Afterthoughts - Vikings vs. Packers

FINAL: Packers 24 - Vikings 19

Well, pretty much replace every Viking reference in my prediction with a Packer one and you've got how the game turned out.

But I'm far less concerned about the result and happenings in this game than several of my Viking-Brethren, as it says in my prediction, I wasn't exactly confident that the Vikes would win this game, the Pack is always a tough game for them regardless of the teams on the field. And with all the hype surrounding our Vikings team in the offseason after all the additions they made, people seem to forget that the Pack was 13-3 last year and 1 play away from a Superbowl appearance. Forget the fact that they lost Brett Favre, that doesn't turn a 13-3 team that ran away with the division last year into one thats gonna lay down against a rival that was 8-8 at home. Fact is, the Vikes may be a contender this year, but that doesn't eliminate the Packers from that status. On to thoughts on player and team performance in the season opener:

-NEW ADDITIONS:

Jared Allen had what he himself admitted as one of his least productive games in his career with his only entry into the stat sheet being a pass defensed. It was obvious watching the game that Green Bay had gameplanned to make Allen's impact on the game minimal. Not once do I remember a roll-out to his side and Chad Clifton was getting a lot of help from TE's, RB's, and G's to limit his effectiveness. We should expect more however after making Allen the highest paid defensive player in the league.

Bernard Berrian, slowed a little by a 'tired' toe (explain that one to me), also had a lackluster effort helping out the passing game. I do feel there were one or two plays where an illegal contact or pass interference penalty were missed, but we do need more from him to help move the passing game forward and open things up for Peterson and the ground game.

Tyrell Johnson, filling in for injured starter and fellow newcomer Madieu Williams, had a decent if unspectacular game, but also was most of the problem on the long completion to Greg Jennings that set up the Pack's first TD, as he was out of position and unable to recover and help Charles Gordon who had decent coverage, but was unable to stop Jennings from making a great play.

-OFFENSE:

Concerns about the Viking running game after a lackluster preseason should at least be dispelled after Adrian Peterson contributed 103 yards and a score on 19 carries, and Tarvaris Jackson added 65 yards on 9 scrambles. The passing game however, still looks lost, and a 16 yard performance through the air in the first half is far worse than just inadequate. In the second half things got better as Childress and Bevell seemed to open up the playbook a little bit, but it was still nothing spectacular and far too predictable at times. The disappearing act of Peterson with the game on line is also unacceptable. Peterson may be on the field in those situations, but you have got to run some plays designed to get the ball in your most explosive player's hands in those situations, he should not be only a decoy. How bout a screen or moving him around in formations to try and create some mismatches? The unimaginative playcalling that was evident last season was still around and doomed the offense.

The Good: Running game.
The Bad: Pass protection.
The Ugly: Jackson's accuracy (16-35).

-DEFENSE:

I thought the defense played really well despite posting zero legit sacks (Ray Edwards did have one play in which he laid out Rodgers in the red zone negated by a penalty) against an O-line starting 3 backups on its interior. Take away the 56 yard completion to Jennings and the 57 yard scamper in the 4th quarter by Ryan Grant and the Pack gained only 204 yards on 47 plays, and that also potentially elimanates 14 Green Bay points. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda though, and it ends up 24-19. QB Aaron Rodgers completed a masterful 18-22 passes, but still only posted 178 yards, which if the Vikes could limit a QB to every week, I have a feeling they'd be ecstatic (they gave up a league worst 261 per game last season).

I also thought the Goal line unit played extremely well, but hurt themselves by committing penalties in those situations. On Green Bay's first TD series, in which Rodgers completed a Favre like throw to fullback Korey Hall to put them in front 7-3, the Vikes D stuffed 4 or 5 consecutive goal line plays, but you can only stop a team so many times from that part of the field when you give them 2 or 3 extra plays.

Look for the team as a unit to keep improving while still playing pretty well, and for the pass rush to come around.

The Good: Chad Greenway. (His diving over a blocker and tripping up Grant in the backfield play was awesome)
The Bad: Pass Rush.
The Ugly: Penalties giving Green Bay numerous second chances on the goal line.

-SPECIAL TEAMS:

This unit gave up the big punt return TD to Will Blackmon that ultimately provided the game winning points, but P Chris Kluwe didn't help them out any on that play by booting a line drive instead of a hanger. One positive from this unit though is that they did block a field goal attempt to end the first half, which seemed to give them a little momentum entering the second half.

-We'll see if the Vikes can shore up their shortcomings that came out in this game and bounce back against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the home opener on Sunday, and don't fret fellow fans, the schedule is a tough start to the season, but it's only 1 game so far, 'Til next time...