Packers Report Card: Grades From Loss at Vikings

The run defense, once again, was great for the Green Bay Packers. Everything else left plenty to be desired in a 27-25 loss at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The report card is in, and it reflects the reality for the Green Bay Packers from their loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Yes, the final score was 27-25. Yes, the Packers were one play away on defense from getting the ball back with a chance to steal a win in Minnesota.

The reality? The Packers played poorly for three quarters before coming to life with two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to give them a chance.

Almost all their points came after they dug a three-score deficit, a trend in games the Packers have played against NFC contenders.

Jordan Love and the passing offense did not find the 100-yard mark until the fourth quarter.

Josh Jacobs started the game with a fumble.

Jeff Hafley’s defense, thanks in large part to a dormant pass rush, was shredded by Sam Darnold and Minnesota’s offense.

They had a chance to get the ball back and erase all the bad memories, but a short completion from Darnold to Cam Akers clinched the outcome and killed any chance that Green Bay had of being the highest ranked wild card team.

Here’s our report card from Sunday’s loss in Minnesota.

Pass Offense

You’ve heard the phrase before. To whom much is given, much is also expected.

Jordan Love was given $220 million this offseason.

Yes, he was missing Christian Watson.

Yes, Brian Flores and Minnesota’s defense are one of the best units in football.

The reality? Nobody cares. That’s why Love was paid what he was paid this offseason.

It’s the job of a quarterback in the NFL to elevate those around him.

Love and the passing offense certainly did not do that against Flores’ stingy defense.

Love did not reach 100 passing yards until the fourth quarter. He didn’t lead the team to a touchdown until it trailed 20-3.

He finished the day 19-of-30 for 185 yards and one touchdown pass.

Certainly not egregiously bad, but he was outplayed pretty drastically by Sam Darnold.

That can’t happen.

Since it did, the Packers are looking at fighting for, at best, the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs.

Grade: C.

Rush Offense

Josh Jacobs has set the tone all season for Green Bay’s offense.

He looked well on his way to doing it again when the Packers took the ball on the first series of the game.

Instead, he set the tone for Minnesota’s defense.

Jacobs’ third carry of the game resulted in a fumble that Minnesota recovered.

Green Bay’s defense helped bail out Jacobs with a stop on Minnesota’s first series, but damage was done.

Jacobs finished with 69 yards on 17 carries. Not a bad day by any stretch, but certainly not the excellence Jacobs has become accustomed to during his time in Green Bay.

Some of this was a byproduct of the Packers trailing by three scores for most of the second half, but Jacobs was not nearly as impactful as he had been in previous games.

Emanuel Wilson chipped in 29 yards on five carries and scored a touchdown for the second consecutive week.

Grade: D.

Pass Defense

The pass rush was the group that had to be challenged this week to win the game for the Packers.

Cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Evan Williams were inactive with lower-body injuries. Safety Javon Bullard was returning from an injury and has been inconsistent when he has been active. Zayne Anderson, who got the start for Williams, left the game and was evaluated for a concussion.

They were severely undermanned in the secondary against an offense that boasts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that both players are legitimate No. 1 receivers.

The pass rush had to show up, but as they’ve done too often this season, they disappeared.

The only sack came from Karl Brooks. There weren’t many plays when it felt like the Packers were close to getting Darnold down, either.

On this day, it was Jalen Nailor who was a killer to Green Bay’s secondary, including a 31-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a lead they’d never relinquish.

Justin Jefferson finished with eight catches for 92 yards. It wasn’t silent, but he certainly didn’t wreck the game.

Ultimately, however, Darnold threw for 377 yards. He made only one big mistake with Carrington Valentine’s interception in front of tight end T.J. Hockenson.

That play alone saves this group from earning the lowest possible mark.

Grade: D.

Rush Defense

Green Bay’s run defense is real, and it is spectacular.

Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.

The Vikings’ running backs finished with 23 carries for 72 yards. That’s 3.13 yards-per-carry.

Linebacker Edgerrin cooper was spectacular again with four tackles for losses. Already, he might be one of their best players.

There weren’t many things to smile about for the Packers, but their run defense is certainly one of them.

If the Packers are the seventh seed in the playoffs, they’ll likely play the Philadelphia Eagles, who are led by NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley.

Unlike previous years, however, they would have a fighting chance against a dynamic run game.

Grade: A.

Special Teams

There were no opportunities for Keisean Nixon in the return game thanks to the temperature-controlled environment at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Jayden Reed did make a questionable decision on a fair catch in the fourth quarter when it looked like he had some room to roam.

Daniel Whelan mis-hit a punt in the first half, which gave the Vikings good field position.

Edgerrin Cooper was flagged for a questionable offsides penalty. Given a mulligan after missing a 55-yarder, Will Reichard made a 50-yard field goal that gave the Vikings a 13-3 lead at halftime.

Green Bay’s Brandon McManus made a chip-shot field goal and both extra-point attempts. The Packers tackled kickoff returns at the 23- and 21-yard line.

One big mistake can, and did, make a big difference in this one, which gives the unit lower marks than what they would have had otherwise.

Grade: C.

Coaching

Matt LaFleur is clearly going to stick to his guns when it comes to winning the coin toss.

The Packers won the toss and elected to take the ball with their first possession in an attempt to take Minesota’s raucous crowd out of the game.

It didn’t work out for the Packers this time, as a good start ended with Josh Jacobs’ fumble.

While almost every other coach in the league will defer to the second half, LaFleur’s logic makes sense. Minnesota’s crowd noise is a legitimate factor. The Packers are going to play on the road in any game they play this postseason.

At some point, this level of aggression is the identity of the team. LaFleur earns points for that, even if the decision did not work out.

The rest? This rests at the feet of LaFleur.

The Packers have an ugly trend in these big games against other NFC contenders.

They’ve fallen behind in each game against Detroit and Minnesota this year. On Sunday, the Vikings led 20-3 after their first possession of the second half.

The correction of troubling trends is the responsibility of the head coach.

LaFleur hasn’t corrected them throughout the course of the year, and his team is set to have a long road in the postseason as a result.

Grade: C.

Latest Green Bay Packers News 

A look back at the #Packers' loss to the Vikings and a look to what's ahead, by @hibbard_casey ⬇️https://t.co/KwHkQLG5eY

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) December 30, 2024

Packers-Vikings stock report | Another big game, another big loss | Packers-Vikings: Live Updates | Packers-Vikings: TV, time, referee, prediction | Big matchups: Justin Jefferson vs. Jeff Hafley | Big matchups: Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones, top defenses | Big matchups: Jordan Love vs. Brian Flores | Three reasons why Packers will lose to Vikings | Josh Jacobs rewards linemen | Packers-Vikings final injury report | Time for excuses is over | A must-win game?