Good, bad, and ugly from Packers’ victory over Vikings

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 23-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Green Bay Packers arrived at U.S. Bank Stadium looking for their first victory at the Minnesota Vikings’ new facility and walked out as NFC North champions. After an incredibly sloppy first half, the Packers rode Aaron Jones and a dominating defense to victory, coming away with a 23-10 win that gave Green Bay its first division title in three years. Now, they’ll head to Detroit with a chance to lock up a first-round bye with a victory.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 23-10 win against the Vikings:

The Good

  • Defense: The Packers offense came to life in the second half, but it was the Packers defense that kept the game in check for its entirety. The Packers finished with five sacks and held the Vikings to just 139 total yards and seven first downs. The Vikings were without Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, but the Packers still dominated from the very first snap and seem to be getting back into their groove at just the right time.
  • Za’Darius Smith: Smith may not have been selected for the Pro Bowl, but he’s playing like he wants to be Defensive Player of the Year regardless. Smith was an absolute force to be reckoned with on Monday, tallying seven tackles, 3.5 sacks, five tackles for a loss, and five quarterback hits. Smith was constantly in the Vikings’ backfield, and his presence helped the Packers defense keep the Vikings from doing much of anything. Every week, Smith looks like more and more of a bargain.

  • Kenny Clark: Criticism of Clark early in the season looks absolutely silly now. Ever since the calendar has switched to December, Clark has absolutely wrecked opposing offensive lines. Clark finished the game with four tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss. He was unblockable for much of the night against the Vikings.
  • Aaron Jones: The Packers running back was tasked with a heavier workload after Jamaal Williams left the game with an injury, and he rose to the challenge. Jones powered the Packers offense, rushing for 154 yards on 23 carries and scoring twice, including a 56-yard touchdown that helped ice the game for Green Bay. He continues to be the most effective player on offense, and if Green Bay wants to win into January, they’ll need to keep feeding him.

  • CB Kevin King: His interception and return in the third quarter sparked a touchdown drive. It was his fifth pick of the year. He also had a tackle for loss and helped the Packers defense hold Adam Thielen without a catch. The Packers are now 11-0 when producing at least one takeaway this season.

The Bad

  • Aaron Rodgers: Another rough week for Aaron Rodgers, who looked awful through the first half of Monday’s game. Rodgers finished with just 216 passing yards and no touchdowns and an interception. Rodgers looked out of sync early and even many of his completed throws looked to be behind or late to receivers. Rodgers continues to be effective enough to help Green Bay win, but he struggled for stretches on Monday night.
  • Red zone offense: This one goes hand in hand with Rodgers, but the Packers had a rough time in the red zone against Minnesota. The Packers scored a touchdown on just one of their three trips in the red zone, kicking short field goals on the other two. Scoring points is always good, but Green Bay’s offense isn’t explosive enough to be wasting trips to the red zone as often as they did against Minnesota.

The Ugly

  • Turnovers: Two of the three Packers losses this year have come as a result of losing the turnover battle, and on Monday, it looked like that would happen again, as they turned it over three times in the first half but somehow came away with a win. Aaron Jones fumbled on the first drive, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception, and then Davante Adams fumbled, all of which gave Minnesota big chances to score. Jimmy Graham and Tyler Ervin also fumbled. The Packers defense was up to the task, stifling the Vikings at nearly every turn. Teams don’t often win when turning the ball over three times in the first half.