What were the good, bad, and interesting things from the Minnesota Vikings Week 6 NFC North matchup against the Green Bay Packers on October 15, 2017?
The Minnesota Vikings were looking to reassert themselves in the NFC North in Week 6 as they take on the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The October 15, 2017 game had fans on the edge of their seat throughout the whole game.
Right now, the Vikings are split in the division matchups. After a crushing loss to the Detroit Lions at home and a narrow victory over the Chicago Bears on the road, a win over the Packers would have gone a long way in getting back into the division picture.
The Minnesota Vikings were able to defeat the Packers by a final score of 23-10 in a game which saw a lot of controversial calls, some major injuries, and plenty of excitement to give fans a lot to talk about.
Most importantly, there were some good things, bad stuff, and interesting occurrences in Week 6 against the Packers. Let’s start the discussion by talking about the positive things!
The Good Stuff vs Green Bay
- A loud crowd in Minnesota. Packers fans are known for traveling well, especially to Minnesota for the NFC North matchups. The crowd today came to be rowdy, causing Green Bay to get confused and even stop the game to regroup.
- Jerick McKinnon in the passing game. It’s great to have a running back that can be such a weapon in multiple ways. As a receiver out of the backfield, JET is a threat to break a big play any time the ball gets in his hands, and with Keenum’s efficiency, it is a match made in heaven.
- Treadwell having a great day. A highlight reel catch was the most explosive part of a day that found him catching 3 balls for 51 yards with Stefon Diggs out for the week. He will likely get a bigger role on offense if he can keep impressing on game day.
- Adam Thielen drawing flags. The Packers respect his route running and speed so much that he drew multiple flags for holding and pass interference. With Diggs out, Thielen was going to get a lot of attention, and Green Bay was definitely keeping tabs on him.
- The Vikings run defense. With Aaron Rodgers out, the Vikings knew that they would need to stop the Packers running backs. Thankfully, the team was up to the challenge, winning the battle in the trenches led by defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
The Bad Things vs Green Bay
- Dumb penalties. A 15-yard call on Barr, encroachment, illegal man downfield, and more. If Minnesota were more disciplined, they could have put themselves in a better position to get points, especially early in the contest.
- Clock management. Once again, indecision on the part of the Vikings coaching staff ended what could have been a drive that ended with points. Between this and the penalties, the Vikings should have been in better control of the contest at halftime.
- Anthony Barr injury. Getting a concussion is never good. The long-term impact of concussions can be scary and hopefully, the linebacker can make a full recovery and be back to the team next week after leaving the game since he’s been playing well.
- Turnovers. It’s not very often that a team can commit two turnovers and stay in the game. Case Keenum took some chances in this game and a fumble by Jerick McKinnon both could have really changed the momentum of the contest.
- Killer instinct. It’s not just a video game. The Vikings were content just 13 points up and didn’t keep the offensive pressure up against the Packers. Playing it safe is one thing, but being passive and not attacking against a dangerous team is another.
The Interesting Occurrences vs Green Bay
- Troy Aikman and Joe Bu…WHAT? The pairing of Aikman and Buck got broken up for this game, as Troy was paired with Thom Brennaman. Maybe Aaron Rodgers finally got a restraining order on Buck…or maybe the color purple still makes him sick. Either way, Vikings fans win when Buck isn’t announcing.
- Seeing Brett Hundley. It isn’t often that Hundley sees the field. But after Rodgers landed on his elbow and shoulder during an Anthony Barr tackle, he left the game on a cart to be evaluated by the Green Bay medical staff. Even though it’s an opponent player, I never wish injury on anyone and want the Vikings to beat opposing teams at full strength.
- Enough evidence? A second-quarter Kyle Rudolph catch was overturned when it didn’t look like there was enough visual evidence to suggest it definitely wasn’t a catch. This is a major problem in the NFL, as consistency among referee units needs to be better applied to all NFL games.
- Bringing out the kickoffs. By now, you all know I’m #TeamTouchback. Even a decent return will only get the ball out to about the 20. Just take a knee or let it bounce out the back of the end zone and get it at the 25. VERY small chance of fumbles or injuries that way either.
- Announcers watch too much wrestling. Note to Aikman and Brennaman: Xavier Rhodes is an NFL defensive back. Xavier Woods is a WWE Superstar portrayed by Austin Creed. They are NOT the same guy.
Overall Impression vs Packers
This was a big game for the Minnesota Vikings. Anytime the boys in purple take on the Green Bay Packers, everything stops in the state and eyes turn to the football field to find out just what the team can do against a top opponent.
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The defense came to play. The only time a touchdown was given up was when the Vikings gave up a short field to the Packers after an offensive turnover. The team dominated the line of scrimmage all game and played stingy coverage.
Of course, the entire feel of the game changed following the injury to Aaron Rodgers. Any momentum that Green Bay had at that point was done and Minnesota kept their intensity high all day long.
Offensively, a surprise performance from Laquon Treadwell, an incredible game from Harrison Smith, and constant pressure on the quarterback made this a very winnable game for the Vikings. Add in another strong performance from Jerick McKinnon, and it was a recipe for success.
Overall, the Minnesota Vikings did what they needed to do to win, but still have a lot to clean up. The defense looked solid once again, and the offense was efficient enough to move the ball up and down the field. However, those penalties and turnovers need to be cleaned up.
Next: Is Kirk Cousins an option for Minnesota?
Next week, the Minnesota Vikings stay at home for Week 7 and will face off against the Baltimore Ravens. Hopefully, the team can keep this positive momentum going and continue to assert themselves as a team to beat in the NFC.