1. Most frustrating play? That's easy
Eddie Lacy ran through the Vikings defense for 125 yards and a 5.0 average. Aaron Rodgers threw two more touchdown passes and wasn't intercepted, increasing his ratio to 33-4 in 15 games against the Vikings. But the absolute most frustrating play for the Vikings defense Sunday had to be Rodgers scrambling for 18 yards on third-and-6 from the Packers 44-yard line with a 17-13 lead and 11 minutes left in the game. "A killer," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. The Vikings had seven men on the line and rushed six, including linebackers Chad Greenway and Anthony Barr through the 'A' gaps. The coverage was tight and the pressure moved Rodgers off his spot, but then he escaped through the right side of the defense. "It's very frustrating," Vikings defensive end Brian Robison said. "You have to be very smart with how you rush him. You can't come under too soon. You can't go outside too high."
2. Zimmer shows confidence in D
Give Zimmer credit for supreme confidence in his defense. Facing a Packers team coming off a franchise-record two consecutive 50-point games, Zimmer won the coin toss and … deferred!? But it worked. The Packers went into the game leading the NFL with 38 points on first possessions. They had scored on their first possession in six of their previous seven games. Make it six in eight games, with the scoring failures coming against the Vikings on Oct. 2 and Sunday, when the Packers managed only one first down before punting.
3. Nothing a Captain could do against Rodgers
For every good play on one side, reporters attempt to locate blame on the other side. Then there are plays such as the one Rodgers made against cornerback Captain Munnerlyn late in the first quarter. It's third-and-10, and Munnerlyn is in tight man coverage on Randall Cobb. Then, boom, the ball zips inches away from Munnerlyn into Cobb's hands for a 29-yard gain. "It felt like the ball hit my shoulder pad," Munnerlyn said. "I was like, 'Whoa.' I was joking with [Rodgers] about that play after the game. I was like, 'Man, how'd you fit that one in there?' He was like, 'I don't know. I just threw it to a spot.' " Rodgers often does that because of his arm strength and accuracy. Plus, in man coverage, defenders aren't often able to look back at the quarterback. "Rodgers does a great job of reading coverages," Munnerlyn said. "He knew he could sneak that ball in there because I wasn't going to turn around."
4. Receiver Johnson: 'I'm only human'
Charles Johnson caught his first career touchdown pass against the team that drafted him in the seventh round a year ago. But he also had the worst drop of the game. The wide receiver, who also got his first career catch earlier this season against the Packers, was wide open midway through the third quarter at the Green Bay 8-yard line on third-and-9 from the Packers 33. The ball from Teddy Bridgewater was poorly thrown but catchable. "I can't make them all," Johnson said. "I'm only human. But I wish I would have made that play. It would have turned the game around." The Vikings settled for a 51-yard field goal from against a team that simply doesn't get beat by field goals.
5. Longest yard?
The "Longest Yard" was a great movie and a good way to describe Rodgers' first-touchdown pass Sunday. Rolling to his right late in the first quarter, Rodgers did most of the things QBs aren't supposed to do when he threw across his body to wide-open Richard Rodgers in the left corner of the end zone. An NFL field is 53.3 yards wide. Rodgers the QB was about 19 yards from the right sideline and Rodgers the TE was about 3 yards from the left sideline. That makes it about a 31-yard throw for a 1-yard score. Linebacker Gerald Hodges was supposed to cover the tight end but let him go and was about 15 yards away when the ball was caught. But still, who expected a cross-field throw like that? "Nine times out of 10 when it does happen, it's not good for the offense," Robison said. "But Rodgers is a guy who can make those throws."
