Dalvin Cook runs wild in Vikings’ win over Packers
The Packers fell to 5-2 after their deflating 28-22 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the game, which took almost the entire first half. The second half was much different, however, as the Vikings kept scoring and the Packers stalled on offense. The Packers tried to rally but fell short, handing Matt LaFleur his first loss within the division in his two seasons as Green Bay’s head coach.
One thing really stands out about this game. The Packers’ defense is awful. I know Dalvin Cook is one of the best running backs in the league but there was no excuse to consistently allow the runs and catches for big gains that Cook accumulated during this game. The offense is not going to score on every possession, and when they are struggling to put drives together, the defense needs to step up and they didn’t do it on Sunday.
The seat has now gotten much hotter for Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine. We have suffered through some terrible defenses under Dom Capers, who has held onto his job for way too long. Pettine was supposed to be an upgrade, but his defenses haven’t been any better. It’s time for him to get called on the carpet. If things don’t turn around in a big way, we need a new DC. It’s not personal, just business.
When the Packers failed to score on their opening possession of the third quarter, already trailing 21-14 by the way, I knew they were facing some big trouble. It was a frustrating second half. Drives were stopped by dropped passes and penalties. It also didn’t help that the Packers turned it over on downs when Robert Tonyan was interfered with by Anthony Harris, and the officials picked up the penalty flag they originally threw, putting a major blow into GB’s comeback hopes.
When they got the ball back with a chance to win it, Aaron Rodgers was hit from behind and fumbled the ball away, ending the game. They had a slight chance and failed, but this loss falls mainly on the defense, especially their run defense.
It’s always frustrating to lose a game like this, and the fact that it’s the Vikings rubs even more salt in the wounds. The good news is they have a game this Thursday, but the bad news is it’s against the San Francisco 49ers on the road. The 49ers lost 37-27 at Seattle and now have four losses, so they are looking to rebound as well. We can’t forget that the Packers were blown out twice by this team last season. With the kind of defense the Packers played vs Minnesota, they might be in for another long night on Thursday. It is Thursday Night Football though, and we have seen some strange things happen when teams are playing with very short rest in between.
Every team has some glaring weaknesses, but if the Packers don’t fix theirs, they will have a very short stay in the playoffs, assuming they even make it. Nothing is guaranteed. Right now, they have a lot of work to do and a very short time to do it as they now get ready for San Francisco on Thursday. Take care Packer fans. Hopefully, we have much better days ahead of us.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
