Counting Snaps from Packers 24, Vikings 21

While counting snaps and looking for the meaning of life, or at least Sunday's game …

OFFENSIVE SNAPS: 68.

QUARTERBACKS: Teddy Bridgewater 68, Christian Ponder DNP.

Thoughts: It's not a coincidence that Bridgewater played in the Packers game that was competitive and Ponder played in the game that was 42-0 en route to 42-10. Granted, Teddy B got the home game and Chistian P got Lambeau Field on a short week after having not taken a snap all year. Although Teddy B looked good in the second half, he continues to look not-so-good in the first half. One has to wonder when the Vikings will try a no-huddle outside of two-minute situations. Teddy is so much more comfortable running a no-huddle at this point. Teddy B also learned not to throw the ball to the other team, especially when it's the Packers because the margin for error is basically zero. Ponder threw two second-quarter picks that led to 14 points back on Oct. 2. Bridgewater threw one pick that led to seven points. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

RUNNING BACKS: Jerick McKinnon 39, Joe Banyard 29, Ben Tate DNP, Matt Asiata INA, FB Jerome Felton 5, FB Zach Line INA.

Thoughts: In hindsight, it probably was silly to think Tate would play when he showed up on a Wednesday before kickoff. There's more to the running back position that, well, running. And Norv Turner's offense takes some time to adjust to. Plus, the Vikings liked Banyard enough to have him active before. Banyard looked like a young back with fresh legs making his first regular-season NFL carries. He showed a nice jump cut for a first down on third down. He averaged 5.2 yards on five carries in a solid debut. Assuming Asiata can return from a concussion this week, the running back position is a bit crowded. The Vikings don't want to admit they're out of the playoff picture, but you'd have to think they'd want to get a look at Tate, considering his age (26) and Adrian Peterson's uncertain future with the team.

OFFENSIVE LINE: LT Matt Kalil 68, LG Charlie Johnson 68, C John Sullivan 68, RG Joe Berger 68, RT Phil Loadholt 59, RT Mike Harris 9, G David Yankey INA, G Austin Wentworth INA.

RECEIVERS, TIGHT ENDS: WR Charles Johnson 66, WR Greg Jennings 61, TE Kyle Rudolph 60, WR Cordarrelle Patterson 32, TE Rhett Ellison 30, WR Jarius Wright 8, TE Chase Ford 6, WR Adam Thielen 4.

Thoughts: It's hard to fathom that it has come to this for the receiving corps. A month after Johnson, a second-year player with no previous regular-season experience, was signed off the street, he led the Vikings in snaps with 97 percent against the Packers. And what's more amazing is the kid deserved the reps. What in the world is going on at receiver? Patterson continues to be a poor route runner and was injured returning a kickoff. Jennings continues to go long stretches where you wonder if he has even played. Wright is the most underrated receiver on the team, but his hamstring wasn't back to full speed. Bridgewater's reliance on throwing the ball to Johnson also needs to be tempered some. Yeah, Johnson appears to be one of the few targets getting separation. But there was at least one play Sunday where Jennings was open to the outside and Bridgewater stayed locked onto Johnson before throwing high and incomplete. At tight end, Rudolph looked more like his old self with some nice catch and runs. It's a shame Ford can't see more time, but there are only so many reps for the tight ends. Then again, the way the receivers are producing, maybe an extra dose of Rudolph and Ford together wouldn't be a bad idea. Ellison had 24 more reps than Ford. If Ford were a better blocker, that discrepancy could be closed.

DEFENSIVE SNAPS: 65

LINEBACKERS: OLB Anthony Barr 65, OLB Chad Greenway 65, MLB Jasper Brinkley 14, OLB Gerald Hodges 2, OLB Brandon Watts INA, MLB Michael Mauti INA.

Thoughts: Barr is still exceptional and deserving of being on the field for every snap. But there were more missed tackles on Sunday. That being said, don't worry about this guy. He may be the face of the franchise before Teddy becomes the face of the franchise. Hodges played two defensive snaps and made a gigantic blunder on one of them. He's the one who got confused and didn't cover the tight end who was open by 15 yards in the corner of the end zone on Aaron Rodgers' 1-yard touchdown pass. Interesting that Mauti was inactive. He seems too good a player to be sitting out. But the Vikings are working through some adjustments on special teams.

Thoughts: The defensive line didn't make any glaring gaffes like the first Packers game. But it's never a good thing for the D-Line when everyone knows the other team is going to run the ball straight ahead and yet they're still able to do so successfully. The Packers did that with Eddie Lacy early, often and especially late. Stephen, a rookie, got his first start when Floyd was deactivated because of a knee injury.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: SS Robert Blanton 65, FS Harrison Smith 65, CB Xavier Rhodes 63, CB Captain Munnerlyn 62, CB Josh Robinson 52, S Andrew Sendejo 1.

Thoughts: The secondary played one of the best games that a Vikings secondary has played against Rodgers in recent memory. The longest reception by a receiver — Randall Cobb's 29-yarder — was a ridiculously perfect throw (and one Rodgers makes routinely) against tight coverage by Munnerlyn. Blanton still has not missed a defensive snap this season. He's the only defender that can say that. Robinson didn't have a head-turning great game, but unlike last week in Chicago, he also didn't have a head-turning horrendous game.

SPECIAL TEAMS SNAPS LEADER: Marcus Sherels 18.