The Green Bay Packers dug a 28-0 hole, got back into the game with a 22-0 run but then ran out of gas late in a 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 divisional opener on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Matt LaFleur’s team in the first half. A strong second half wasn’t enough to overcome the stink of the first 30 minutes.
The Packers are now 2-2 and staring up at the unbeaten Vikings in the NFC North standings after four weeks.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ loss to the Vikings:
The Good
The potential of the passing game: Sure, Jordan Love threw three interceptions, and receivers failed over and over again to make a play on a misplaced throw. But even though the Packers passing game sputtered early and made too many mistakes overall, it’s impossible to miss the enormous potential bubbling under the surface. It’s one thing for a passing game to struggle due to covered receivers, or poor blocking, or misreads from the quarterback. It’s another when a rusty quarterback has erratic accuracy in his first game back from an injury and otherwise talented receiver are open but not finishing plays. Throwing the football consistently at the NFL level takes precision. The Packers don’t have it right now, but the foundation looks incredibly strong. As Love settles in and the timing and execution improves, the passing game could explode in production and efficiency. It’s all there. The Packers must get marginally better in a few areas and the sleeping giant will awaken.
WR Jayden Reed: Eight touches, seven receptions, 141 total yards, three explosive plays and a touchdown. Reed is a star. Through four games, Reed has 427 total 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: The streak continues for Xavier McKinney — four games, four interceptions. His pick in front of Aaron Jones prevented points 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.
The Bad
The pass rush: In a game without Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine available, the Packers desperately needed the defensive front to take over the game. But after sacking Will Levis eight times last week, the Packers struggled to disrupt the pocket against Sam Darnold on Sunday. He played from too many clean pockets, especially on key passing downs. The Packers had only three quarterback hits, and two of the three came on sacks from Quay Walker and Keisean Nixon off blitzes. The four-man pass-rushing group from the Packers — led by Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark — wasn’t nearly good enough. Both Gary and Clark need to make more plays. It didn’t help to lose Devonte Wyatt to an ankle injury in the second half.
K Brayden Narveson: He missed from 37 yards off the up right, and his 49-yarder never had a chance. Not only did his two first-half misses cost the Packers six important points, but Matt LaFleur later went for it on 4th-and-10 inside field goal range. Let’s say Narveson made his first two kicks, and the Packers trailed 28-6 when the 4th-and-10 decision from the Vikings’ 34-yard line arrived. Does LaFleur kick? The lost points from the special teams really hurt in a two-point defeat. Narveson has missed four field goals in four games.
The Ugly
The first half: It would have been difficult to script a more nightmarish start for the Packers. Jordan Love threw a pair of interceptions resulting 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. Penalties were a recurring issue. It took a crazy sequence — featuring a muffed punt, a 15-yard penalty on coach Matt LaFleur and a touchdown pass from Love to Jayden Reed — to salvage the first 30 minutes after the Packers fell behind 28-0. In the victorious visitors’ locker room, Kevin O’Connell said his team created an “avalanche” in the first half. Hard to argue with the description. The Packers looked buried under the weight of their own mistakes.
