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Week 10 Game Recap: Minnesota Vikings 0, Green Bay Packers 34
What you need to know
| Minnesota Vikings |
Adrian Peterson left the game in the third quarter with an unspecified knee injury and did not return. He'll have an MRI Tuesday. Peterson was the focus of the offense. He was featured early, but the Vikings inability to convert third downs meant Peterson had limited opportunities. The Packers bottled Peterson up well, preventing him from breaking any long runs. Peterson also left the game in the third quarter with an unspecified knee injury and did not return.
The Vikings could not get on track all day against the Packers stout defense. Brooks Bollinger made his first start for the Vikings, and fared no better than either of the previous Vikings' starters. Bollinger had trouble converting third downs, until the game was well out of reach. He was not able to provide any spark to the passing game, leaving the Vikings a one dimensional team again.
The Vikings defense was uncharacteristically porous against the run, in addition to their usual inability to stop the pass. The Packers were able to establish a running game, which made Favre virtually unstoppable.
| Green Bay Packers |
It was the Brett Favre show once again in Titletown, but this time Favre had a good co-star in Ryan Grant. Grant did what no other running back has done against the Vikings this year, which was run for over 100 yards. Grant's running opened up the passing lanes even more for Favre, who picked apart the Vikings defense again. Favre mixed short passes, quick timing routes, and the occasional long ball to shred the Viking defense. He started slowly, but once warmed up was surgical.
Ryan Grant looked excellent throughout. He displayed a good mix of speed and power, and found holes often to run through. He was closing in on 100 yards already when the game reached halftime.
Favre spread the ball around, hitting ten different receivers during the game. No receiver had more than five catches, and none had more than 63 yards. Ruvell Martin had the biggest fantasy day of the bunch, hauling in two touchdowns.
What you ought to know
| QB Brooks Bollinger, Pass: 16 - 26 - 176 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 |
Bollinger did not bring the same spark to the passing game he brought in his limited relief role in week 9. The most glaring weakness was his play on third downs. Bollinger completed just one pass on four attempts on third down, and was also sacked twice. As mediocre as Bollinger's numbers were, they were padded by a couple long drives when the game was well out of hand. He did not look good, and did not get in any sort of rhythm all afternoon.
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 11 - 45 - 0, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) |
Peterson was bottled up fairly well by the Green Bay defense. His yards per carry average was ok at 4.1, but he managed only 11 carries on the afternoon. His longest run of the day was just 12 yards. He did catch three of the four passes thrown his way, but the one he didn't bring in was a catch he should have made, as it went right off his hands. He was hit immediately after catching two of his other targets. He last catch was his last play of the game. After taking a short pass, he sped upfield and a defender hit him low, right at the thigh/knee area. His knee did not appear to hyperextend on the replay, but he was writhing in pain on the ground. He walked off the field leaning on the trainer, and was examined thoroughly on the sideline. He did not return to action.
| RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 3 - 37 - 0, Rec: 2 - 59 - 0 (2 targets) |
Taylor was limited exclusively to the third down role until Adrian Peterson left the game due to injury. He did have the biggest play of the day for the Vikings with a 50 yard screen pass in the fourth quarter, and finished with 96 total yards. He also had the Vikings longest run of the game with a 23 yard scamper.
| WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 6 - 59 - 0 (6 targets) |
Ferguson had his biggest game yet in purple, and against his former team. Ferguson got the start in place of the injured Sidney Rice, and made the most of it. He lead all Vikings in targets, receptions, and tied for the team lead in receiving yards.
| WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) |
Wade, the Vikings' leading receiver entering the game, was not targeted until the third quarter. Wade hauled in two of the three balls thrown his way and finished with just 29 yards. He also negated his own 11 yard reception with a pass interference penalty.
| TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) |
Shiancoe continued his up and down year with just two targets on the afternoon. His lone reception was a mere seven yards, and he played no role in the limited Vikings pass offense.
| PK Ryan Longwell 0 - 0 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 0 points |
Longwell had no kicking opportunities on the afternoon.
| MIN Rush Defense |
The Vikings rush defense was uncharacteristically porous against the Packers. Ryan Grant had plenty of holes to run through all game, and made the most of his opportunities. Every once in a while, the Vikings would look like their traditional self, stringing out sweeps to the sideline. They would then look horrendous, and leave a gaping hole up the middle for a long gain.
| MIN Pass Defense |
The Vikings pass defense had no chance against Brett Favre. The Vikings front put almost no pressure on Favre all afternoon, which allowed him to find second and third receivers with ease on the rare occasion the Vikings had his first option covered.
| QB Brett Favre, Pass: 33 - 46 - 351 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 |
Favre, like he has much of this season, looked like his old self. Not only did he put up numbers like he did in his prime, he made the improvised, mechanically ugly plays he is notorious for. In addition to the almost half dozen under handed shovel passes to running backs, he also made one pass from his knees. He tripped over a lineman's feet on a drop back. Instead of taking the sack, he got up to his knees and flung the ball out to the fullback in the flat. His bread and butter was his more traditional quick hitters to his tight end and receivers on slants and quick outs. He did start somewhat slowly in the first quarter, but soon after found his rhythm and was unstoppable the rest of the afternoon.
| RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 25 - 119 - 1, Rec: 5 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) |
Ryan Grant was able to do what no other running back has done against the Vikings rush defense this year, which was break 100 yards. What is more impressive is that he almost reached that point by halftime. He looked great against an unenthusiastic rush defense, finding gaping holes to run through all day. He touchdown run was a thing of beauty, exploding through a nice hole, and breaking several arm tackles on his way to the end zone. He finished with career highs in rushes (25), rushing yards (119) and receptions (5).
| WR Donald Driver, Rec: 4 - 63 - 0 (7 targets) |
Brett Favre spread the ball around all afternoon, but as usual, Donald Driver was his most frequently targeted receiver. Driver did let Favre down with a couple of drops where Driver should have made the play, including one that could have been a touchdown. As it was, Driver finished with just an average day of four receptions and a tie for the team lead with 63 yards.
| WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 4 - 63 - 0 (6 targets) |
Jennings was targeted almost as much as team leader Donald Driver on the afternoon, including two deep chances, but Jennings was able to haul in only one of those two chances. Like Driver, Jennings also had what could have been a touchdown go through his hands. Jennings finished with numbers identical to Driver for the game with four catches for 63 yards.
| WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 4 - 57 - 2 (5 targets) |
Martin was a nice spark as the fourth receiving option, making several big plays. He hauled in two of Favre's three touchdowns. His second touchdown was quite a lucky play as two defenders collided attempting to make the interception. The ball bounced up in the air off the two of them and Martin easily grabbed the ball for a touchdown.
| WR James Jones, Rec: 3 - 62 - 0 (5 targets) |
Jones continued his nice rookie season with five looks on the afternoon. His biggest play of the afternoon was a 37 yard reception up the sideline where he was able to get past his defender. Jones also had one reception from Aaron Rodgers in garbage time, where Rodgers hit him instantly, and Jones was able to make a move on his defender for an 11 yard reception.
| TE Donald Lee, Rec: 4 - 27 - 1 (5 targets) |
Lee had a nice game in his first appearance since signing a nice contract extension. Most of his looks were his traditional quick slant from his tight end position. His touchdown came on a goal line play, with play action and he simply released into the back of the end zone and Favre easily hit him for the touchdown.
| PK Mason Crosby 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points |
Crosby was perfect, hitting two field goals and all of his extra points.
| GB Rush Defense |
The Green Bay defense played extremely well when it counted. They bottled up Adrian Peterson as well as anyone has, including stopping him on a short third down carry. They gave up 5.7 yards per carry for the game, but that was padded by a long Chester Taylor carry when the game was out of reach.
| GB Pass Defense |
The Green Bay pass defense played exceptional against the Vikings passing game. Bollinger did not have much time to throw all day, and had trouble finding open receivers.
