The Packers elevated RB Pierre Strong and LB Jamon Johnson from the practice squad due to the absences of Josh Jacobs and Quay Walker.  The inactive players due to injury were CB Nate Hobbs, WR Matthew Golden, LB Quay Walker, and RB Josh Jacobs. The healthy scratches were OL Donovan Jennings, Kicker Lucas Havrisik, and LB Jamon Johnson.  RB Pierre Strong was active but did not play.

Josh Jacobs was reportedly a game time decision, but ultimately, he was not active.  Edge Lucas Van Ness and DL Karl Brooks returned from injury but were on steep pitch counts.  Keisean Nixon collided with Devonte Wyatt and left the game.  He did not return.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN:

The run blocking looked better than the statistics would indicate.  The Packers gained 146 yards on 42 carries for a 3.48-yard average, with 2 rushing touchdowns and a long of 13.  Perhaps the important number is not the average but the fact that the Packers got 42 carries.  There were few negative runs.  The line seemed to be able to lean on the Vikings as the game wore on.  Anthony Belton and Jordan Morgan initially alternated at right guard by series, but  Belton simply won the job and played every snap in the second half.  True, the line did not open too many large holes, but the backs ran hard and the line just mauled the defense.  The Packers had 6 explosive runs, but several of them were just scrums that migrated down the field in a muddle.  Pro Football Focus indicated that the Packers gained just 0.3 yards before contact per carry.  Darian Kinnard played a lot of snaps as a 6thh offensive lineman or as an inline TE.    

The Packers allowed 5 quarterback hits and 1 sack.  Those are good numbers but the pass protection was not as good as the numbers suggest.  Love only attempted 21 passes.  Love faced fairly quick pressure rather often but handled it very well.  Still, PFF indicated the Packers allowed just 14 pressures, a pretty low number, including 3 times when a pass rushers came in unblocked.  Love had 2.68 seconds on average to throw, whereas JJ McCarthy had 3.10 seconds. 

Tom did not allow any pressures.  Jordan Morgan also did not allow any pressures in 7 pass blocking snaps.  Banks and Belton each allowed 1 hurry.  Rasheed Walker allowed 2 pressures including the Vikings only sack.  Walker seems to always have one or two whiffs each game while otherwise providing good pass protection.  Sean Rhyan allowed 2 hurries.  PFF did not list any of the linemen as having had a particularly strong game.

RUNNING BACKS:

Emanuel Wilson finished with 107 yards on 28 carries for a 3.82-yard average.  He had 2 rushing touchdowns.  Coach LaFleur lauded Wilson for running with great pad level, particularly on one touchdown run when the hole failed to materialize and he bounced over and found a crease.  He indeed seemed to move the pile often and showed some vision.  Wilson caught both of his targets for 18 yards and was solid in pass protection. 

Chris Brooks gained 21 tough yards on 8 carries, a 2.63-yard average.  He caught his only target for 5 yards.  Brooks had a rough day in pass protection, allowing 3 pressures on 8 pass blocking snaps.  Note that Brooks played 29 snaps but received just 8 carries, otherwise blocking or running routes.  

QUARTERBACKS:

Love completed 14 of 21 (66.67%) for 139 yards (6.62 yards/attempt), with no touchdowns or interceptions.  Love had a long of 18.  He had an 85.2 passer rating.  Love played with a separated left shoulder (AC Joint Sprain), and it showed.  His handoffs to the backs were awkward and a couple of his passes came off his hand strangely and dived towards the ground.  That said, he handled blitzes and pressure in general very well, and had a robust average depth of target.  He rushed 3 times for 15 yards including a 13-yard scramble for a first down.  It was a smart and gutty performance. 

Malik Willis completed a pass for 7 yards and gained 3 yards on 2 carries, including a kneel down.  I thought Willis was the second-best quarterback on the field.         

TIGHT ENDS:

Musgrave caught 1 of his 2 targets for 7 yards but he drew a long pass interference penalty on Vikings safety, Joshua Metellus.  Fitzpatrick caught 1 pass for11 yards and Whyle caught 1 pass for 1 yard.  The Packers used 1.39 TEs per play on average as they chose to use a lot of heavy packages.   

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Watson caught 5 of his 7 targets for 49, a 9.8-yard average with a long of 12.  I am happy to see a little more volume out of Watson despite Love attempting only 21 passes.  He continued to be a good blocker.  PFF gave Watson an initial grade of 81.9.  Doubs caught 2 of his 3 targets for 23 yards with a long of 18.  Wicks caught 2 of 4 targets for32 yards with a long of 18.  Heath and Williams had no statistics.  This game leaned heavily on the run game.

The offense was just okay.  Another opponent successfully managed to shorten the game, as the Packers got just 3 possessions in the first half, plus a kneel down.  The Packers led 10-6 at the half.  Zayne Anderson provided a game-changing special teams play.   Anderson blocked a Viking into a punt, causing a turnover with the Packers getting the ball at the Viking 5-yard line.  Anderson recovered the punt.  Two runs by Wilson resulted in a touchdown that pushed the lead to 17-6.  The Packers' defense looks like a different beast when the Packers are up 2 scores. 

DEFENSIVE TACKLES:

Wooden had 4 tackles (3 solo) with a tackle for loss.  Wyatt had 3 solo tackles, including 2 sacks.  Wyatt got good penetration all game, and he benefited by the havoc caused by Parsons and Gary for his two sacks.  Brinson had 1 solo tackle, a half sack.  Stackhouse had no statistics but he did exactly what a 330-pound NT is supposed to do by totally clogging the middle so others could make a tackle in the backfield.  Stackhouse was partially responsible for the Packers getting a turnover on downs when he clogged the middle and Enagbare crashed down and made a tackle for loss.  Brooks was on a pitch count coming off injury and had no statistics.

Brinson had 5 pressures on 15 pass rushing snaps per Gen Stats (4 pressures per PFF).  PFF gave him an initial grade of 75.1.  Wooden had 3 stops.  The Vikings gained 86 yards on 17 carries in the first half, a 5.06-yard average, but gained just 7 yards on 3 carries in the second half after falling behind.

DEFENSIVE ENDS:

Parsons had 2 solo tackles, 3 quarterback hits, and 2 sacks.  PFF listed him with 4 pressures (1 hurries, 1 QB hits, 2 sacks) in 23 pass rushing snaps, a 17.4% success rate.  He had no stops on run defense.  Gary had 3 tackles (1 solo), 2 QB hits, and a pass defensed.  PFF listed Gary with 3 pressures (2 hurries and 1 QB Hit) on 20 pass rushes, a 15.0% success rate, plus 2 run stops.  Enagbare had 1 solo tackle, a QB hit and an important tackle for loss inside the 5-yard line.  

LINEBACKERS:

McDuffie had 9 tackles (5 solo), 1 QB hit, half of a sack, 1 interception and 1 pass defensed.  He allowed 3 of 4 completions for 17 yards and he had 1 run stop.  PFF gave him an initial 87.8 grade.  McDuffie had a nice tackle on TE Hockenson on a sneak, and a nice tackle of Aaron Jones to help force a punt.  Cooper had 4 tackles (2 solo).  Hopper had 2 tackles (1 solo) and 2 tackles on special teams (1 solo, 1 assisted).  PFF did not assign any stops or pressures to Hopper.     

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

Mckinney had 3 tackles (1 solo).  Evan Williams had  4 solo tackles, an interception, a pass defensed and a tackle for loss.  PFF assigned 1 stop to Williams and 2 completions on 3 targets for 23 yards. Hadden had 4 tackles (1 solo) and allowed 2 completions on 2 targets for 12 yards.  Bullard had 1 assisted tackle and a pass defensed.  Valentine had no statistics.  PFF listed him as allowing no completions for no yards.  

The Packers held JJ McCarthy to a 34 passer rating.  He completed 12 of 19 for 87 yards, 2 interceptions and he took 5 sacks.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Whelan punted 4 times and averaged 47.5 yards and almost 45 yards net.  He flipped the field on a punt.  McManus made both of his extra points and all 3 of his field goals, with a long of 40.  Zayne Anderson blocked a Viking one of Whelan's punts and then recovered the ball at the Minnesota 5-yard line.  That provided the 2 score margin that allowed the pass rushers to ignore the run. 

I never thought the Vikings could mount enough offense to threaten the Packers, but I was worried that the Packers could make too many mistakes.  

Photo courtesy of William Glasheed of USA Today.

Statistics coutesy of NFLgsis and PFF.

OL: 5.32 (high)

RB: 1.00

TE: 1.39

WR: 2.27

DT: 1.93

DE: 2.11

LB: 2.41

DB: 4.55