Packers play a clean game
This Packers team has got in its own way plenty this season in a myriad of different ways, but Sunday was the kind of mistake free game fans wanted to see, in all three phases.
Jeff Hafley’s defense will deservedly take the plaudits for dominating the game, but Green Bay’s offense was clean and crucially, took care of the football.
It was tough going at times against a stout Minnesota defense, but they scored a touchdown on the opening drive to give the Packers an early lead which they would never relinquish, and effectively bled the clock out late in the game.
Special teams got in on the act with one of their better showings in recent memory. Brandon McManus looked back to normal, making all three of his field goal attempts, while Daniel Whelan and Zayne Anderson combined to provide a game-altering turnover in Green Bay’s favor.
The Packers were only flagged twice the entire day, and the lack of laundry was emblematic of a crisp overall performance, which made for a comfortable afternoon.
Emanuel Wilson gives Packers run game some juice
Green Bay’s rushing attack did not skip a beat with Josh Jacobs on the sideline, as in his first NFL start, Wilson went over 100 yards for the first time in his career and scored a pair of touchdowns.
Wilson ground out the hard yards and also showed some finesse to make defenders miss, forcing six missed tackles on the day.
He is a more than capable second fiddle, and justified LaFleur’s decision to hold Jacobs out, as in a compromised state he may not have been able to perform to the level Wilson did.
Christian Watson taking on a bigger role?
Watson was targeted seven times on Sunday, the most since week nine of last year against Detroit, and caught five passes, his highest tally since week 13 of 2023 versus Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Romeo Doubs was only targeted twice on the day, his lowest number of targets since the Cleveland game back in week three, and well below his previous average of over six per game.
Jordan Love has looked Watson’s way on money downs plenty since the receiver returned to the lineup, and he has consistently repaid that faith. Is Sunday’s shift a sign of things to come? Or simply a decision based on the matchup against Minnesota?
Anthony Belton gets his shot
Rookie 2nd round pick Belton got his first real chance to show what he can do in anything other than injury relief versus the Vikings, rotating with Jordan Morgan to start the game at right guard, before taking over outright from there.
Belton played 45 snaps to Morgan’s 21, and Matt LaFleur praised Belton’s playstyle after the game.
He said of Belton: “He’s a mauler. I love the way he plays the game. He’s done a great job”.
It will be interesting to see how the competition at right guard continues in the coming weeks, with Green Bay still looking to nail down who their starter is at that spot.
Run defense shows some cracks without Quay Walker
Walker missed Sunday’s game with a stinger, and his absence was felt in the middle of the defense, specifically in run defense.
The Packers allowed 4.7 yards per carry on Sunday, up from their previous season average of 3.8, with Jordan Mason also breaking off an explosive run of 22 yards, which came on the only drive the Vikings got into the red zone.
Fortunately, Green Bay’s defense stepped up from there, stuffing two attempts to get one yard and giving the ball back to the offense, and Walker’s replacement Isaiah McDuffie had a strong individual day, making four run stops and notching his first career interception.
But if Walker, who usually wears the communication helmet for the defense, were to miss a game in the playoffs against a strong run team, it could pose problems for the Packers, and some of that was highlighted on Sunday.