he finished with three plays of 20 or more yards.
— Three more takeaways. Even the special teams chipped in when Daniel Whelan’s towering punt was misplayed and Bo Melton recovered the fumble inside the 5-yard line. Xavier McKinney recorded an interception in his fourth straight game to start his Packers career, and Keisean Nixon delivered a key play on a strip-sack. The Packers now have three takeaways in four straight games to start 2024 and 12 takeaways overall.
— The passing game produced explosive plays. Five different pass-catchers had a catch of 20 or more yards. Love threw the football 54 times and finished with 389 passing yards. If they can get marginally better — in terms of placement and finishing — this passing game could explode.
What went wrong
— Just about everything in the first half. The Packers had two giveaways resulting in 14 points, two missed field goals and a half-dozen penalties, while the Vikings scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions.
— The Packers turned the ball over four times. Love’s first two interceptions set up touchdowns, his third came with the Packers driving in the fourth quarter and the fourth and final turnover — a fumble from Tucker Kraft — allowed the Vikings to kill off precious time late in the fourth quarter. Green Bay got three takeaways but still lost the turnover battle 4-3.
— Rookie kicker Brayden Narveson missed a pair of first-half field goals, including a 37-yarder on the opening Packers possession. He cost the Packers six points early, and then Matt LaFleur elected to go for it on 4th-and-10 inside field goal range in the first half.
— The passing game was off for long stretches early and randomly late. Love admitted his ball placement was erratic, especially early, and receivers struggled to make catches on tough throws. The quarterback was struggling and the receivers weren’t making plays for the passer. Bad combo.
— Love was sacked only once, but the Vikings delivered 10 quarterback hits and consistent pressure. Falling behind early allowed Brian Flores to put his pass-rushers and blitzers in attack mode against a quarterback still recovering from a knee injury.
— Sam Darnold played from far too many clean pockets, especially on obvious passing downs. The Packers pass rush needed to protect the cornerbacks with Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine out with injury, and they didn’t step up to the challenge. Green Bay finished with two sacks and one other quarterback hit.
— The Packers were penalty prone again, especially early. On the first possession, an Elgton Jenkins false start helped stall the drive in the red zone. On the Vikings second drive, three penalties helped Minnesota find the end zone. Even Matt LaFleur got flagged for a 15-yarder before the half. The Packers finished with eight penalties overall.
— The Packers missed Jaire Alexander. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison combined for nine catches, 157 yards and two scores. Addison beat Corey Ballentine on a double move for a touchdown, and Jefferson made an unreal catch against Keisean Nixon’s coverage for another score. In the fourth quarter, Jefferson had a long catch-and-run to set up a field goal, and a toe-tapping third-down conversion. You’d have to think Alexander would have helped limit the damage.
— Aaron Jones was menacing. He turned 26 touches into 139 yards. The Packers prevented him from getting into the end zone, avoiding the visual of Jones doing a Lambeau Leap. But he was a difference-maker as a rusher and receiver, especially in the first half.
— Christian Watson and Devonte Wyatt both left with ankle injuries and didn’t return. Neither looked particularly good on replay. The Packers will hope both can return sooner rather than later.
What it means
On one hand, a loss to the current division leader means a lot, especially at home. The Vikings are 4-0 and now have a big road win against one of their top competitors for the division title. On the other hand, this is nothing more than a September loss and the season (and division race) is far from lost at 2-2 through four games. Jordan Love clearly needed at least a half to get comfortable in his return from a knee injury. Remember, he barely played in the preseason and then got one regular season game in before missing over two weeks with an injury. His first test? Brian Flores. You can imagine the game was moving fast early. The Packers stunk it up in the first half, left points and plays all over the field and still had a chance to win late. This loss might hurt come the final standings, but it was far from a demoralizing defeat. It might have been a necessary sacrifice given where Love was in his recovery from injury and a potential foreshadowing of big things to come from the passing game.
Highlights
What’s next
The Packers head to Los Angeles to play the 1-3 Rams next Sunday in the late afternoon timeslot. Sean McVay’s team came back to beat the San Francisco 49ers at home in Week 3 but were beaten by the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. The Rams will be without Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and several other key contributors. Nothing will be easy against McVay and Matthew Stafford, but next Sunday is a game many will expect the Packers to win.
