Green Bay Packers fumble away game to Minnesota Vikings
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The Green Bay Packers had as much difficulty in hanging onto the ball as they did scoring Sunday night as they fell to the Minnesota Vikings, 17-14, dropping Green Bay to a record of 1-1.
If it wasn’t Aaron Rodgers getting stripped of the football, it was Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs making a fool of Damarious Randall.
If it wasn’t Sam Bradford taking hits and making throws, it was Aaron Rodgers showing signs that he might bring his team back for a win late in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) catches a touchdown pass past Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (23) in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 17-14. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
The loss of Sam Shields placed Damarious Randall on an island tonight and Diggs made him pay. Though Diggs gashed the Packers’ defensive backfield with big catch after big catch, his production didn’t add up to a lot of points.
There were some good things that showed for the Packers … Jared Cook showed up with four catches and 31 yards on the night. Come to think of it, the Packers used tight end Richard Rodgers as well; James Starks injected a little juice into the offense in the second half; the offensive line held it’s own (mostly); Mike Daniels is a beast and the roughing the passer call was bogus.
What went wrong?
The defense against Stefon Diggs was nonexistent and the coaching staff appeared to do little to change that fact.
Aaron Rodgers once again missed too many easy passes that two years ago he could complete in his sleep.
The running game wasn’t consistent, allowing the Vikings to tee off on Rodgers.
The officiating? Well, let’s just say they let them play.
With the loss, the Packers head home to open Lambeau Field for the regular season by hosting the Detroit Lions.
Remember what the Lions did last year at Lambeau? Let’s just say we don’t want a repeat of that.
Game stats from Packers vs. Vikings:
| TEAM STATS | MIN | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Total Plays | 57 | 64 |
| Total Yards | 284 | 263 |
| Yards per Play | 5.0 | 4.1 |
| 1st Downs | 15 | 20 |
| Passing Yards | 287 | 214 |
| Passing (comp-att) | 22-31 | 20-36 |
| Yards per Pass | 9.23 | 5.92 |
| Sacks – Yards Lost | 4-32 | 5-33 |
| Rushing Yards | 30 | 83 |
| Rushing Attempts | 22 | 23 |
| Yards per Rush | 1.4 | 3.6 |
| Penalties – Yards | 13-137 | 6-72 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Possession | 30:18 | 29:42 |
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