HIT THE ROAD, PACK

Vikes Dump Pack to Claim North,

Pack Travels to D.C. to Face ‘Skins

Dennis Green has one of the more celebrated coach rants of all time. After his Arizona Cardinals were thrashed by the Chicago Bears on national television Green had a nuclear meltdown moment during his post-game press conference that culminated in the now legendary explosion “They are who we thought they were!”

As for the 2015-16 Green Bay Packers it can be said “They aren’t who we thought they were.”

With a national audience tuning in, after looking less than impressive over the past 10 games, with all the public declarations about showing up at crunch time the Minnesota Vikings came into Lambeau and ripped the NFC North crown from the hands of the Packers by a score of 20 – 13. The upstart Vikes withstood a few moments that looked as if it would turn the game on its ear. If Minnesota is red hot and for their effort they now gets to face the white hot Seattle Seahawks at home in round 1. For their part the Pack gets to travel to our nation’s capital to square off against Washington, the winners of the east.

The clichés will fly thicker than the snow in Green Bay this week. Throw the records out; the season starts now… any given Sunday… we’ll get it done at crunch time… it’s anybody’s game… the regular season means nothing now. Sports is nothing if not a place that breeds and cultures clichés and rolls them out proudly every year. No doubt the Packers will lean on the clichés heavily this week.

Of all the teams in the playoffs in both the NFC and

AFC Green Bay just might be the weakest entry. Thankfully the Pack opened at 6 – 0 to have enough momentum to limp into the dance. While the Vikings, Cards and Panthers come in roaring the Packers quietly and unceremoniously snuck in an open side door. None of this is meant to suggest the Packers don’t deserve to be there; a 10 – 6 record is nothing to sneeze at. But 10 – 6 was hardly the expectation of Mike McCarthy or anyone else prior to the start of the campaign. But that pristine 6 – 0 start seems three lifetimes removed. At the time Green Bay was in the thick of the conversation of the best of the best. So was New England. The Patriots are the AFC version of Green Bay as they have been decimated by injuries and barely resemble the juggernaut that was rolling through the AFC.

The Vikings and head coach Mike Zimmer deserve a ton of credit for their rapid turnaround. Green Bay’s defense once again throttled the NFL’s leading rusher in Adrian Peterson and did a good job of harassing Teddy Bridgewater. For the game Peterson was limited to 67 yards on the ground in 19 carries while Bridgewater was held under 100 yards passing also at 99 yards on a 10 of 19 day with 1 interception. Rodgers won the head to head  battle by going 288/ 44 for 291 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Eddie Lacy was used early and often but was only able to put up 34 yards on 13 carries and James Starks didn’t fare much better with 24 yards on 8 carries. Where the Vikings separated themselves from the Pack was defensively. The Packer’s overworked and undermanned offensive line surrendered 5 more sacks, one of which resulted in an Aaron Rodgers fumble that was returned by Captain Munnerlynn 55 yards for the TD that broke the Pack’s back.

Once again the Packer defense gave the offense a game with which they could win. Both Peterson and Bridgewater were held under 100 yards. The Pack sacked Teddy B 3 times and it was Clay Matthews’s lion-like pounce of a sack that killed a Viking drive that kept the damage to a field goal. At the end of the first half the score was a surprising but manageable count of 6 – 3 Minnesota. Peterson’s 3 yard bull rush put up the first TD of the game and Munnerlynn’s fumble recovery off an Everson Griffen sack almost put the game out of reach at 20 – 3. Griffen’s sack and to be fair the majority of the Vikings sacks came as a result of injuries to the Packers offensive line. With starting left tackle David Bahktiari out with an ankle injury All Pro G Josh Sitton was moved from left guard to left tackle and Lane Taylor was inserted into Sitton’s slot. Sitton did his best but he is not a tackle and Griffen was able to exploit Sitton.

In just Zimmer’s 2^nd season the Vikings have gone from 5 – 10 -1 to NFC North Champs. Zimmer has a bristling, no nonsense nature and in just his 2^nd season he has the Vikings ship pointed in the right direction. "Did we get here faster? I don't know. I have pretty high expectations," Zimmer said. "I don't know, maybe." When Zimmer came in he made few friends, cleaned out a locker room of malingerers and made it clear he’s in charge and isn’t the least bit interested in whether his players particularly like him as a person. He has been brutally blunt but refreshingly honest and has created an atmosphere of accountability the likes of which haven’t been seen in Minnesota in some time.

Mike McCarthy was less than impressed with his team’s performance afterwards. "Frankly, we didn't do enough of the things you need to do, especially in big games, to come out on top," McCarthy said. QB Aaron Rodgers echoed the sentiment. "Yeah, we've got to play better. We've got to put it all together," Rodgers said. The Vikings win over the Packers also added a little more salt in the wound of this season. For the first time since 1968 the Packers did not win a game at home against a divisional opponent. Lambeau Field no longer holds the spell over opponents it once did.

In spite of the poor showing the Pack made a game of it in the 4^th quarter. Rodgers caught fire and in the 4^th quarter alone he eclipsed his output from the first 3 quarters. A 16 yard strike to TE Richard Rodgers closed the gap and a Mason Crosby field goal put the game within striking distance. Viking kick returner almost broke the ensuing kickoff but after a 70 yard return it was Crosby’s karate chop that knocked the ball loose and Micah Hyde alertly pounced on the gaffe. Hyde had an earlier one handed scoop and grab of an interception that killed a Minnesota drive. Rodgers had one more shot to knot the game.

Rodgers drove the Pack deep but it was not to be. On 4^th down his intended pass for James Jones was not thrown far enough to the outside for Jones to make a play. Jones had a wide area to field in the end zone but when Rodgers across his body throw sailed inside Xavier Rhoades picked it off to seal the win. Although the Pack had one last desperation Hail Mary play their allotment for miracles this season had been used in Detroit earlier this year.

The game itself was an encapsulation of the Packers season. Receivers could not get open. Randall Cobb had a drop early when he began to look upfield before securing the ball. Rodgers was hit, harassed and sacked. For the season Rodgers was sacked 46 times. Rodgers’ numbers are far from horrible. 3,800 yards/ 38 TD’s/ 8 INT’s. Most NFL QB’s would kill for a season like that but for Rodgers it is a down year.

The Packers coming limping into the playoffs and if there is any silver lining they get to face Washington, a team that won the NFC East by attrition but is far from a powerhouse. Of course, right now, neither are the Packers.

Let the clichés begin.