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| BAL at NE | BUF at MIA | CIN at CLE | DAL at DEN | DET at CHI | GB at MIN | NYG at KC | NYJ at NO |
| OAK at HOU | SD at PIT | SEA at IND | STL at SF | TB at WAS | TEN at JAX | ||
Week 4 Game Recap: Green Bay Packers 23, Minnesota Vikings 30
Green Bay Packers
| QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 26 - 37 - 384 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 16 - 0 |
Aaron Rodgers played a hell of a game against his former mentor. It was too bad the Viking defense was just too much for the Packer offensive line to handle. Rodgers spent much of the game running for his life, specifically from Jared Allen who seemed to be at his throat for the entire night. Rodgers made the best of it, rolling out and scrambling, throwing designed screens and throwing the ball away. Whatever he could to keep the defense from dragging him down for a big sack. It helped, but wasn't quite enough. When he had time (or created it), Rodgers was spot on. He made short accurate throws and hit the open receiver down the field when it was available. His TD pass to Jermichael Finley was a nice play and his other TD pass to Jordy Nelson was equally impressive. Rodgers didn't force the ball and took whatever the defense would allow him to have. He checked down or screened to Ryan Grant a lot, giving Grant 50 yards receiving for the day. If it were up to Rodgers, the Packers would have won. But Donald Lee's key drop in the end zone on 4th and goal after a 14 play, 8 minute drive was a killer, and the offensive line couldn't keep the Viking front four from collapsing the pocket for most of the night. Despite being down 16 points at one point, Rodgers kept his cool and put his team in a position to win the game. A fine performance in a losing effort.
| RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 11 - 51 - 0, Rec: 4 - 50 - 0 (4 targets) |
Ryan Grant quietly racked up 101 yards on 15 touches, and had an impressive game despite a stingy defense and a hostile crowd. When the Vikings tried to blitz Rodgers, if he had time to throw, he would often look to dump it to Grant, who would break it for a medium or long gain. When he ran the ball, he was equally impressive, improving on his 3.7 YPC average coming into the game with 51 yards on 11 attempts. He was never able to establish much of a rhythm though as the Packers were playing catch up for most of the evening. Still, 101 yards against the Vikings is impressive on the road and might signal that Ryan Grant of two years ago might not be completely lost after all.
| RB DeShawn Wynn, Rush: 2 - 10 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) |
The Packers were playing from behind for most of the game, and used Ryan Grant in the passing game to keep the Vikings from Blitzing every down. Wynn had a three touches for 21 total yards. Nothing exciting.
| RB Brandon Jackson |
Brandon Jackson did not play due to an ankle injury.
| WR Donald Driver, Rec: 4 - 55 - 0 (6 targets) |
Driver tied the all time record for receptions by a Packer on the final drive of the game. He also had two nice catch and run plays on Green Bay's long 3rd quarter drive that came up empty at the Goal Line. Aside from that, Driver finished with a 'ho hum' four reception, 55 yard day for Green Bay.
| WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (6 targets) |
Greg Jennings was the forgotten man of the evening for the Packers. He had a couple key third and fourth down receptions early in the game to keep the Packers moving, and had a nice reception just before the half when the Packers were trying to get a quick score with under a minute to play, but was quiet for the second half of the game. He was targeted once on the Packer final drive but was well covered and the ball fell incomplete.
| WR Jordy Nelson, Rec: 3 - 47 - 1 (4 targets) |
Nelson stepped in on special teams when Will Blackmon left the game due to injury near the end of the first half. He wasn't the best replacement for Blackmon and even muffed a punt late in the fourth quarter, but he did an OK job filling in. On offense, he saw action on three and four receiver sets, coming up with a big TD reception over the middle to get the Packers back in the game. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, and the Packers eventually lost. Nelson's other two receptions came early in the 3rd quarter on the long drive that ended at the goal line.
| TE Jermichael Finley, Rec: 6 - 128 - 1 (7 targets) |
The rookie TE had his breakout performance in his biggest game of the season so far. He had two receptions on the Packer opening drive, including a nice sideline route that he turned up field for an 18 yard gain. On the following drive, Finley broke away from the defense on a deep route down the middle of the field. He made an excellent reception, made his immediate defender miss and ran the rest of the way for a 62 yard, game-tying TD. He had another nice catch and run late in the 4th quarter, again over the middle of the field. This helped set up the TD pass to Jordy Nelson and briefly got the Packers back into the game. He finished the game leading the Packers in receptions and receiving yards. He probably secured the #1 TE slot as well.
| TE Donald Lee, Rec: 4 - 28 - 0 (5 targets) |
Donald Lee probably lost his #1 TE position to Jermichael Finley in this game. Although he had a nice catch and run early in the first quarter on second and long to keep the Packers moving, it was his TD drop that most will remember. After being stuffed twice on the one yard line, down by 14 late in the third quarter, the Packers went for it on 4th and goal from the one. Rodgers scrambled and saw that Lee had broken away from a LB and signaled that he was open. Rodgers threw a low, but very catchable ball that hit Lee in the hands. He bobbled it and it dropped, killing a 14 play, 82 yard drive that took up over eight minutes. That was a moral crusher for the Packers and they came close but never really threatened Minnesota the rest of the game.
Minnesota Vikings
| QB Brett Favre, Pass: 24 - 31 - 271 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Brett Favre hasn't spoken to Aaron Rodgers since the end of the 2007 season. He enters tonight's game against the team he spent so many years leading. To his credit, he played to perfection. Favre sliced and diced the Packers time and time again. On the opening drive, he used short and medium passes to set up the run. At the goal line, he used a beautiful play action to hit an open Shiancoe to go up seven to nothing. He never looked back. He took the defense to school, checking down when his receivers were covered and going deep when he thought that he had the chance for a big play. In the third quarter he had great pass protection but the coverage was also good. Farve rolled around and bought time until he found his fullback Jeff Dugan for a big 25 yard gain. As the Packers were reeling from giving up the big play, Farve hurried to the line, and with a quick fake pump to Bernard Berrian, faked Al Harris out of his shorts and hit Berrian for a long bomb and the Packers were all but done. As the game wore on, he mixed in the designed runs with short and medium passes to keep the clock moving. Farve played an excellent game and has now beaten every team in the NFL.
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 25 - 55 - 1, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (1 targets) |
Peterson was held in check for the second week in a row. He had a nice run in the first quarter where he was stuffed up the middle, bounced to the outside and almost scored. Aside from that, he was held to minimal gains. The fumble that was returned for a TD was a case where he was gang tackled by four players. When he continued to fight for yards, the defense stood him up and ripped the ball out of his hands. Even Superman has a weakness. Peterson was not involved in the passing game much, and after his TD just before half time, he was quiet for the rest of the game.
| RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0, Rec: 3 - 35 - 0 (5 targets) |
Taylor was barely involved in the offense against the Packers. He had a nice catch and run for 19 yards at the end of the first half, but was relatively quiet after that. He was the check down on two passes in the second half and came up short on both of them. Taylor was a relative non-factor for this game.
| WR Sidney Rice, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 5 - 70 - 1 (6 targets) |
Sidney Rice reclaimed his #2 role for the Vikings with another impressive game. With Berrian drawing interest as the deep threat, Rice worked the sidelines and underneath the secondary in the middle of the field to turn in an impressive five reception, 70 yard day. His TD reception came on a nice route over the middle and despite being well covered, Rice hauled it in for the score. Rice's biggest contributions to the Viking victory came on the on-sides kicks last in the fourth quarter. On both Packer attempts, Rice came down with the ball and covered it up so that the Vikings could retain possession and eventually go on to win the game.
| WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 6 - 75 - 1 (10 targets) |
Bernard Berrian put his shaky performance from last week behind him and went right to work for the Vikings. On the opening drive, he took a short pass over the middle and broke it for a 16 yard gain. He also had two other receptions on two targets to keep the ball moving and set up the opening score. Throughout the game, Berrian was used on quick routes that he turned into longer gains and deep threats when Favre was looking to stretch the field and take a shot at the end zone. Early in the third quarter after a long completion to FB Jeff Dugan, Favre spotted the defense in disarray. He quickly snapped the ball, pump faked to Berrian as he performed a double move and hit him for a long bomb down the sideline while Al Harris could only sit and watch. For the game, Berrian finished with team high receptions and receiving yards, and scored a TD. He is the clear #1 receiving option for the Vikings now.
| WR Percy Harvin, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (2 targets) |
Harvin didn't score in a game for the first time this season, although on his 43 yard reception, he almost made it. Harvin's only other reception was stopped behind the line of scrimmage and he was not used on any running plays in this game. With Berrian and Rice both hitting their strides, Harvin's primary use is more on kick returns and special teams.
| TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 3 - 18 - 1 (3 targets) |
Another game, another red zone TD for Visanthe Shiancoe. When the Vikings are down near the goal line, it's either Peterson or Shiancoe that seem to get the call. In the first quarter, Favre made a beautiful play action fake to Peterson and hit an open Shiancoe for the TD. It was a text book play that the Packers had seen him run time and again when he was their QB. Visanthe only had two other receptions, including one late in the third quarter on third and 8 where he caught the ball after six yards and fought his way for the first down. These are the type of plays that the Vikings are using him on now -- short and medium yardage situations where the WRs are covered. As long as Favre is at QB, he'll see a fair amount of Red Zone action as well.