Mark Craig's Five Extra Points

Updated: December 2, 2012 - 11:42 PM

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Brian Robison pressured Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on this play but didn’t get a sack all game.

Photo: Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune

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1. Griffen disputes key penalty

Had the play stood, we'd be hailing the blitz scheme that had two of the Vikings' best pass rushers lined up on Aaron Rodgers' blind side. On third-and-4 at the Packers 26 late in the first half, defensive end Everson Griffen was a rush linebacker behind right defensive end Jared Allen. Under pressure, Rodgers had his pass tipped and intercepted by Allen, who returned it to the Packers 18. But the pick was negated because Griffen was flagged for roughing the passer. "I saw the ball in his hands and he's two steps away from me," Griffen said. "It's also a tipped ball. It should have been an interception. It shouldn't have been a penalty."

2. Defensive line falls victim to Aaron the Eraser

Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning are the two best quarterbacks in the league when it comes to making average offensive linemen look great and below-average linemen look adequate enough to win. Vikings left end Brian Robison got a taste when the Packers had to resort to playing their third-string right tackle -- Don Barclay, who is: A, a rookie; B, an undrafted rookie; and C, an undrafted rookie who entered the league as a guard. Robison didn't record a sack. "It's very frustrating," he said. "I think I was in his face at least six or seven times. But Aaron makes things harder for a defensive line and easier for an offensive line."

3. Walsh has his first big miss in the clutch

In the grand picture, it's good that it took until the 12th game of his rookie season for kicker Blair Walsh to miss a clutch kick. But it's worth keeping an eye on the youngster now that he's followed up a blocked kick the previous week with a poorly executed 42-yarder that the Vikings needed to cut their deficit to one score with 2 minutes left. "I just cut across the ball and it didn't go the way I wanted to," Walsh said. "I can't say I loved my first Lambeau experience. When I cut across it like that, it'll go from left to right. And it did." Walsh had a 30-yard attempt blocked at Chicago the previous week when he mishit the ball and drove it too low.

4. Smith smells out trick play

First things first. Why would the Packers even attempt a double-lateral deep throw trick play when Rodgers routinely shreds the Vikings with the basic forward passes? Maybe coach and play-caller Mike McCarthy had grown tired of beating the Vikings' pass defense the old-fashioned way when the Packers had second-and-6 from their 44 while trailing 14-13 in the third quarter. Rodgers threw a lateral left to receiver Randall Cobb. Cobb then threw a lateral right to Rodgers. Rodgers launched a deep ball intended for Greg Jennings. But the ball ended up in the hands of rookie free safety Harrison Smith at the Vikings 6. "I didn't know exactly what was coming, but once the play started, it just looked kind of funny," Smith said. "At that point, you just tell yourself, 'Don't get too excited and go running up trying to get the ball.' They're not running a trick play for a 15-yard pass. They're going for it all."

5. Rudolph completes 'The Leap'

Kyle Rudolph is smarter than Fred Smoot. Both have attempted the Lambeau Leap while wearing a Vikings uniform. Smoot was doused with beer in 2006 when he returned an interception for a touchdown. Sunday, Rudolph literally looked before he leapt. "Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to do a Lambeau Leap," said Rudolph, who scored on a 7-yard reception in the second quarter. "I just made sure I found some Vikings fans to make sure I wasn't covered in beer and peanuts and stuff." Rudolph said it wasn't pre-arranged. "No," he said. "The purple was sticking out."

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explore the Vikings/NFL

Full Scoreboard

Cincinnati	3:30 PM
Houston

Minnesota	7:00 PM
Green Bay

Indianapolis	1/6/13 12:00 PM
Baltimore

Seattle	1/6/13 3:30 PM
Washington

Full Scoreboard

Cleveland	106	FINAL
Charlotte	104	FINAL

Brooklyn	115	FINAL
Washington	113	FINAL

Sacramento	105	FINAL
Toronto	96	FINAL

Atlanta	84	FINAL
Detroit	85	FINAL

Chicago	96	FINAL
Miami	89	FINAL

Indiana	75	FINAL
Boston	94	FINAL

Philadelphia	85	FINAL
Oklahoma City	109	FINAL

Portland	86	FINAL
Memphis	84	FINAL

Houston	115	FINAL
Milwaukee	101	FINAL

Utah	87	FINAL
Phoenix	80	FINAL

LA Lakers	102	FINAL
LA Clippers	107	FINAL

Full Scoreboard

TX A&M-CC	57	FINAL
Sam Houston St	61	FINAL

Yale	61	FINAL
Holy Cross	54	FINAL

Manhattan	55	FINAL
Saint Peters	53	FINAL

Iona	66	FINAL
Siena	62	FINAL

George Washington	41	FINAL
Georgia	52	FINAL

Brown	47	FINAL
Rhode Island	59	FINAL

Cleveland State	50	FINAL
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Rider	65	FINAL
Loyola-Maryland	71	FINAL

Wofford	48	FINAL
Tulane	62	FINAL

Savannah State	59	FINAL
Saint Louis	67	FINAL

Memphis	85	FINAL
Tennessee	80	FINAL

Texas Southern	57	FINAL
Alcorn State	48	FINAL

Grambling St	56	FINAL
Alabama State	69	FINAL

Jackson State	87	FINAL
Alabama A&M	88	FINAL

Prairie View	45	FINAL
Southern U	50	FINAL

Fordham	68	FINAL
Ole Miss	95	FINAL

(5) Oregon	35	FINAL
(7) Kansas State	17	FINAL

(10) Texas A&M	41	FINAL
(12) Oklahoma	13	FINAL

Pittsburgh	12:00 PM
Ole Miss

(25) Kent State	1/6/13 8:00 PM
Arkansas State

(2) Alabama	1/7/13 7:30 PM
(1) Notre Dame

Siena	62	FINAL
Canisius	65	FINAL

Fordham	71	FINAL
American Univ	50	FINAL

TX A&M-CC	46	FINAL
Sam Houston St	65	FINAL

Jackson State	48	FINAL
Alabama A&M	66	FINAL

Grambling	60	FINAL
Alabama State	68	FINAL

Texas Southern	61	FINAL
Alcorn State	45	FINAL

Prairie View	55	FINAL
Southern U	60	FINAL

Navy	59	FINAL
Richmond	65	FINAL

Youngstown St	58	FINAL
VA Commonwealth	45	FINAL

Temple	58	FINAL
Howard	61	FINAL

Loyola-Maryland	54	FINAL
Fairfield	64	FINAL

Iona	76	FINAL
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UCF	59	FINAL
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Marist	62	FINAL
Rider	47	FINAL

Bradley	54	FINAL
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Northern Iowa	41	FINAL
Illinois State	72	FINAL

(7) California	55	FINAL
Utah	50	FINAL

SD Mines & Tech	53	FINAL
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USC	56	FINAL
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(16) UCLA	89	FINAL
Oregon	80	FINAL

Arizona	71	FINAL
Washington St	65	FINAL

Arizona State	74	FINAL
Washington	77	FINAL

(4) Stanford	57	FINAL
(20) Colorado	40	FINAL

Date/Opponent	Time	W	L	Score
2012 preseason
Aug 10 - at San Francisco	8:00 PM		X	17-6
Aug 17 - vs. Buffalo	7:00 PM	X		36-14
Aug 24 - vs. San Diego	7:00 PM		X	12-10
Aug 30 - at Houston	6:00 PM		X	28-24
2012 regular season
Sep 9 - vs. Jacksonville	12:00 PM	X		26-23
Sep 16 - at Indianapolis	12:00 PM		X	23-20
Sep 23 - vs. San Francisco	12:00 PM	X		24-13
Sep 30 - at Detroit	12:00 PM	X		20-13
Oct 7 - vs. Tennessee	3:25 PM	X		30-7
Oct 14 - at. Washington	3:25 PM		X	38-26
Oct 21 - vs. Arizona	12:00 PM	X		21-14
Oct 25 - vs. Tampa Bay	7:20 PM		X	36-17
Nov. 4 - at Seattle	3:05 PM		X	30-20
Nov 11 - vs. Detroit	12:00 PM	X		34-24
Open
Nov 25 - at Chicago	12:00 PM		X	28-10
Dec 2 - at Green Bay	12:00 PM		X	23-14
Dec 9 - vs. Chicago	12:00 PM	X		21-14
Dec 16 - at St. Louis	12:00 PM	X		36-22
Dec 23 - at Houston	12:00 PM	X		23-6
Dec 30 - vs. Green Bay	3:25 PM	X		37-34
2012-13 playoffs
Jan. 5 - at Green Bay	7:00 PM