Blake from North Hollywood, CA
Tried tuning in but due to a programming error, I caught a replay of the September game against the Vikings. So, please tell me what happened in this game.
Not bad. ‘Preciate the humor.
No question but simply an observation from a longtime Packers fan. I believe we all know what we observed yesterday and it is consistent with what we have observed over the course of this season.
As it relates to these types of games, that’s fair.
This loss felt like a true team loss. Offense, defense, specials and coaching. But despite the complete lack of a pass rush, I feel like holding MIN to 27 points without Alexander in the game probably should have been enough to get the win.
Oh, that was a total team loss all right. Both games against the Vikings to me were defined mostly by the Packers’ lack of pass rush. Minnesota couldn’t run the ball for squat and it didn’t matter. Stopping the run is supposed to help. The defense had plenty of opportunities, but blitzing like crazy and leaving a depleted secondary even more shorthanded against those weapons was not the answer. I thought Hafley was in a really tough spot, as any D-coordinator is when the standard rush is ineffective.
I don’t understand. What is the adjustment you’re supposed to make when you plan for zone coverage and you get man-to-man, different plays, different personnel, what?
There are certainly different route concepts, but it’s also about the receivers recognizing man coverage and attacking their routes knowing they have to win one-on-one. It’s not the same as running routes against zone.
Preston from Tallahassee, FL
It’s not the loss, it’s the poor play which is somewhat inexplicable. This much is clear … not having Jaire available is hugely impactful as is not having Christian Watson stretch the field. The Vikes dominated on paper and darn near lost. Film day ought to be fun. Plenty of football left and in seven days everyone starts 0-and-0.
That was just a very poor performance for three-plus quarters. No getting around that, and with so much to play for, upsetting for all involved. Plays were there to be made on offense without Watson, and the defense hasn’t had Jaire Alexander for a while but has certainly played better. Losing Zayne Anderson early, which forced Javon Bullard – who had missed the last two games – and Nixon into adjusted duty was certainly less than ideal for the defense’s continuity.
Disappointing but let’s not give up. Stay out of the 7th seed. Plus, I thought Edgerrin Cooper had a heckuva game!
Cooper is a treat to watch. Just impressive out there. This team isn’t giving up, and it does believe in itself, no matter how disappointing Sunday was. It’ll be tough to avoid the No. 7 seed now, though, after Washington survived in overtime Sunday night. The Packers are most likely headed to Philly.
The Sunday night game had another case of a team with multiple timeouts letting 20-30 seconds run off with under a minute to play. Are “analytics” to blame?
I have no idea what the Falcons were thinking there. They should’ve had a first down on the 44 with 30 seconds and one timeout left. Instead they didn’t get the next snap off until 17 seconds remained, tried a too-long field goal on the last play they were lucky to get a shot at, and kept a timeout they never used. It might cost Atlanta a division title.
Paul from Los Angeles, CA
Might it be advantageous for the Packers to rest some key players next week against the Bears? Health/rest vs 5/6 seeding?
It’s between the No. 6 and 7 seeds now, but I don’t see the Packers resting anybody. Not after that performance. I’d still rather have the 6 than the 7.
Could you sum up yesterday’s display in one word? My choice is “abysmal.”
Hey Insiders, another disappointing two-point spread. My biggest frustration was the penalties that had little to do with the play itself. I counted at least four of them that ended up playing a huge role in killing momentum. Neutral zone penalties. Illegal formation. 12 men on the field. How do we arrive at this stage of the season and still deal with these momentum killers? Rarely was there a replay that showed what the penalty was. We need a BIG win next week to get the mojo back.
Those penalties in late December feel inexcusable. LaFleur adamantly disagreed with the first illegal formation and the offside on the field goal, and there’s evidence neither was a penalty, but whatever. The Packers simply weren’t sharp. The Vikings had plenty to do with that, but not all of it. I’m skeptical how much mojo can be generated next week against a team on a 10-game losing streak. No matter what transpires, the Packers have a narrative about this season they’ll get one more shot to change. It’s up to them.
Guys, the Packers had three penalties that cost them a first down. JJ had a fumble that cost us a first down. Love had 2-3 throws that were not perfect but should have been caught…if the WRs were Vikings. This is the difference in the NFL today between two good teams. Agree?
The margins are forever small. I always say that and won’t stop. It’s the unforced errors that do the most damage and leave the most regret.
Amadeus from Safety Harbor, FL
Gentlemen, the Pack was destroyed by Darnold hitting receivers in the middle of the field for countless gains of 7 to 15-20 yards. Meanwhile, the Packers struggled to get the consistent first down for most of the first 50 minutes of the game. Would you please tell us why the Packers were not able to hit the kind of plays the Vikings were hitting for most of the entire game?
Pass protection was a big factor, and I don’t think the Vikings dropped a pass all day. That matters, too. But honestly, if you’re asking schematically, I’d be getting paid a lot more if I knew the answer.
Brian from Chesapeake, VA
0-5 against the NFC best means almost perfect football must be played. The Packers haven’t done it yet, maybe they can. Losing another fumble on a promising opening drive tells me more about failing than anything. Just can’t happen! Even if a FG is attempted, I really think that will mean more come playoff time while on the road. There were other problems, sure, but that opening drive really set the Packers’ offense back, in my opinion.
It was the only drive that had any real rhythm until the fourth quarter, it felt, so I understand your argument, and given the field position it probably took points off the board. But I also thought the Packers overcame the early fumble fine on both sides of the ball. The other miscues just kept adding up. None were as “bad” as a turnover but the cumulative effect was significant.
Happy(?) Monday. Lotta angst over the field goal that wasn’t kicked?
For sure. I’m conservative by nature in those situations and 7-6 felt OK to me. But there are plenty of big decisions in every game, whether they come on fourth down or not. I always say whatever is decided, make it work. The play was there. Love’s throw was a little off, and Reed still got two hands on it with the dive but couldn’t corral it. Make the plays that are there.
Insiders, please help me understand why having a non-blitzing linebacker spy any RB leaking out of the backfield isn’t a perfect complement to bringing pressure. On the Akers catch, a spy LB would have had a great chance at a pick-six at best and a failed third down at worst. I’m just tired of watching that play happen with seemingly no adjustments from the coordinator.
I don’t think any of us can speak to whether the problem was the call or the execution. Most defensive calls have contingencies for a player leaking out into the pattern. Did someone blow an assignment? I don’t know.
Austin from Woodstock, IL
I appreciate our defense is a big reason we’re at 11-5 and in the playoffs. They’ve also made tons of plays throughout most of the games, but it really feels like when we’re up against the wall and need a stop against these all-star teams late in a game we never do. To me this is what is keeping us from going from a good team to a team that can win it all.
The Packers have had three games come down to crunch time since the bye week – all three division games on the road – and the defense has faltered each time. I understand the concern. Nothing matters more than crunch time, and in a playoff game it’ll be for the season. Let’s hope the defense gets another shot and does what it did earlier in the year in those situations.
Dan from Morehead City, NC
I’ve heard a lot of complaints about Love’s accuracy at times, and some is justified. What concerns me more is the receivers continued poor catch percentage of the non-perfect pass. Good receivers can make their quarterback look good. I know there have been circus catches, but a little more help for the quarterback with better hands would elevate this team to compete with the best teams. Is my perception totally off base?
No. As others have pointed out, look at the catches the Vikings made. Some of Love’s throws can be better too. They’re close. They’re constantly close. That’s been the story of the season for me. Will they take the next step or not?
Charles from New Berlin, WI
Gentlemen, an observation. As ugly as things looked at times, there was no quit in this team. I really hope that the fellows can use it as a learning experience. It isn’t a season-ender, it’s a lesson. Get healthy an GPG!
I’ve never seen a LaFleur team quit and wouldn’t expect it to happen now. The lesson on falling way behind good teams was supposed to have been learned multiple times already this season. But it happened again. So what’s the response when the stakes are highest? How does this team channel frustrations from a game like this two weeks from now? Those are the questions that’ll eventually be answered.
Jerry from Bonnerville, CT
This season revealed that we can consistently beat teams with worse records and lose to teams with better records. With our record, that means we’re above average and that won’t beat the NFC’s best. It’s too late to fix it now. Luck is all we have to lean on. If you can’t admit it now, it’ll hit you soon.
If that’s the defeatist attitude you want to take, your prerogative. But I know nothing is absolute in this business, and at times like these I always think back to 2015. The Packers lost six of their last 10 – with one of the wins on a Hail Mary – limped into the playoffs with two ugly losses, and fell behind 11-0 in the wild-card round. They were as dead as any dead-in-the-water team could be. Not long after, they were suddenly playing in overtime with a chance to go to the NFC title game. These 2024 Packers are a good team that hasn’t proven it can beat a really good team just yet. But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
I am so broken right now on a catch. On the Arizona vs. LA game. Really you can intercept a ball catching it off the ground? And they had the experts look at it. Please explain your what you may have seen.
That’s been a catch for the last 25 years thanks to the Bert Emanuel rule. Ball can touch the ground but if the player has it secured and the ball doesn’t move as it hits the ground, it’s a catch. It was pretty clear-cut there.
Danny from Chattanooga, TN
Just pointing out, under the previous 12-team postseason, they never played 17 games. So the “12-win team misses playoffs” would not have played out the same. We’d be looking at a potential 11-5 team missing the playoffs, which has happened, albeit rarely. There would not be a Week 18 to get a 12th win. Anyways, our ticket is punched, Go Pack Go.
At this point do the Packers need to start planning for the playoffs without Jaire? The week to week can’t be good for game planning. This no longer feels like a typical injury absence.
I doubt the Packers are counting on anything at this point. You’re right, it isn’t typical for a player to practice over multiple weeks and not play. Obviously, LaFleur hasn’t divulged any additional information and Jaire hasn’t spoken with the media. I understand that’s very unsatisfactory to fans, but I have to believe there are reasons for everything.
Jennifer from Cordell, CA
500-character max, unless Mike goes over. No math, until there is. No discussing Inbox, until Wes does. Next game only, unless you say it’s OK. Try politics instead guys.
You’re welcome to request a refund.
Wow! Where did the season go? Seems like yesterday we were headed to Brazil.
The offseason always feels long, and then the season flies by. Rinse and repeat.
Peder from Sevastopol, WI
Just a comment. I don’t know who we will play first in the playoffs but I like how we stack up against them.
Me too. These guys are capable. They just have to go do it, and they’ll get another chance. Happy Monday.
