Packers Vikings Post Game 33-10

[Scott4Pack]

First, about last night...

1. This Packer squad had some things in common with the Vikes, so it was a good matchup. Both teams were missing CBs and weak in the DB room. But look at how the Packers fared compared to the Vikes. I was stunned, but pleased.

2. I couldn't count how many plays that our receiving corps made. The only one they didn't was probably that diving drop by Melton. (He more than made up for that otherwise.)

3. Love is progressing very nicely. Great, no, excellent performance, even against a decent amount of pressure. Somebody mentioned last night that he's now getting the long ball out more, instead of under-throwing it like earlier in the year. Good point! That'll lead to many more explosive plays.

4. Reed is giving us reason to think that our offense isn't merely about needing Aaron Jones. Reed is a play maker in his own right. We need to give him and Jones the lionshare of the touches. Everybody else needs to feed into that.

5. Jones looks great and has fresh legs. Maybe senses the best running lanes better than he ever has, and that's saying something.

6. I know he isn't an all pro, but I do think that McDuffie is also growing. I don't mind him in the rotation one bit. Same with Enegbare.

7. Tom kept Hunter quiet. To me, that was the key matchup of the game. Doesn't Hunter already have 15.5 sacks this year? And he barely sniffed Love. Can't say enough about that.

8. Look at how our offense completely controlled the tempo of the game. Compare to early in the season when Love and the WRs/TEs were hardly on the same page. This is worlds apart and reason for much glee.

9. To those who wanted to tank earlier in the season, again, I say NEVER tank. This season is clearly a season that reminds us. (BTW, the Lions had a season like that and they nearly got into the playoffs. Too many examples...)

More on a team perspective in a bit.

[Pugger]

The only negative about us making the playoffs is MLF may then not make a change at DC.

[Pckfn23]

[go pak go]

It's so eerie how similar this is to last year. 8-8, riding high; need only a win against a low-achieving, but sorta upstart division rival to make the playoffs.

And how equally different people feel about it. Last year was the last chance to win one with Rodgers, hoping for an over-performing run like the Giants' SB wins. This year, most people don't care much about 0ppayffs or have many/any hopes once we're there. We all sorta came in hoping to be in the playoff picture, and we are.

Personally, I want the playoffs. And even a win. Draft stock be damned. I want this young team to have that EXPERIENCE nder their cap going into next year.

Though I also want that high-IQ athletic DB from Iowa and a DC that can move him around to different spots to maximize his effectiveness... so maybe I do care a little about draft stock, haha

This isn't like last year at all - even though the record is identical.

1. Last year was boring. It wasn't fun. This season has been so much fun.

2. Last year we won down the stretch beating teams either because they were bad, Christian Watson, or STs and Defense. This year we have been winning with poor STs and defense. Additionally, we are winning with young guy after young guy stepping up on offense.

Watson, Reed, Doubs, Wicks, Kraft, Melton and then Aaron Jones plays and looks like an All Pro. I can go on and on. Every single young weapon has had their moment the 2nd half of the season. The only one who really hasn't is because he was in the hospital.

Last year I felt the team actually looked like a 6 win team. This year I would argue we look better than a 9 win team the 2nd half of the season. I legit think we are a Tier 2/top of Tier 3 Team in the NFC. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we win a playoff game or even two.

Last year the playoff hopes were built on credibility of "maybe Aaron will look like 2020 and 2021 again"

I think ST has improved. There were a couple of muffed kicks and Carlson has missed a few kicks ( kicking in the league has been an adventure for more than a few teams) but the returns have been decent and there isn't a holding penalty on every kickoff and punt.

This was all in November/December during our "run" in 2022

[go pak go]

Sounds like the system has caused a lot of drama for the pack that I don’t really hear of the same drama for other teams

I'm being genuinely honest in my response.

It's probably because you pay attention a lot more to the Packers than you do other teams.

[go pak go]

The only negative about us making the playoffs is MLF may then not make a change at DC.

I'm pretty sure he will unless Joe Barry and this defense continues to dominate for the next month.

[GJPackerBacker]

Was perusing a Vikings forum this morning and stumbled upon conversation of a serious conundrum for their fan base.

With a week 18 matchup against the Lions (and likely loss), Vikings fans have two options to cheer for:

1) a Bears victory that keeps the Packers from the playoffs but also earns the Vikings last place in the division

or

2) a Packer victory that keeps them from the cellar in the division (they own CHI tie-breaker) but allows the Packers to advance to the dance

And several members were torn with that decision prospect.

Trying to decide which half of the cup is full can be a challenge…even for the geniuses in the land of 10,000 lakes.

[APB]

Look at the genuine excitement his fellow WRs have for Bo Melton post-game. These guys growing together in the years to come is gonna be fun to watch!

[Labrev]

I feel like last night and Thanksgiving in Detroit are the two games that really show us what the team's vision of what the defense should look like. They want the IDL and EDGE guys to dominate opposing OLs so thoroughly that the runs are just kind of average, and (more significantly) you get pressure on the QB so quickly and so often that they can't string many good passes together or get into any rhythm.

It is especially helpful if GB's offense gets off to a big lead early so the opposing offense abandons the run altogether.

And last night we saw Walker used in a way that, if we had been using him like that all along, makes the draft pick on him make more sense.

[Yoop]

I feel like last night and Thanksgiving in Detroit are the two games that really show us what the team's vision of what the defense should look like. They want the IDL and EDGE guys to dominate opposing OLs so thoroughly that the runs are just kind of average, and (more significantly) you get pressure on the QB so quickly and so often that they can't string many good passes together or get into any rhythm.

It is especially helpful if GB's offense gets off to a big lead early so the opposing offense abandons the run altogether.

And last night we saw Walker used in a way that, if we had been using him like that all along, makes the draft pick on him make more sense.

this is what makes Barry a lame DC, everyone using a Vic Fangio variation has designed in various blitz and stunts to compliment there pass rush when just 4 isn't enough, these schemes are dependent on tenacious pass rush, or offenses just dink and dunk, and if there having success it draws down the safety's so they can hit the deeper routes, and if ya can't stop the run, well it makes everything else easier.

we have seen Barry do what he did last night periodically and with the same type success, only to draw back to soft cushion, and at times only 3 pass rushers allowing even the lowest non established QB's in the league rip our nuts off, urrrrr, I still think Barry should be hung from the nearest gallows that was joke of course, actually I think some of this prevent stuff, soft defense is a Matt Lafleur design some along with Barry, whatever, attacking the QB is what we do best, just keep doing it, every scheme can work if ya do it right.

[APB]

.

[APB]

[BF004]

[Drj820]

Sounds like the system has caused a lot of drama for the pack that I don’t really hear of the same drama for other teams

I'm being genuinely honest in my response.

It's probably because you pay attention a lot more to the Packers than you do other teams.

I mean I believe you that your response was genuine and you aren’t being a smarty pants, I would just push back and say that our media stories involving “who is captain” hasn’t just been little local stories that the insiders of the fan base hear about.

Z publically said he was frustrated about not being captain and it made national media sites. This is different than reporters picking up on the displeasure and reporting about. He told us himself and it went national.

And then with Jaire, I actually don’t know of any cases where a player named himself captain, called the toss, then got suspended. I don’t think that happens all the time and we just don’t know about it.

I think that is a level of drama that has been unique to our process and locker room.

[APB]

Dawg

[salmar80]

A small thing that got me super excited in the game were the perfectly executed timing routes to the sideline. Those just didn't happen early in the season.

Earlier Love hardly threw to the sideline unless it was a deep bomb, and utilized the easier to see and time routes over the middle. Love and the WRs are developing those timings together, and JLove has the arm to throw to the sideline. Next step would be the lethal backshoulder throws...

---

Another thing I loved was Kraft stopping trying to hurdle, and instead punishing defenders. Hurt them enough and they'll keep trying to tackle lower and lower, and then you'll get the opportunity for a hurdle.

[Cdragon]

Dawg

And because of Bo I won't get a vote.

[go pak go]

Sounds like the system has caused a lot of drama for the pack that I don’t really hear of the same drama for other teams

I'm being genuinely honest in my response.

It's probably because you pay attention a lot more to the Packers than you do other teams.

I mean I believe you that your response was genuine and you aren’t being a smarty pants, I would just push back and say that our media stories involving “who is captain” hasn’t just been little local stories that the insiders of the fan base hear about.

Z publically said he was frustrated about not being captain and it made national media sites. This is different than reporters picking up on the displeasure and reporting about. He told us himself and it went national.

And then with Jaire, I actually don’t know of any cases where a player named himself captain, called the toss, then got suspended. I don’t think that happens all the time and we just don’t know about it.

I think that is a level of drama that has been unique to our process and locker room.

I get that.

Z'Darius Smith also signed with the Ravens to then back out and join MN which then only lasted for a short stint before being "unhappy" again and now with the Browns. Smith has unofficially been on the Ravens, Packers, Ravens, Vikings, Browns in like 4 years.

Jaire is Jaier. I am not surprised by his antics. We knew who he was when we drafted him.

So it could be a Packer cultural thing. Or it could be two quirky players.

[texas]

sometimes a little revolution is a good thing, don't you think? Sean Connery, hunt for Red October

My honest thoughts?

I don't think that locker room (offense in particular) really cares about Jaire Alexander. The train is rolling. Jaw can either choose to get on or stay off it.

Agree with this.

Alexander has basically “shenanigan’d” his way out of a significant leadership and influence role with the team. Yeah, I’m sure he’s still respected for his abilities but I think the greater team momentum has passed Jaire by. He can choose to either get on board or get left behind.

It's just a fact that we look more impressive on defense with the Allentine Bros than we do with Jaire/Stokes

[Yoop]

I’ve always thought Z had a legit gripe. He came here and instantly took over the defense. He changed the culture for sure. He should have been a captain over all the players selected on defense.

Alexander isn't a captain this season for the same reason Z wasn't, if your on IR for a year, ya don't get to be a captain when ya come back, least not under Lafleur, and thats how it should be.

Alexander has been hurt most of the season, or he'd have been a bigger part of the defense, also Barry used a lot of man at boundary last night, so Alex would have been happy about that.

Couple of things.

1. In 2021, the players select the captains. Not MLF. The players didn't select Z.

2. MLF wouldn't withhold making Alexander a captain for 2023 due to injury becuase Jaw didn't get hurt until going into Week 3. So he would have been fine at TC.

3. The Packers are back to their usual Captial selection process which is a rotating process. The Packers select new captains each week which is why we don't see the "C" Patch this year. We will for the postseason though because it is a rule to select Captains for the entirety of the playoffs. Again. That is selected by the Players. Not the Coaches.

your right, I forgot about that so basically the players didn't think either Z or Jaire where there type of leaders, to tough