Game recap: Packers thrashed by impressive Vikings

Final score: Vikings win 23-7

The story of the game was that Justin Jefferson ran the show. He was unstoppable. The Packers defence simply could not cover him. He racked up a career high 184 yards to go along with two scores. He could’ve easily eclipsed 200 yards. However, the Vikings were dominating the game and pounded the ball to victory instead.

This was an important game for both sides. The Vikings wanted to get off to a winning start under their new regime. The Packers wanted to show that they can still compete to be the NFC’s best team.

In the end, the Vikings came out on top in a fashionable win. 

The outlook for the Vikings

New head coach Kevin O’Connell drew up some beautiful plays which opened the Packers defence. This set the tone for the game as the Vikings were dominant for most parts. Players like Adam Thielen and Irv Smith were barely even involved. Once they get going the offense could become a force in the NFL.

Surprisingly, the defence held up well too. Holding the Packers to just seven points is an impressive feat. There were a handful of important stops which will leave fans excited. There was still some suspect play at times though. Patrick Peterson does not seem to be able to keep up with receivers these days. There was also issues with the run defence which may be exposed against a top running back.

Nevertheless, the Vikings set themselves up well for the rest of the season. This success in week 1 can be awarded to players all over the field. But we can not ignore the impact a new head coach, backroom staff, and general manager can have on the culture of a team.

The Packers Outlook

It was a day to forget for the Packers. The team’s first drive almost got off to a beautiful start when Aaron Rodgers sailed a beautiful pass to rookie Christian Watson. Unfortunately, the rookie let it slip through his hands for what would’ve been an easy 75-yard touchdown. Rodgers was visibly angry and didn’t give Watson much attention the rest of the day. 

If he would have caught this, it may have been a completely different ball game.

Fans of the Green Bay team had been hyping up their defence all summer. Yet the defence seemed lost for most of the game. They consistently lost track of Justin Jefferson and allowed the Vikings to get easy gains. Although this may be a problem with the system, rather than the players on the field.

Overall, the Packers will be very disappointed with their performance. The lack of energy from the team is inexcusable in week one. Losing to division rivals makes the loss sting even more. On the bright side, it has become a yearly occurrence in recent memory for the Packers to perform poorly in week 1. They can easily still bounce back.