Packers linemen put it on the line

The Packers were plus-3 in turnovers, held Bernard Berrian without a catch, returned a punt for a touchdown, scored a franchise-record-tying sixth defensive touchdown and ...

... lost?!

Yep, that's how awful the Packers offensive line had to be for Green Bay to clinch Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Vikings at the Metrodome.

And what a physical mismatch it was.

"It wasn't a scheme thing," Packers right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "We just got beat. We knew what they were going to do. They just beat us up front."

The Packers offensive line gave up two safeties, four sacks, six hurries and more knockdowns on Aaron Rodgers than Brett Favre probably took in his last seven visits to Minnesota. By the way, Rodgers was sacked as many times Sunday as Favre was in those last seven games at the Metrodome.

"We have some things to correct," center Scott Wells said. "If we don't, we're not going anywhere."

With seven games left, it's hardly time to panic. The Packers are 2-1 in the division, while the Vikings are 2-2 and the Bears 3-0. The Packers still have winless Detroit at home and both games against Chicago left to be played.

The Bears visit Lambeau Field next Sunday, while the Vikings take their 1-3 road record to face a 6-3 Buccaneers team that is coming off its bye. So it's possible -- maybe even probable -- that all three teams will be 5-5 at this time next week.

"We are a resilient group," Rodgers said. "And we're disappointed as heck about this game. A game that we feel we should have won, despite how we played on offense."

The Packers managed only 184 yards of offense. They went 1-for-11 on third-down conversions.

And yet they still had a chance until Mason Crosby's 52-yard field goal attempt crept wide right with 26 seconds to play.

Ultimately, neither big play could overcome the offensive line sputtering throughout the game and giving up two safeties in the second quarter.

Right guard Jason Spitz was beaten by defensive tackle Kevin Williams on the first one. Williams stripped Rodgers of the ball. Rodgers picked it up and threw it away but was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone.

On the second safety, defensive end Jared Allen simply beat left tackle Chad Clifton around the corner and tackled Rodgers in the end zone. The play came with 44 seconds in the first half and the Packers amazingly running an empty backfield inside their 10-yard line.

"I wasn't thinking they were going to drop back in that situation," Allen said. "I'm thinking they're going to do something quick. I just got off the ball, got his hands off me, and the DBs did a great job of covering. ... I needed a little payback from Week 1."

Allen's first game with the Vikings came in the season opener at Lambeau Field. He had only two tackles as Rodgers went 18-for-22 without being sacked.

"Only once or twice was it too loud for us to be 100 percent sure of what we had to do," left guard Daryn Colledge said. "We shut them down at home in the opener. But tonight, I just think the Vikings won the 1-on-1 battles. And that's discouraging. That's something that can't happen, but it did today."