 |
| Lambeau Live exhibit at WI State Fair. 8/3/2018 dwm photo |
Beat the Vikings and you tie them in the division race with Chicago the only team in front of you. The Packers beat the Bears in game 1, and the Bears have a tough remaining schedule.
All that is window-dressing; if you don't win the second paragraph don't matter!
After quick punts to start the game by both teams Minnesota kicked again.
Green Bay drove 68 yards in 3:32. A Viking penalty for defense interference covering DaVante Adams put the Pack in position. Aaron Rodgers went back to Adams for a 15 yard scoring pass and a 7 - 0 lead.
Minnesota responded quickly six plays and 75 yards later to tie the game on a pass to their running back.
The Green and Gold responded taking just 3:37 to go 75 yards using both passing and running plays before Aaron Jones ran it in from 6 yards out to take a 14 - 7 lead.
Neither defense could find an answer as Kirk Cousins took Minnesota down the field for the equalizer early in the second quarter. The Vikings got close a couple more times before the Packers stopped them. Minnesota's kicker, Dan Bailey, missed two field goals - 48 and 56 yards to keep it tied with 30 minutes to play.
The game felt good to this Packer fan. A key will be forcing a Viking turnover or two; holding on to the ball ourselves; and getting the ball into the end zone. It was a good first half - but so were the games in Los Angeles, New England, and Seattle... this time we need to finish the deal.
blogger's note: I wrote up to here at half-time.
The clock ran out on the Green Bay Packers. Lady Luck ran out on them too.
They started with the ball in the second half, but had to punt. The second time they had the ball they went for it on 4th and inches and came up short. (Against Seattle, they failed to go for it on 4th down and never got the ball back.)
The next time A-Rod and company got the ball - left tackle David Bakhtiari was on the sideline (our best offensive lineman) for 3rd down. Minnesota sacked Rodgers. The Vikings returned the punt and improved field position thanks to a Packer penalty to Green Bay's 31. They scored 3 plays later to take a 10 point lead.
It wasn't a good situation, but down 10 starting the fourth quarter we had the ball. We punted, but held Minnesota and forced a Viking punt. Then came the back-breaker when punt returner Tramon Williams came up to catch the ball but couldn't get there in time. The ball hit him and Minnesota recovered.
While the Vikings didn't score, that lost possession took any chance of earning a win out of the picture. The Packers did tack on a field goal with 2:20 to play, but that was the last time they touched the ball.
While not impossible, it might as well be when it comes to the chances for Green Bay to make the post-season.
This team and coaching staff look snake-bit with five games to play. The roughest stretch of their season is over, but I doubt the schedule is enough to get this team back on track.
It's back home to play Arizona - I'm curious what the team looks like at kick-off.
Comments
Post a Comment