Key Takeaways From the Packers’ Painful Loss to the Vikings
Despite a strong late-game push, the Packers fell to the Vikings at home. The undefeated Vikings showcased their strength in Jordan Love’s homecoming, establishing themselves not only as a threat in the NFC North but also as a contender across the league. Lambeau Field didn’t provide the advantage the Packers hoped for, as they struggled with self-inflicted errors that ultimately led to their defeat. Here are some key takeaways from Sunday’s eye-bleaching game.
Jordan Love Honored Brett Favre Beyond Just Wearing His Jersey
Jordan Love entered the stadium wearing the iconic number four, and it felt as if he never took it off. In a classic Favre fashion, he threw three interceptions and showed inconsistency, lacking his usual precision. His first two picks directly led to touchdowns, allowing the Vikings to jump out to a 28-0 lead. His final interception drained any hopes of a comeback in what was truly a hair-graying game. In his defense, his receivers were not helping him out much, dropping passes left and right. Love performed as expected for a quarterback shaking off rust against one of the league’s top defenses. Unfortunately, the wide receivers could not provide the support he needed in his first game back from an MCL injury.
In the second half, Love and the passing game showed some improvement compared to whatever fans were forced to sit through the first half. Clear standout Jayden Reed surpassed 100 receiving yards for the second time this season. While Dontayvion Wicks struggled with drops throughout the game — including missed touchdown opportunities — he managed to finish with 78 yards and two touchdowns. Still, his drops proved costly, and by the time he started to find his rhythm, it was too little, too late. With Christian Watson suffering an ankle injury, Wicks will need to step it up. While this game was not the offense's brightest moment, there were glimpses of potential. With some adjustments to receiver mistakes and as Love becomes more acclimated, this offense can still thrive.
The Brayden Narveson Experiment Is Over
While the Packers' offense struggled to find its rhythm, Brayden Narveson missed two field goals that could have changed the course of the game. One should have been easy money at 37 yards, while the other was a somewhat less embarrassing miss from 49 yards. Recently, Brian Gutekunst admitted that he doesn’t have as much patience for kickers, and let’s just say his patience is waning for rookie kicker Narveson. If the Packers wanted a young kicker to miss 37-yard attempts, they might as well have kept Anders Carlson, the team's most accurate kicker in history — sarcasm intended.
In the golden age of kickers, the Packers seem unable to strike even a pebble of gold. This season, NFL kickers have a higher field goal percentage on kicks over 50 yards than Brayden Narveson has on all his attempts. Additionally, Narveson is the only kicker to miss a field goal from under 40 yards this season. In fact, Narveson is three for six on kicks from 40 to 49 yards. The Packers wish they could transition between kickers as smoothly as they do with quarterbacks. It might be a cruel way of forcing fans to truly appreciate the value of a reliable kicker. At this point, the Packers are cycling through kickers like children go through their Halloween candy, leaving both coaches and fans longing for the consistency that Mason Crosby provided over 16 seasons.
There’s Still Work Ahead for the Defense
Jeff Hafley’s defense wreaked havoc against mediocre offenses like the Colts and Titans but struggled to contain Kevin O’Connell’s offense until late in the game. Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie set the tone early by dropping a potential interception. While it was not guaranteed that the Packers would have responded with a touchdown, the Vikings would not have scored on their opening drive. While dwelling on hypotheticals won’t change the outcome, it’s evident that the interception could have provided Green Bay with an early boost.
Pass rusher Rashan Gary has had a slow start to the year, with a pass-rush win percentage of just three percent through four games, according to PFF. For context, that number was 17.3% in 2022 and 16% in 2023. Gary has not been the impact player the Packers expect him to be, and the pass rush was notably ineffective, allowing Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to have another career game. The Packers will need more from Gary moving forward if they hope to contend against the league's top offenses.
Despite early struggles, Hafley made crucial adjustments after a subpar first half, limiting the Vikings to just three points in the second half. While safety Xavier McKinney's fourth interception admittedly looked more like an incompletion, it made him the first Packers player to record a pick in each of the first four games. Beyond his interceptions, McKinney has been a defensive force to be reckoned with, allowing only two receptions in four games. Keisean Nixon also contributed with a strip sack, and the defense also forced three three-and-outs. While the defense’s homework is painfully clear, they did not exactly fail the test against the Vikings.
Nothing Is Certain Except Death, Taxes, and Packers’ Penalties
The Packers are struggling to avoid penalties, digging themselves into a deep hole. Just when it seemed they were finding their rhythm, a penalty flag flew for holding. In their first three possessions alone, they committed three penalties. After four games, they are tied for third in the league with 34 penalties. These penalties are costing the team, and if the Packers want to be Super Bowl contenders, they must clean this up. Otherwise, more disciplined teams will take full advantage of their mistakes.
The Packers saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, but it was against one of the league's two undefeated teams. The injury bug is hitting the Packers hard, with Christian Watson and Devonte Wyatt both suffering ankle injuries in their game against the Vikings. Their next opponent, the Rams, is also dealing with injuries, as both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp will be out, likely making for a less daunting challenge than facing Justin Jefferson. Injuries aside, the Packers ultimately hold the key to determining how good of a football team they can be.
