Three Things We Learned From the Vikings Vanquishing the Packers
Credit: Dan Powers via Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 at home to force a contest for the NFC (and NFC North) crown next week at the Detroit Lions. While the final score would show that it was a close game, in some aspects it was far from that, as Minnesota’s win probability never dipped below 72.3%. After going down 3-0 at the start of the game, the Vikings offense scored 20 consecutive points to take a three-score lead early in the third quarter.
With the score at 27-10, the Vikings had the chance to sink a 43-yard kick that would put the game out of reach. But, for the second time on Sunday, Will Reichard hit the post to miss a field goal. From this point, the Packers tried to fight the clock and mount a furious last-second comeback to reverse their fate.
While they got close, a diving Cam Akers grab on a 3rd-&-2 for the game made it so that Green Bay would come up short and the Vikings would go to 14-2 in 2024. Here’s what we learned from Sunday.
Jalen Nailor Has Clutch In Him
So far this season, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and T.J. Hockenson taking all of the headlines on the offensive side of the ball, there hasn’t been much need to remember many more names. But on Sunday, Jalen Nailor stepped up when the team needed him the most.
From the jump, it looked like the Packers defense was committed to zoning Jefferson out of the game, mixing in double teams from both sides of him or over top of him, making it hard for Sam Darnold to establish a connection with No. 18. Instead, the offense had to look for other ways to move the ball, and one of those ways was Nailor, who came down with four catches for 59 yards in the first 30 minutes.
Jalen Nailor WIDE OPEN in the end zone! TD @Vikings!
📺: #GBvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/IPs7fhOyWx— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
The capper on the explosive first half was his 31-yard touchdown, which was made possible by Jefferson drawing three men underneath to allow Nailor to go undetected into the end zone. Nailor’s ability to team up with Hockenson to exploit the middle of the field is what allowed the Vikings offense to move the ball without relying too heavily on their two elite receivers on the outside.
They Still Need To Run the Dang Ball
Everyone loves Kevin O’Connell, this author included, but the biggest gripe Vikings fans should have with him is his play-calling. Specifically, his tendency to abandon the run. At the start of the game, it looked like Green Bay’s defense had a simple plan: Stop Justin Jefferson and limit Minnesota’s explosive plays. Their defense seemed content to play coverage and let the Vikings’ offense settle for the underneath routes or whatever they could get in the run game.
While the offense did pick up on this later in the half, O’Connell and company seemed all too happy to try to air the ball out in the early going, even when Jones was getting chunk plays. Once Jones got some decent runs going, the Packers adjusted, drawing the linebackers in so the Vikings could exploit the middle of the field through the air.
While it was good to see KOC adjust during the first half instead of at halftime, he swung too far in the passing direction once things opened up. In the second half, with the Vikings up by multiple scores and needing to kill clock, O’Connell called up 12 runs to 21 passes. Thanks in part to an interception and a missed field goal, the Packers had enough time to make it a one-score game.
KOC will need to commit to running the ball more in the playoffs to ensure things stay opened up in the passing game. Teams will look to take away Jefferson and Addison and stall out Darnold’s momentum. Green Bay was almost able to do just that, but at the end of the game with a 17-point lead, KOC seemed to want to air the ball out. That’s not going to work in the playoffs.
They Can’t Stop Being Aggressive On Defense
Another coach who has crushed it in 2024, but needs to clean up some things at the end of games is Brian Flores. For three quarters, his unit shut down Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense almost completely. Their first two scores were both via short fields, with their touchdown drive starting on the Vikings’ 16-yard line. Through 54 minutes, Love wasn’t able to build any sort of rhythm, sporting under 100 passing yards.
Much like in Week 4, when the defense played prevent defense and sat back, Love got time to dissect the defense and put up multiple scores. Flores’ wildly successful defense needs to ditch the prevent defense that they have been so content to play late in games. Staying aggressive and keeping opposing offenses off-balance is exactly how this team needs to play, for the full 60 minutes.
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