MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 25: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers and Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings greet each other after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Packers 24-17. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 25: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball for a 26-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /
The good stuff from Week 12
Getting Cook involved in the passing game. Believe it or not, but Dalvin Cook only had two career touchdowns heading into this game. Plus, he had only caught 27 passes in that time. When pounding the ball up the gut isn’t working, finding other ways to get him involved has paid off.
Richardson owning the line. After being quiet for a couple of weeks, Sheldon Richardson showed up in a big way. He sacked Aaron Rodgers twice while leading the team in tackles with seven, three of those being solo while being a big reason the Green Bay running game struggled.
You can’t guard him. Earlier this year, Thielen was the man. Now that so much attention has been put on him, Stefon Diggs is emerging as the man to get the targets from Cousins. This dynamic duo is going to be tough for any defense to contain since taking both away would be nearly impossible.
Getting those stops. The Vikings are known for getting stops on third down and they got exactly that out of their defense. Green Bay only converted two of their ten third down attempts and failed on converting a fourth down and short. This defense is absolutely for real!
Efficiency. Last week, fans saw a version of Kirk Cousins who was skittish in the pocket and threw some dangerous passes that the defense took advantage of. This week, he played mistake-free football by not throwing a single interception, and that made a HUGE difference in the outcome.
