The Green Bay Packers got star performances from outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, defensive lineman Kenny Clark and cornerback Kevin King during Monday night’s 23-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Smith and Clark were unblockable up front, and King kept making big plays and eliminating Adam Thielen in the passing game.
Together, they helped create the most impressive overall performance from the Packers this season.
Smith played the leading role, producing 3.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for losses and five quarterback hits in an incredible individual performance. Moved around the defensive front by coordinator Mike Pettine, Smith beat almost every single position along the offensive line for a sack, hit or pressure of Kirk Cousins.
It was arguably the greatest single-game effort from a Packers edge rusher in recent memory. He won with power, quickness and technique, never once let Cousins get comfortable in the pocket and blew up plays in the run game.
Smith became just the sixth NFL player since 2006 to produce at least three sacks, five tackles for losses and five quarterback hits in a single game.
One minute and 44 seconds showcasing Za'Darius Smith absolutely wrecking last night's game against the Minnesota Vikings pic.twitter.com/VZfTMfvVoe
— Joe Kipp (@JuhKipp) December 24, 2019
Through 15 games, Smith has 13.5 sacks, 35 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for losses. Only two other players have reached all three numbers in a single season since 2006: J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald.
When Smith wasn’t in the backfield, Clark was. He finished with four tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. Not only did he beat up on rookie center Garrett Bradbury in the passing game, but he combined with Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry to all but shut down the Vikings’ run game. Minnesota running backs finished with 55 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Over the last six games, Clark has 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for losses and four quarterback hits.
King provided one of the plays of the game when he sunk deep into the Packers’ Cover-3 coverage and intercepted Cousins’ deep ball to Stefon Diggs in the third quarter. His return set up the Packers near midfield, and they scored the go-ahead touchdown eight plays later. King also stopped Thielen short of the sticks on a third-down run (forcing a punt), had a tackle for loss on a quick pass to rookie tight Irv Smith Jr. and helped keep Thielen without a catch on four targets.
King now has a team-high and career-high five interceptions this season. He has two interceptions, six pass breakups and two tackles for losses over his last five games.
The Packers held the Vikings to seven first downs, 139 total yards and 2.6 yards per play. Cousins attempted 32 passes but finished with only 82 net passing yards, thanks in large part to five sacks losing 40 yards. The Vikings were 4-for-17 on third and fourth down, and King’s interception helped the Packers improve to 11-0 when the defense produces at least one takeaway this season.