It was a dream beginning. After forcing an Aaron Jones fumble and returning it to the Packers 10-yard line, it appeared that the Minnesota Vikings (10-5) were on their way to a signature victory over the division-leading Green Bay Packers (12-3). But after a four-yard run and two incomplete passes, the Vikings settled for a field goal and never seized momentum. It set the tone for the rest of the night as the Vikings fell at home for the first time all season in a 23-10 loss. Despite a strong defensive effort, the offense never got on track and the loss locks the Vikings into the No. 6 seed in the NFC as the playoffs approach.
Minnesota Vikings Offense Anemic on Monday Night Football
Failing to Get the Ground Game Cooking
With star running back Dalvin Cook and backup Alexander Mattison both out for the game, Minnesota relied on reserve running back Mike Boone to carry the load on the ground. The expectation was that Boone, who has flashed in the past two preseasons and scored two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers, would be able to plug right into the offense.
Despite an effort to get Boone going, the run game never got on track. Cook carried the ball 11 plays for only 28 yards with a long rush of only seven yards. Kick returner Ameer Abdullah, who has seen time on third down throughout the season, ran only four times for 27 yards. His long rush of 14 yards came on a 3rd and 19, though, and overall didn’t provide much impact on the ground game. With 16 runs overall for 57 yards, the Vikings could not keep drives going (picking up only one first down via run) and did not help set up the effective play-action game the Vikings have become accustomed to this season.
Power Defeats Finesse in Pass Protection
When the Vikings tried throwing the ball, quarterback Kirk Cousins never got into a rhythm. With the run game virtually non-existent, the Vikings got into a game they didn’t want to play. With the second-lightest offensive line in football, Minnesota relies on the athleticism of their line as opposed to their brute strength. So when the Vikings got predictable and went to the air, the Packers were able to counter with their strong pass rush. Linebacker Za’Darius Smith had the biggest impact for the Packers, lining up all over the line and bullying Vikings linemen Riley Reiff, Garrett Bradbury, and Brian O’Neill on his way to a 3.5 sack game. In total, the Vikings allowed 5 sacks and never allowed Cousins to feel comfortable. This was only the fifth time all season the Vikings gave up two or more sacks.
Bottoming out on Offense
In all, the Vikings gained a total of 139 yards against the league’s 22nd ranked defense. Converting only 4-of-15 third-down conversions killed most drives before they could even get started. In fact, the Vikings only gained seven first downs all night, their lowest total in a home game since 1971. This led to a putrid time of possession of 22 minutes and 28 seconds despite the Vikings defense getting the Packers offense off of the field on a consistent basis.
The 139 yards were even worse when considering the fact that the Vikings only averaged 2.62 yards per play on the night, the second-worst offensive output of the season. Their touchdown drive that resulted with a Stefon Diggs 21-yard touchdown reception only spanned 26 yards. The longest drive of the night covered 31 yards before Cousins threw an interception on a shot downfield to Diggs.
The Last Word
With the No. 6 seed locked up, the Vikings host the Chicago Bears next Sunday to close out the regular season. Although the game won’t impact any playoff standings, the Vikings may need to play their starters and get the offense back in rhythm before the postseason begins. However, the Vikings are 0-3 against the Bears since head coach Matt Nagy took over in 2018. The last time the teams met up, Chicago won 16-6 and sacked Cousins six times, the most that the Vikings have given up all season.
While it will be tempting to rest starters going into the playoffs, Minnesota needs to get their offensive identity back, with or without Dalvin Cook. On Monday night, they tried being a team that they haven’t been all season, a drop back offense that mostly avoided the play-action and screen passes that had been a staple the first 14 games of the season. If the Vikings want to make noise in the playoffs, the offense will need to weather the storm and compliment their defense.
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