Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings: Green Bay Grades, Notes and Quotes
The Green Bay Packers ended their three-game losing streak and moved back atop the NFC North with a 30-13 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.
The visitors' performance was a far cry from what Green Bay fans have suffered through lately. The defense allowed just seven second-half points and shut down Adrian Peterson all afternoon, while an Eddie Lacy-led offense bounced back in a big way.
With the win, the Packers (7-3) are now tied for first in the division with Minnesota, yet they have the advantage with a head-to-head tiebreaker.
Green Bay finally got the production it's been looking for from Lacy. The tailback rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries—his first 100-yard game this season—despite coming off the bench for the second straight week.
Meanwhile, the Vikings (7-3) couldn't muster much offense against Dom Capers' swarming defensive unit as Peterson ran for just 45 yards and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was sacked six times.
The much-needed road victory certainly gives the Packers some momentum heading into a Thanksgiving night showdown with Chicago this Thursday.
Before we look ahead to next week, though, let's hand out some position grades and go over important notes and quotes from Green Bay's 30-13 win over Minnesota in Week 11.
Position Grades for Packers
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| Position | Grade |
| Quarterback | B |
| Running Back | A+ |
| Wide Receiver | B+ |
| Tight End | B- |
| Offensive Line | A- |
| Defensive Line | A |
| Linebacker | A+ |
| Defensive Back | C+ |
| Special Teams | A- |
| Coaching | B+ |
Quarterback
Although his 16-of-34, 212-yard stat line doesn't turn heads, Aaron Rodgers made plays when it counted. His 27-yard touchdown strike to James Jones on the run highlighted Rodgers' day. He also led a nine-play, 80-yard, touchdown-scoring drive at the end of the first half to help give the Packers a 16-6 lead at the break. Rodgers' backhand flip to Jones for a two-point conversion wasn't too bad, either.
Running Back
Packers fans have longed to see Eddie Lacy break out this season, and they finally got their wish Sunday. Lacy had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season as he easily out-carried James Starks 22-8. Neither back did much as receivers—Starks did have one catch that went for 30 yards—but Lacy's performance more than makes up for it.
Wide Receiver
As soon as James Jones quieted down in the passing game, he exploded for a six-reception, 109-yard receiving day. Jones, who was held without a catch last week, was targeted a team-high 11 times and caught a touchdown pass from Rodgers for the sixth time this season.
Outside of Jones, though, Green Bay's receivers weren't much help. Randall Cobb and Davante Adams were the only other wideouts to catch a pass Sunday as they combined to go 5-of-60.
Tight End
Although Richard Rodgers was targeted five times, he finished with just three catches for seven yards in the game. On the bright side, the Packers' starting tight end did his job blocking for Lacy on the outside on a few notable rushes.
Offensive Line
Lacy's performance wouldn't have been possible without the offensive line opening up holes for the big man to run through. Backup center JC Tretter gets special recognition for holding his own up the middle after replacing the injured Corey Linsley in the first quarter. The O-line also kept Rodgers relatively clean for much of the contest as it held the Vikings defense to just two sacks.
Defensive Line
When you hold the NFL's leading rusher to just 45 yards on the ground, you have a good chance to win. That's exactly what Green Bay's defensive line did to Adrian Peterson who—besides his six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter—was pretty much a non-factor on offense for Minnesota.
Linebacker
Moving Datone Jones to outside linebacker seems to be working. Jones sacked Teddy Bridgewater twice on Sunday and pressured the quarterback on numerous other occasions. Clay Matthews also had a big day up the middle defending against Adrian Peterson—his two tackles for loss tied with Jones for the team lead. The linebacking unit ended up accounting for four of the Packers' six sacks.
Defensive Back
Fortunately for the Packers, the secondary's inability to cover Kyle Randolph didn't cost them a victory—Minnesota's tight end finished with six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. The defensive backs did, however, prevent Stefon Diggs or any other Vikings wide receiver from burning them downfield. The unit also got a lot of help from the constant pressure Bridgewater was under all game.
Special Teams
A week removed from missing a game-winning field goal, Mason Crosby hit all five of his attempts on Sunday to reward the offense for successful drives. Covering returners on kickoffs continues to be a problem for Green Bay, though. After Cordarrelle Patterson broke free for a 52-yard return in the third quarter, Crosby smartly kicked away from him and targeted the slower Zach Line near the sidelines.
Coaching
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers dialed up the right number of run and pass blitzes to disrupt Peterson in the backfield and to force Bridgewater to scramble. In addition, after three straight games without a sack, Capers' squad racked up six on Sunday.
On offense, the play-calling clearly favored Lacy as he carried the ball a season-high 22 times. In other weeks this might be an issue, but with Lacy running well, you can't blame associate head coach Tom Clements for calling his running back's number that often.
Green Bay D Shuts Down Vikings Offense
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Adrian Peterson entered Sunday's game having dominated the Packers in past meetings. He averaged at least 150 rushing yards and a touchdown in his last four games against Green Bay and looked poised to do so again as the NFL's leading rusher so far this season.
But Week 11 in 2015 was a different story altogether.
Although he did score a touchdown, the Vikings' star tailback managed just 45 yards on the ground and never gained more than 11 yards on any of his 13 carries. He even fumbled in the second half with Minnesota on the edge of the red zone.
Furthermore, Green Bay's defense bothered Bridgewater all afternoon in the pocket. After going three games without a sack, the Packers racked up six on Minnesota's second-year quarterback including one that temporarily knocked him out of the game in the second quarter.
Datone Jones, playing in his new outside linebacker position, had two of those sacks—the first of which was an 18-yard loss on first down. The sack also started a string of three straight Minnesota drives in the second quarter that all resulted in punts—each drive not coincidentally featured a Green Bay sack.
Green Bay's three-game sack drought ironically spanned the team's three-game losing streak. It had been the first time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1966 that the Packers had gone three straight games without a sack, according to ESPN Stats & Info (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN).
The defense can take a breather now that it has a dominant performance under its collective belt heading forward.
Packers Defenders on Their Performance
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After losing three straight, Green Bay got a much-needed win Sunday on the backs on its defense. The Vikings scored just 13 points, while Adrian Peterson totaled 45 rushing yards and Teddy Bridgewater was sacked six times.
Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers, who had one sack in the win, said the defense's performance could set the tone for the rest of the season.
"These types of games can define who you are as a team," Peppers said, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "Everyone has to step up to the challenge in these games, and I think we did as a team. I think it was a great sign for us as a defense in this moment."
Although the big story will be how good the Green Bay defense was in holding Peterson to a season-low in rushing yards, Bridgewater wasn't able to do much at the helm of Minnesota's offense because of how much he was pressured throughout the game.
Linebacker Clay Matthews said, per Silverstein:
"I think we have been doing a pretty good job of pressuring the quarterback all year, but we just haven't finished sometimes. Tonight, we got some good pressure on him and finished with sacks as well. All that matters is the penetration and the disruption we were getting overall. If you're able to not allow the quarterback to get rid of the ball comfortably, then you put your defense in a good place.
"
Not only was Bridgewater sacked six times, but the Green Bay defense also knocked down the Vikings quarterback four times and forced him to scramble four other times.
"They set the tone," safety Morgan Burnett said of the Packers' front seven, per Silverstein. "You see them busting their butt; you feel like you better not let them down."
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Eddie Lacy Bounces Back in a Big Way
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After losing his starting job to James Starks a week ago, Eddie Lacy showed Packers coaches and fans alike that he's still the same running back with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons under his belt.
Lacy recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season with exactly 100 yards on a season-high 22 carries despite not being the "lead back." Starks, as he did in last week's loss to Detroit, began the Packers' first drive as the starting tailback, yet he saw only eight carries the whole game.
Lacy, who missed the Detroit Lions game with a groin injury, quickly emerged as the go-to back Sunday, while Aaron Rodgers and his receivers struggled to get going.
The tailback's 27-yard run in the second quarter was not only his longest since the playoffs of last year, but it also set the stage for how he'd run the rest of the way. Lacy spun out of a tackle, broke one more and proceeded to carry a defender for the final five yards to finish out the run.
After the carry, Lacy was visibly excited—and rightfully so. The Packers made a concentrated effort to feed their struggling back and get him going on the ground.
Lacy's 22 carries were much more than a season-high number, too. They were more than he's gotten in the last three games combined. They were a sign of trust from Green Bay's play-callers and an attempt at re-establishing him as a workhorse back in the offense.
Lacy's second-half numbers are especially impressive. He racked up 67 rushing yards on 17 carries—more yards and carries than he's had in all but two games this year.
Despite all the rumors swirling around Lacy through the first 10 weeks of the season—is he overweight, injured, unmotivated, all the above?—it seems the solution was simply an increased workload to get him into a rhythm.
Lacy and Teammates on His 100-Yard Day
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Following his 100-yard performance Sunday, Eddie Lacy was the target of every reporter in the locker room. Yet, despite the added attention, Lacy had only one reason why he just had his best game of 2015.
"Prayed a lot," he said, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Prayer answers everything."
Lacy touched on this aspect of his mental game when Fox's Erin Andrews caught up with him immediately after the win (via Pro Football Talk):
"Eddie Lacy on what had been wrong with him, to Erin Andrews: "I wasn't right, like spiritually."
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 23, 2015"
Still, prayer doesn't explain why Lacy also saw a season-high in carries with 22 in the same game he hits the century mark. He was asked about the coincidence by a reporter after the game.
"I mean, you would think that," Lacy said, via Wood, "but I’m not really into stats or putting that together like you just did. The only thing I’m focused on is just when I get an opportunity, make the most of it."
Lacy's offensive teammates offered their thoughts on Lacy's performance, too.
"He’s our workhorse, man," right guard T.J. Lang said, via Wood. "When he gets going like he was today, the team follows him."
Lang went on to put Lacy's game in perspective of what his teammate's been going through lately.
"I don’t think any individual ever deserves to take most of the heat like he has," Lang said "A lot of rumors floating around about his weight, health. I think he was a guy who just had some injuries early on, kind of affected his confidence."
What's Up with James Jones' Hoodie?
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After being held without a catch in last week's loss to Detroit, James Jones bounced back in a big way Sunday. The veteran wideout finished with six catches, 109 yards, a touchdown and two-point conversion on a team-high 11 targets.
Throughout the game, though, Jones' appearance got more attention on social media and the like than his actual play. With each reception and big play, people quickly noticed Jones was wearing a hooded sweatshirt under his shoulder pads and jersey.
It's an unusual look for any player considering a sweatshirt's bulkiness—especially for a wide receiver needing to be as unrestricted as possible.
After the win, Jones joked about how popular his hoodie became on Sunday. Heck, it even has its own Twitter account.
"We might get some dudes playing in it now," Jones said, via ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "That would be sweet."
So what's the story behind Jones' hoodie? Demovsky provides some context:
"However, it didn't start as a fashion statement. Jones wears a hoodie to practice every day in Green Bay to stay warm. He went out on the field at TCF Bank Stadium with his hoodie on for pregame warmups and decided not to change before the game."
Jones also explained his reasoning behind wearing the hoodie during the game (via Demovsky):
"I was warm. I practice in it every day, as you guys know who are at practice. I was like, practice how you play. It was team-issued colors, so I felt kind of swagged up out there with it. So I'm like, let me go out there and play with it. I was just hoping nobody would grab me from the back because they might treat it like dreads. It kept me warm.
"
There was also a question of the legality behind wearing a hoodie during game action. According to former NFL head of officials Mike Pereira, it's perfectly legal:
"So about James Jones' hoodie... Via: @KFC https://t.co/WsxZgqXcxW
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) November 23, 2015"
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