Matt LaFleur has only lost two divisional games in three years as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, but both have come against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers had their chances on Sunday but inevitably dropped their third game of the season, this time via a last-second field goal. Two massive games from Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson propelled Minnesota to 34 points, the most this Green Bay defense has allowed since Week 1.
Thanks to a strong performance from Aaron Rodgers, the offense played well enough to win – scoring 30 points for the third time this season. This one will go down as a classic back-and-forth battle, with the Vikings walking away victorious. They improved to 5-5, while Green Bay moves to 8-3 and are faced with overcoming even more injuries. Elgton Jenkins could be lost for the season after he appeared to injure his knee on a non-contact play during the fourth quarter. The initial fear is a torn ACL.
Hopefully, the Packers will have some key pieces back soon, including left tackle David Bakhtiari. If Jenkins’ injury is serious, returning an All-Pro at left tackle would provide a sigh of relief. This Green Bay team could really use a bye, but they will have to play a tough Los Angeles Rams team before getting some much-needed rest.
Before we look too far ahead, let’s recap the standouts from a 34-31 loss to Minnesota.