Vikings Get Back On Track: 3 Takeaways From Minnesota’s Win Over The Packers

Kirk Cousins is exactly what the Minnesota Vikings hoped he’d be. There were no growing pains from the change to a QB who was on a different roster earlier this week. Cousins and Kevin O’Connell put together a winning game plan with just three practices. With help from a staggeringly dominant defensive performance, the Vikings throttled the Packers. And Jordan Love, who was on top of the world last week, was in a world of pain this week. Here are my takeaways: It was fun to see Cousins get out there and whip the ball to Justin Jefferson like it was 2022 again. But the touchdown to Myles Price was the play that made me think that Cousins is back to vintage form. It was third-and-23, and Cousins dropped back into a clean pocket, from which he threw the ball (safely) into traffic for the undrafted rookie, Price. He secured the catch and took a hit from a Packers defender. And in that situation, that would’ve been enough. But Price broke the tackle and accelerated into the end zone for six points. One heck of a play. Then there was an audible on third-and-12 in the fourth quarter that really helped them solidify the win. And it showed just how immediately Cousins was versed in the playbook. With a blitz incoming, Cousins saw a numbers issue for the Packers defense on the perimeter. So he checked to a receiver screen to Jefferson, who easily picked up 16. Now, this isn’t to say that vintage Cousins is exclusively good. Because if you look back at the statistics from the 2022 season — his last full season in Minnesota — he actually threw 14 interceptions. Not a small number. So it made sense that he tossed up this meatball sub to Packers safety Xavier McKinney in the first half. But with the Vikings defense playing out of its mind, the turnover didn’t matter. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a defense dominate an offense like this. Obviously, we see lopsided matchups every week. But this wasn’t supposed to be a lopsided matchup. The Packers spent last week dropping bombs on the road against the Patriots. If you only watched last week, you’d think Love was the best QB on the planet. (And it has looked like that at multiple points this year.) But Brian Flores is trouble. And the Vikings’ pressure is inevitable. At halftime, the Packers had just 19 net yards. Love had 12 dropbacks and he saw … 12 pressures. He also had 2.34 seconds to throw — which is effectively an impossible number for the quick game, let alone a full offensive playbook. The Packers had moments of life in the second half, with one of their drives ending in a touchdown. But Love spent that drive — and the entire game — trying to throw the ball as quickly as possible to keep the pressure from getting to him. Which, again, is further proof that there was no playbook that could overcome what the Vikings threw at the Packers. That offensive line has always been an issue. But now I’m wondering if it’s the type of problem that might keep them out of the playoffs. If they weren’t in the NFC North, they’d be OK. But they are. And it’ll be dangerous for the rest of the way. Green Bay played horrendously. The Packers are a team with many flagrant weaknesses. That said, they are still one of the best six teams in the NFC. I’m just not totally sure they’ll make the playoffs. First, there’s the question of head coach Matt LaFleur, whose teams have gone into tailspins at the end of the season. But then there’s the matter of the NFC North — as I mentioned earlier — where the Packers remain in last with a 1-3 record in the division. The good news is that they only have two divisional games left. The Week 12 matchup on the night before Thanksgiving against the Rams is helpful — if the Packers can win. Because that last spot could come down to the Packers, Rams and Seahawks. Last week showed how good they can be. This week showed all their warts. But there’s a scenario where they … only win two games between now and the playoffs. 3 ½. What’s Next? After this beatdown, the Packers get a bye week — but not an especially long one. They have a Wednesday night game. (Yes, you read that right: Wednesday.) They’ll play Thanksgiving Eve against the Los Angeles Rams, who will also be on a (short) bye. The Vikings, meanwhile, have to feel good about themselves. They might feel a little FOMO (fear of missing out) about not giving up more for running back Jonathan Taylor, because if they had an elite RB1, they’d be making a case as the Super Team that the Rams could never be. (Or, at least, have yet to become.) But Cousins has clearly improved the QB situation substantially. The Vikings will be legitimately dangerous in the playoffs. They might even finish with the No. 1 seed if they can beat the 49ers next week in Minnesota on Sunday night.