Vikes at Pack Game Wrap—Skol Chant Heard in Lambeau
Joe Oberle
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With nothing on the line in Green Bay on Saturday, the Vikings came to town and got the win. It was not exciting. It was performed expertly, but it was what the Vikings needed to set themselves up for playoff bye (with a Carolina Panthers loss on Sunday). The Packers were more interested this week than the Cincinnati Bengals last week, but the Vikings were still able to earn their first shutout since 1993.
Aaron Rodgers didn’t play, so many of the Packer fans didn’t show up, and as a result a lot of the Purple faithful showed up at Lambeau—even to the point of doing the “Skol Chant” in the stands—kind of nice payback for the “Go Pack Go” we have heard for years in Minneapolis.
The Vikings get to sit back and watch the rest of the league and get ready for the Chicago Bears in the season finale next Sunday. And then it is on to the playoffs—just exactly where this team should be at the end of this great regular season.
Trending
Battle of the Backups—Case Keenum versus Brett Hundley, so it would seem. Keenum has been the Vikings starting quarterback since week two, so he has a leg up on Hundley, who took the field in Week 6 for the injured Aaron Rodgers, has been had less time. The Packers put Rodgers on IR, so here we are. In the game, let’s go to the tape:
Keenum: 14 for 25 for 139 yards and a touchdown—85.2 rating.Hundley: 17 for 130 yards and two interceptions—30.2 rating.
Keenum missed some wide-open receivers, long short and otherwise. Cold air? But he still had the upper hand on Hundley. Keenum did not have his best game but was good enough on a frozen night, making plays with his legs (probably just to warm up).
Stefon Diggs was the bulk of the Vikings offense in this one, and it was good to see. He had five catches for 60 yards and a touchdown, even drawing a 39-yard DPI. Nice to get Diggs back into the main focus of the offense as defense are rolling more double-coverages over to the rookie Pro Bowler Adam Thielen. Diggs is getting it leveled up for the playoffs.
Harrison Smith had another great game—eight tackles (five solo) and two interceptions. He was in on so many all night, and one of the interception, which squelched the Packers only first half scoring threat, prompted NBC’s Cris Collingsworth to say, “That’s why he is the best safety in pro football.” Some of the Pro Bowl voters are likely re-thinking their votes after watching this game.
Worth Defending
I said “no way” when Kai Forbath lined up for the first score of the game—a 49-yard field goal. Forbath’s first two kickoffs barely made it to the 20 yard line and the Packers punter hit a terrible opening punt that looked like he was kicking a piece of granite. In fact, most of the kicks were short all night. But Forbath muscled it through in a line-drive fashion. He later hit two more for his 31st and 32nd field goals this season, tied for 5th most in a single season in Vikings history.
Not worth defending might be Everson Griffen getting manhandled by Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari. Griffen lost the battle between two elite players. On the game, he had one tackle and rarely threatened Hundley all night. He will be better next week (if he plays).
David Morgan, getting a few more looks with Kyle Rudolph getting less (perhaps due to his ankle injury a couple weeks ago), and he made the most of it. On the game, Morgan had, two catches for 26 yards, including a nice 23-yard catch and run that got Keenum out of trouble and the Vikings a first down. Morgan also filled in as long snapper when Kevin McDermott went down with a wrist injury.
Should be Ending
The temperature was 2 degrees at kickoff and likely felt a lot colder than that, so they say (it was 70 degrees in my living room, so I don’t know for sure). But I am thinking the Vikings won’t have to experience temp like this again this season—we are officially hoping for home field for this team throughout the playoffs.
The Frozen tundra, indeed. The field at Lambeau in December is trash. Players were slipping sliding and falling all over this green-painted dirt. How about an October game in Green Bay next season? Play the late-season rematch inside in Minneapolis. That would be a change.
Injuries: Just let the team to go to the playoffs. The Nick Easton injury (he had his right leg rolled up in the first quarter and suffered a fractured ankle) is survivable for the team, but not great for the postseason Purple Hopes. Shamar Stephen was carted off and long snapper Kevin McDermott was seen holding his left wrist (shoulder injury) and didn’t return. It might have been one of the worst games of the year injuries-wise for Minnesota. Get well soon, fellas.
And Happy Holidays to all!