Another Big Game, Another Loss for Packers in 27-25 Defeat at Vikings

The Green Bay Packers’ late comeback was too little, too late. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Packers 27-25 as Green Bay fell to 0-5 against the top teams from the NFC.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) fumbles on the opening drive against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

MINNEAPOLIS – The Green Bay Packers entered Sunday’s NFC North showdown looking for a signature win.

That win will have to wait until the playoffs.

Or next season.

By losing 27-25 to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Packers (11-5) fell to 0-5 against the Detroit Lions (0-2), Vikings (0-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) – the three clear-cut top teams in the NFC and the main obstacles standing between the team and a trip to the Super Bowl.

They will wrap up the regular season next week against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.

The Vikings won their ninth in a row. At 14-2, they remain in the hunt for the No. 1 seed; they’ll have a chance to win it with their Week 18 game at the Detroit Lions.

Green Bay entered the day as the No. 6 team in the NFC. With a win, it had a chance to move up to No. 5 next week. Instead, if the Washington Commanders (10-5) beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, they’ll move up to No. 6 and push Green Bay to No. 7.

Based on the current standings, that would mean a wild-card game at the Philadelphia Eagles. If they could somehow win that game, they’d play a divisional-round game at whoever wins the North and earns the No. 1 seed – the Lions or Vikings.

The Packers trailed 27-10 after three quarters but rallied. Just like their other big-game losses, it was too little, too late.

Green Bay needed a stop when the Vikings started at their 30 with 2:18 to go. Sam Darnold started the drive with a bootleg completion to fullback C.J. Ham for 12 yards at the 2-minute warning. Finally, on third-and-2, Darnold booted the other way and Cam Akers made a superb catch on a pass thrown at his ankle to clinch the game.

With 11 wins, the Packers obviously are a good team. With five losses against the cream-of-the-crop teams, they aren’t good enough.

Darnold destroyed the Packers, whose only chance against playoff quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff or Sam Darnold will be Jaire Alexander returning to the lineup and playing like an All-Pro.

With Alexander missing a sixth consecutive game due to a knee injury and Evan Williams missing a second game with an injured quad, the Vikings shredded Green Bay’s secondary.

Through three quarters, Darnold was 29-of-36 passing for 312 yards with three touchdowns, one interception and a 119.0 passer rating. Jordan Love was 10-of-17 for 64 yards and a 66.8 passer rating.

The Packers entered the game with five consecutive games of 30-plus points. Given how the Packers can’t match up against really good passing games without Alexander, their only chance in these big games will be for Love to lead an offensive onslaught.

Instead, the Packers’ only touchdown in the first three quarters came after Carrington Valentine’s interception. That set up Green Bay at Minnesota’s 16, and Josh Jacobs plowed in from the 2 to make it 20-10.

But only for a moment. Darnold was 5-of-5 on the next drive, including a 9-yard touchdown to Akers on a screen. Aaron Jones caught two passes for 20 yards and had a 13-yard run on the drive.

In what essentially was a do-or-die drive, Zach Tom’s illegal-formation penalty turned a first down at Minnesota’s 46 into second-and-13 and, ultimately, a third-and-13 sack.

When Justin Jefferson gained 37 on the next possession, the Vikings had four individuals with more receiving yards than the Packers as a team (64).

At that point, the only question for Sunday was how bad the final score would be.

The bigger question is how on earth the Packers can beat one good team in the playoffs, let alone three or four.

The score question took an unexpected twist.

The Vikings’ Will Reichard blasted the upright from 43, and Love threw for 54 yards on the next possession – almost matching his three-quarter total – including a 35-yarder to Tucker Kraft and a 6-yarder to Romeo Doubs on third-and-6 to set up Emanuel Wilson’s touchdown run. The conversion pass to Doubs made it 27-18 with 6:12 to go.

The Packers forced a punt and scored again, with Love going 6-of-7 with a big third-and-7 completion to Doubs and a 19-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks setting up Love’s touchdown pass to Malik Heath with 2:18 remaining.

Green Bay couldn’t get the last stop, though, meaning yet another close loss against an elite team.

Darnold finished 33-of-43 passing for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Love was 19-of-30 for 185 yards and one touchdown; most of the yards came in the fourth quarter, when the Packers were in comeback mode.

The Packers won the toss and wanted to make an early statement by taking the ball. And they were on their way until Jacobs’ second fumble in three weeks.

In what was projected to be a shootout, neither team scored on its first two series. Finally, the Packers broke through on Brandon McManus’ 22-yard field goal. An 18-yard screen put the Packers in scoring position, but the drive installed against the Vikings’ top-ranked goal-to-go defense.

Minnesota answered with a touchdown. With Evan Williams inactive and Zayne Anderson being checked for a concussion, the Packers inserted Javon Bullard at safety alongside Xavier McKinney. One of them was to blame as Jalen Nailor strode through the middle of the secondary for a 31-yard touchdown.

Green Bay’s next drive almost reached the red zone but stalled. On fourth-and-2 from the 23, Love had Jayden Reed over the middle but the ball was too far in front of Reed, who couldn’t make a diving catch.

So, instead of Green Bay at least cutting the margin to 7-6, the Vikings tacked on a field goal to lead 10-3. Back-to-back 16-yard plays got the Vikings into scoring range. First, it was Nailor, not Jefferson, on a pass from Darnold. Next, it was Cam Akers, not Jones, who broke a tackle and rumbled up the sideline.

Green Bay’s next possession was a shoot-yourself-in-the-foot three-and-out. On third-and-a-foot, Jacobs plowed up the middle for about 7 but Dontayvion Wicks was flagged for illegal formation. Love’s bomb to Bo Melton on the third-down re-do didn’t have a chance.

The Vikings added a 50-yard field goal to end the first half. T.J. Hockenson caught three passes, including for 28 yards to start the drive and for 12 yards to get the Vikings into scoring range. Will Reichard missed a 55-yarder but Edgerrin Cooper was offside.

The halftime stats showed total domination. The Vikings outgained the Packers 224-112, with Darnold throwing for 184 yards even though Jefferson was limited to two catches for 13 yards.

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