A beatdown that wasn't close👎, BUT will give WI liquor & beer sales a boost heading into New Years👍

Still time to catch 🔥 & have a shot IF:
1) we get healthy; we don't have depth to compete against superior teams
2) we find a pass rush or it's strawberry (middle of the) fields forever for opposing offenses
3) preschool sh*t; we execute, protect the ball, and have stand on throat mentality (*asterisk hard to accomplish w/o on-field leaders & a soft coach)
4) MLF gives up 4th down go-fers and challenges

To excel, Love NEEDS rhythm to mask his faults; keep him well oiled; avoid run first identity against great teams; keep defenses guessing. Packers have succeeded in converting him into a game-manager QB since his early season INT spats only to find out we can't compete with top tier teams; game manager QBs require top fielding defense in the context of Super Bowl aspirations. You either loosen Love's noose or pipe dream Super Bowls.

Clearly 3rd fiddle NFC North until proven otherwise

See Lefluer why you take the 3 points early in the game ?

Love was out-QBd and MLF was out-coached in this game (including Hafley). Team not quite ready for a Championship run. Close - but the Team looks to need another year of seasoning and development. Still an entertaining and positive year.

The Jacobs fumble on the first series was a game-changer—he was gashing them.
Love is playing pedestrian at the moment—but Reed could have helped.
Based on our anemic pass rush, the secondary played fairly well—and missing two starters. McKinney didn’t have his best game.
The officiating has to be better—they gave the Vikings a FG cuz they thought they saw a defender’s fingernail close to the los.
Go Packers!!!

Horrible defense. Where’s Capers?

I blame our head coach for the loss: How many times have we seen teams not take the sure points and gambling on 4th down and it comes back to backfire on the team? How many times have we seen 3rd and short (this time 3rd and 5 near end of 2nd quarter) and we throw a low percentage bomb with our receiver covered by 2 defensive players? How many times does the coach allow the opposing QB have all day to throw and we continue to just rush 4 again and again? How many times are we going to run it on 1st down? Why not fake the run once in a while and throw? Our coach is a nice guy with an offensive IQ, but in big games, he needs to make great decisions. He is young, but can he learn to be football wise and take us to the next level?

Love has to rise above his mediocre play for this team to go anywhere...which I doubt they will...MLF is "to me" a mediocre coach who's softness reflects down on the team...they are not a tough team by any standards...Gary, Clark, Van Ness, I know you cant trade them all but these three dont do much...four man rush gets nowhere...pressure Darnold and he makes mistakes but with these dudes rushing he had all day for three quarters...Packers are not as good as the two teams above them in the division...maybe just maybe win the first playoff game but theyll be hard pressed to go any further than that...why would next year be any better??

Cooper showed up to play all game long. Others made brief appearances.

The Vikings demonstrated they were the better team for most of the game. The offensive coaching and QB/WR execution on their part was outstanding. And their offensive line was able to afford Darnold plenty of time.

I like Jacobs. but I think we should be striving for a more balanced run/pass ratio earlier in games.

Our passing game needs work and refinement. Like Brady said, the lack of intermediate options is a major weakness. How many times did we see Love under duress with an ocean of empty green in front of him and nowhere to throw the ball? You would think a receiver or two would be working their way back to help him.

What has happened to Jayden Reed?

Pretty impressive game for E. Cooper with 4 TFLs. He is an impact player for sure. Run defense solid again.

The disappointing and inconsistent pass rush needs to be addressed at season's end. We've expended too many resources here for it to be largely absent against the better teams. Answers are badly needed here. Poor scheme fit? The individual players? Get it fixed or we'll have a difficult time winning games like this.

C'mon MLF You passed up a Chip Shot Field Goal on the road and It bit you In the ASS!

This is what work looks like for a company / management that is ok with just competing, looking very good, but never really overly concerned with how to lead the industry they are in. 2nd, 3rd place? I’m good with that. We’re among the elites so how could you ever aspire for more? Throwing out stats how they are so fortunate to even have a job. So many now have been indoctrinated into that path. I think they call it life complacency.

Here's the REAL underlying problem:
We have only beaten mediocre teams this year. Lucky we played the AFC South, the worst division in NFL. We have lost to all the top teams. And there are no mediocre teams in the playoffs. So beat Bears and then put up or shut up.
GPG
The Szotman

At a certain point, you have to grow up. The 2024 Packers, especially on offense, have not done that. Time and time again, when it’s come to the big game, they’ve spit the bit on offense, especially in the first half. Unforced penalties. Drops. Inaccurate passes under pressure. Fumbles. Not wrapping up. This is what makes them merely a “good” team with unlimited potential and not a “great” team. I hate to say it, but I will be surprised if they make that jump in the playoffs.

They didn't help the Lions.
But this loss isn't on the anyone, but Gute.
The secondary is just too banged up.
And in truth. The eagles won the draft thanks to him.
The eagles were re- built right.
We now will need free Agents.

This team got beat because they played slow.
Slow to recognize. Slow to execute. No protection.
This was a entertaining game.
But the speed of Watson and Walker is a must.
Close but No cigar.

Darnold had only 10 incompletions and threw the ball a ton! Go back and look at the incompletions. 6 of the10 happened with pressure. We need to find a way to pressure the QB consistently, or we will keep replicating this outcome.

Positive: For those who wanted to trade Doubs, again he was the "go to" receiver in a big game. We missed Watson...very few deep balls this game. Jacobs, Cooper, Kraft, all played well.

Why did we not utilize Kraft, Musgrave, and our RBs in the passing game early?

Can we go back to coaching please? Lining-up improperly at the line, not getting out of bounds when we should, throwing the ball away-instead of taking a sack, taking points in the 1st half. How about in-game demeanor?

This team is average at best! Making way to many undisciplined mistakes this late in year, which is on coaching, and the quarterback might just be 4th best in the north, with a receiving corps not far behind. Definitely one and done in playoffs playing like this.

Against good teams this year, it's been a choke job on offense in the first half. Drops, penalties, love chucking deep balls into double coverage, guys missing blocks they don't normally miss. There is something missing in this passing game on top of that. Brady said it was the intermediate throws. But I also think, that on third downs or In the red zone, love doesn't have ONE guy that he can just mind meld with for the first down, to keep the Chains moving. He just has his progressions. It's been doubs sometimes, Watson sometimes, I hoped it'd be kraft. He has no security blanket. And it huge games like this, a young QB needs that.

Got stuck listening to the Vikings radio feed for the first half as we drove home from family Christmas.
First off: what a bunch of shitty homers. I hope Detroit pounds the shit out of the Vikes next week and makes it hurt just so we can hear Paul Allen cry...again.
Second: their color guy said before the kickoff that Keisean Nixon and his way-too-many defensive holding calls can't cover Addison or Jefferson and that they should throw at him all day.
Third: their color guy pointed out that the Packers were afraid to bring more than four in the first half because they couldn't cover the Vikes' pass-catchers by bringing an extra guy.

Bottom line is, the announcers were right.
Short Alexander, the Packers can't cover the stronger and deeper teams they'll run into in the playoffs. They won't be able to handle Philly or MIN. I actually like their chances against Detroit better than either of those teams.

MIN basically said: sure, run the football. But without Watson, we're not afraid of you going up top and we're going to pressure Love and make you take dump offs rather than make chunk plays downfield. Packers didn't have a play from scrimmage of more than 18 yards until they were down 27-10.

In the end, they're stuck now hoping Washington spits the bit against Atlanta or Dallas so they don't have to go to Philly in the WC round.

Let's look at this from the perspective of the Vikes.
1. They are young and talented on both sides the ball.
2. They have a super D coach and one of the most complicated d schemes if the NFL ,- takes time to learn and practice this
3. They don't sit on laurels. They went and got a QB rather then stick with three guys who sucked. No development here, they want to win now. Hey have 4 qbs all of whom can play if needed.
4. they drafted wisely picking the top receivers in several drafts and acquiring top tight ends who were available.
5. They drafted and obtained free agent pass rushers dumping older guys like hunter.
6. They pay attention to guys who are smart and can learn. Thus very few dump penalties that kill drives..

Thus today is just one day in many to come dominated by the vikes. They draft, trade and acquire talent and get rid of deadwood guys who aren't performing. This is way the Packers will cave to the vikes, were just not in the same league as them and that's a tv announcer saying that.

Love had 64 yards passing through the first three and a half quarters and Hes our future?
Keep in mind there first round qb got hurt and they brought someone in who won 14 games. Our guy bench sat three years and looks like crap at times.
We have stokes, Alexander and walker, first round picks who are deadwood but they won't get rid of them because it makes Gutt look bad. It's all about playing for Gutt not the fans.
Cooper is twice the player of walker but sat on the bench so gutts guy could play. Kraft sat so Muskgrave could be the star.

I like what Dragon5 said about Love being treated as a game manager. GB is now relying too much on Jacobs and they have neutralized Love. The Packers have a good QB- He needs to be able to get in rhythm, sling it and be allowed to make a few mistakes.
Heck, there is nothing to lose @ this point. We are not going to beat the Eagles, Bills, likely Lions.

I am much more concerned about the lack of Pass Rush. I would bench LVN. There is no reason he can't learn a basic move or two. Will McDonald from the Jets was in LVN's Class and while he is rough and needs refinement-he has 5 QB pressures and 8 sacks. Gary and Clark rarely get home anymore-Gary is only 27-WTF? Something needs to change or will the Packers remain in denial? I think they will remain in denial.

CB Room: 4 non-starting caliber players-Valentine, Nixon, Ballantine, Stokes. I don't count a guy who plays 30%

This was a total first half filled with offensive errors. We killed ourselves with Jacobs fumble, and then the drop on the 4th down play. A lot of this is on Lafleur as well - there was very little motion in the first half and Love sat there mesmerized and of course the Oline couldnt hold up - which gave them the momentum. We should have easily scored more in the first half - and I believe that the fourth down call was good. Cant line up properly at this level - several times. Geez. Games can be won and lost by refs calls - and some of the refereeing was suspect on both sides - low blocks? Offside on the field goal by a few knuckles. I mean I saw m- ore than a few holds by the Minnesota Oline.
Now our D never got through - their Oline played better than ours - but we continually let them work the flat for big yards - you cannot let the tight end and Jones et al leak out of the backfield and pick up big yards. So we lost by 2 points and didnt play well - that is Ok . Time to play everybody ( except those who need body maintenance ) and beat the Bears.

While it would have been nice as a point of pride to win this game it really wasn't going to strategically change their playoff position and perhaps stinking at this time will produce a beneficial wake up and recommitment for the post season. I hope the Packers were maybe doing a little sandbagging to lull January competition into overlooking them a little.

Glass half full take here. Love got hurt, took a while to get his legs back, then we played a bunch of mediocre teams and just basically let Josh Jacobs win the games for us, with love not really having to do much. This game was a true test, no Watson to go deep, and Jacobs fumbled the first drive away and was shut down when it mattered most. Yes, love failed. But I have faith in the kid. We've seen him light it up before. This game was definitely a playoff atmosphere, and a learning experience. Let's just wait and see before we burn the Internet down.

Another BIG game. Another poor showing by MLF. Look, I love LaFleur as a play designer and called for the most part. I'm just really having my doubts he can get us to the promised land. He's 0-5 against VERY good coaches and GOOD teams this year. But to be fair, this team is lacking when compared to Jefferson & Addison.

Our offense needs a #1 WR very, VERY, badly. Reed disappears, to often and Doubs is a #3 or low end #2 at best. Watson may have helped in this game but he's no #1 either and Wicks certainly isn't.

When Zayne Anderson went I out I knew we were cooked. They were already in trouble but that sealed their fate.

Jesus Christ LaFleur, take the fucking points!!

FGs made or not is pretty much beside the point in this game. Mid-way through the 4th quarter the Pack had been outgained by about 150 yards. Minnesota owned the LOS. Putting up points on prevent Ds is something you would hope GB could do and at least they did. They were not a team that showed it is ready to make a run. Minnesota absolutely looks like it is.

The Packers beat up on the weak teams but they get beaten up by the good teams. Out prepared, out coached and out played yet again. If this was a playoff preview it was not a good one.

MLF can’t get his team ready to win against good teams. They come out flat and the games are usually over at halftime. Then the Packers fight back in the second half and they come up short, too little, too late.

We’ve seen this film before and we’ll probably see it again in January. Thanks, Since ‘61

Gute has wasted too much Draft Capital on failed D-picks. In addition, the team over-rewards players who immediately regress, never to be seen again.
How about choosing more wisely in the first place, developing a good D foundation and then having capital to spend on a real WR #1-2 GB has moderately good receivers but none of them are anywhere near the level of Jefferson or Addison---or Chase or...

There is way too much financial churn on the D. The Offense is shorted.

I got down voted last week when I questioned whether MLF is good enough to get us to the SB but this week I have plenty of company. I didn't see the whole game cuz we had a family party but what I did see and heard was another week where the Packers didn't play to their potential. And that's all on MLF. Forget the field goal points as Vikings were comfortably ahead anyways and missed FG's too. And yes, JA is out. But without the stupid mistakes, drops and fumbles, maybe the outcome could have been different. We probably aren't as good as Vikes, but the best team doesn't always win if the other team plays better. But there is something wrong with MLF's coaching that has the Packers play poorly in big games.

And JL certainly did not look like he knew what he was doing when under pressure. That was really an eye opener. For all those that said he is elite - what do you have to say now?
I wonder how Willis would have done today?

This was quite a reality check game.
Sad to say, but SB is now just a long shot hope.

Bears shouldn't be a problem. We could beat the Rams. Mostly likely lose to Philly.

Vikings top 3 WR's are better than any GB WR. Vikings supposed porous OL was never really creased by our 4 or 5 man rush. Our new RB-run first identity does not travel to dome teams in the playoffs without outside weather to be it's friend. The run first-Always needs to go away completely the rest of the way until we face a team playing outdoors. We need a bunch of shorter plays available to move the chains instead. Our young WR's were a strong suit last season....now nobody can hold onto a ball. I don't see hardly ANY dropped balls by the Vikings. JL needs to throw A LOT MORE the rest of the way. I like Jacobs run angry style, but we need bigger, stronger OL to make it work. A faster type offense to go with our young WR's would be a Barkley type RB instead. Vikings are better coached with better WR's and overall better defense.

Next season: Top DE available in FA .
Top CB available in FA.
Pocket pushing DL in FA.
Burn 2-#1s picks and get a legit #1 WR in the draft that can catch the ball and run routes getting separation.
Pick top OC in draft

Everything that can be said has been said in the comments above. This loss was absolutely disgusting. The Packers self-destructive mistakes are indefensible and inexcusable. Why in the heck did LaFleuzy pass on that early FG and go for it against a defense that was out to shred them. Week 17 and we still see lining up in the neutral zone, stupid fumbles, false starts when our players KNOW the snapcount, holding to bring back major gains, dropped balls. Did we just get out of training camp? This was an embarrassment and drops the Pack as a legitimate playoff team. They made the playoffs alright, but they won't be there long! I'll gladly eat crow if I'm wrong, But I don't think I'll need the carving knife too soon.

Trenches, Trenches,Trenches. We failed in/on both.

If you watched Love’s presser he actually stated the Packers started scoring because the Vikings started playing soft.
The Vikings are clearly better at every skill position on both sides of the ball with the exception of Jacobs and maybe Craft. None of our WRs could start in Minnesota.
On defense, we should have dumped Alexander last year and got something for him. Gary was a bad extension I’m sure Gute regrets. Kenny Clark doesn’t cut it against the better teams. Obviously Stokes is gone , probably Wilson , McDuffie and Nixon too.
A couple of free agents and a good draft and we can move from a ( likely ) 7 seed to a top two seed.
Actually I think they were a better team last year. Seems like MLF is too addicted to Josh Jacobs. He production is way down the last four games.
At least we found a kicker.

My opinion is that MLF will never lead the Packers to the Super Bowl, he's just not a good enough head coach...should be a OC somewhere, he's, to me, more like a Staley or Kingsbury maybe a Zak Taylor...he sure aint a Vrabel or Reid, or a KOC or Campbell...I dont think he ever will be..he came in riding the coattails of Rodgers and now he cant help Love grow into a franchise QB...except he is the franchise QB so someone has to help him grow...the staff MLF has is mid level as well...I didnt really understand when they went and got MLF and I still dont...he is cute though...tough as nails...nah...

Isn’t amazing the Vegas spread was 1 1/2 points and the pack lost by 2. NFL stands for never fight Las Vegas.

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