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Packing it In: The Minnesota Vikings Fall 6-23 at the Green Bay Packers in Week 12
- producerallieftw
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
All week we said that, if the Minnesota Vikings were going to save their season that they needed to treat their Week 12 game at the Green Bay Packers like a playoff game. They did—they lost in a no-call/no-show embarrassing fashion, 6-23, to an opponent that looked utterly mid. Guess we should have been more specific about what we wanted.
Like a recurring nightmare, Minnesota’s offensive problems were miserably familiar.
Like a recurring nightmare, Minnesota’s offensive problems were miserably familiar. The offense did well in the running game, but in the passing game. JJ McCarthy frequently held onto the ball too long and not seeing/missing open receivers. Considering how much better McCarthy is when he can just react rather than think, we have to wonder why coach Kevin O'Connell was dialing up those plays for McCarthy. McCarthy also had two interceptions on the day, one of which was crap luck and the other was a crap decision. Then there were the drops, even the normally reliable Adam Thielen dropped a pass. And the much-awaited intact offensive line debut was short-lived with both Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson leaving the game due to injury.
Defense was not good either. Did they forget how to tackle? Brian Flores’ defense struggled
to get pressure on Jordan Love and to stop the Packers’ running game with Emmanuel Wilson running for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dallas Turner played well with Jonathan Greenard out and Jalen Redmond and Eric Wilson had no quit in them, but as a unit they struggled.
Special teams coverage and return play is still a comedy of errors and today it included a muffed punt. The unit lacks discipline and situational awareness and has, in back-to-back games handed momentum to the Vikings' opponents in critical moments. If it were not for good kicking from Will Reichard and Ryan Wright, it is likely that Matt Daniels would have been an in-season firing already.
It was yet another embarrassing loss to a divisional rival and the Vikings looked both clueless and dispirited. Where is the fight that they displayed all of last season and in some of their wins this season? Nowhere to be seen. That speaks to coaching. Key free-agency additions, like Javon Hargrave, have made little impact on the game despite hefty contracts. That speaks to the front office's ability to identify and acquire talent. Despite their contract extensions, both coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should be on the hot seat.
Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way, but, in the past three losses the Vikings did not set themselves up to weather bad bounces. Even optimistic fans don’t expect playoffs this season. What we want is a reason to believe—some sign of improvement and fight. Will the 4-7 Vikings limp into the Seattle Seahawks next week, or will Minnesota get scrappy and rediscover how to play like a team?
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