Vikings report card: Average performance between mediocre teams in Sunday's tie
Maybe there's never been a more fitting end to a game than
the Minnesota Vikings' tie at Green Bay.
Minnesota controlled the game early and then gave up 16
straight points to the Packers to go into overtime. Each team kicked a field
goal in overtime before the clock ran out, ending in the NFL's first tie since
Nov. 11 of last season and the Vikings' first since 1978 in a 26-26 final
score.
Here's how Minnesota graded out in each phase on Sunday at
Green Bay:
Pass offense: C
Christian Ponder received the start at quarterback for the
Vikings after coach Leslie Frazier referenced his history against the Packers.
Ponder's game Sunday will give him another start next week at home against the
Chicago Bears. Ponder nearly threw an interception, but it was dropped by a
Green Bay defender and he finished without any turnovers. He also made enough
plays in the passing game, particularly in the first half as Minnesota built up
an early lead.
Ponder finished 21 of 30 for 233 yards and a touchdown and
his numbers could have even been better as Cordarrelle Patterson had two drops,
including one in the end zone in overtime, and Jarius Wright and Greg Jennings
also had two critical drops. Ponder had five passes go for 20 yards or more,
including two big passes to Jerome Simpson. Rhett Ellison scored his first
career touchdown on a 12-yard catch-and-run. Simpson had two catches for 54
yards. Patterson led the team with 11 targets and eight catches, which went for
54 yards. Jennings made little impact in his return to Lambeau Field.
The passing game was still uneven though. The drops came at
bad times and Ponder was sacked six times as the offensive line struggled
again, left tackle Matt Kalil in particular. Adrian Peterson fumbled after a
short reception in the middle of the field. Ponder did most of his work in the
first half, as well, as the running game controlled the second half. Ponder was
11 of 14 for 127 yards in the first half and 10 of 16 for 106 yards in the
second half and overtime.
Run offense: A
Minnesota had 67 rushing yards in the first half with
Peterson going for 72 yards on 14 carries (Ponder had a run for minus-5 yards).
The Vikings then ran for 165 yards in the second half and overtime with
Peterson continuing a strong game and Toby Gerhart supplying big plays. The
running game for Minnesota finished with a season-high 232 rushing yards.
Peterson had season highs with 32 carries and 146 yards.
Gerhart had his best game since running for 109 yards in Week 16 of 2011
against Washington, the game in which Peterson tore the anterior cruciate
ligament in his left knee. Gerhart averaged 11.4 yards per carry, gaining 91
yards on eight rushes. Peterson and Gerhart carried the Minnesota offense in
the second half and overtime and controlled the clock.
On the game-tying drive in overtime, Peterson and Gerhart
combined for 50 yards rushing, 24 by Gerhart, as the Vikings kicked a field
goal. Ponder completed one pass for 10 yards on the drive and there was a
defensive holding penalty.
Pass defense: C
Success early against Green Bay starter Scott Tolzien was
followed by being picked apart by replacement Matt Flynn, and then finally
slowing Flynn late in the game. Minnesota has faced either Brett Favre or Aaron
Rodgers in the twice-yearly matchups with Green Bay ever since 1992. The
Vikings took advantage of seeing Tolzien. Linebacker Audie Cole sacked Tolzien
on the first offensive play and he was pulled after one series in the second
half. Tolzien finished 7 of 17 for 98 passing yards and was sacked twice.
Then Flynn entered and the Packers started to find some
rhythm. After one series, Flynn got going in the fourth quarter and was 21 of
36 for 218 yards passing and led four scoring drives to overcome the 16-point
deficit. Minnesota was able to hold Flynn and Green Bay to field goals on two
possessions, which allowed the game to go into overtime and then kept the
Packers to just a field in overtime, giving the Vikings a chance.
Overtime was a different story of sorts for Flynn and the
Packers. After Flynn was 15 of 22 for 123 yards in the third and fourth
quarter, he was 6-of-14 passing for 95 yards in overtime and had just three
completions in his final eight passes.
Run defense: F
Who knew the biggest trouble Minnesota would have this
season is with Green Bay's running game? In the two games this season, the
Packers ran for 378 yards as a team. Two of the three worst games of the season
for the Vikings' run defense this season have been against Green Bay.
Again, missed tackles were a problem against the Packers'
tough-running rookie. Eddie Lacy shed tacklers and was rarely brought down by
the first defender. Minnesota needed a group of players to bring Lacy down on
Sunday. Lacy finished with 25 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown. The
Vikings allowed a season-high 196 rushing yards to Green Bay on Sunday. Backup
James Starks also had a big 34-yard run and the Packers averaged 5.8 yards per
carry.
Special teams: A
Special teams played a big part in the last meeting between
the two teams when Patterson returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Green Bay's
Micah Hyde had a punt return for a touchdown. The impact was far less on
Sunday. Patterson did nearly break another kickoff return, taking one return 57
yards to set up a field goal. He finished with four returns for a 31.5-yard
average. The Vikings' coverage teams didn’t allow any big returns this time
around.
Blair Walsh continues to be as consistent a kicker as there
is in the NFL. He connected on all four of his field-goal attempts on Sunday,
including a 47-yarder in the cold and a clutch 35-yarder in overtime to extend
the game.
Both punters kept Sunday's game a field-position battle.
After not punting in the first meeting, Green Bay's Tim Masthay had eight punts
for a 40.8-yard average and had two punts downed within the 5-yard line.
Minnesota's Jeff Locke averaged 41.5 net yards on six punts.
Overall: C
Is there any other way to grade Sunday's game besides average?
A tie with two uneven performances from both teams. Frazier described the game
as "bittersweet" in his postgame press conference. The Vikings are left
wondering, again, "What if?" Losing three games in the final minute and having
another end in a tie, Minnesota is about 4 minutes from being 6-5 this season
and in a tie for the NFC North. Green Bay's tying kick in regulation came with
46 seconds left, the fourth time this season the Vikings surrendered a lead in
the final minute. In the end, Minnesota didn’t help its faint playoff hopes and
fell from No. 2 in the draft order to No. 4.
