5 takeaways from the Packers’ loss to the Vikings

2. Minnesota’s turnovers helped Green Bay get back into the game.

The Vikings gave the ball away three times to further the Packers’ rally.

Jalen Nailor’s deflected punt deep in Minnesota territory set up a TD catch by Jayden Reed just before halftime. Xavier McKinney’s fourth interception in as many games – the first Packers player with INTs in each of his first four games for the club – near the pylon thwarted a Vikings scoring drive in the third quarter. And Keisean Nixon’s strip-sack on a slot blitz in the fourth (with teammate Edgerrin Cooper’s fumble at the Minnesota 20-yard line) set up tight end Tucker Kraft’s 13-yard catch-and-run TD and the Subsequent two-pointer with 10:16 left made it 28:22.

The Packers suddenly had a lot of time to make the comeback, but…

3. … more Green Bay turnovers brought the game back.

After the Vikings made a field goal with 6:50 left, they trailed 31-22, but the Packers continued to give the ball away and essentially the game.

Love tried to beat a Minnesota blitz with a deep shot into the end zone for Dontayvion Wicks, which cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. easily intercepted. As the Packers rushed to Wicks for a 36-yard completion, Vikings safety Harrison Smith got free from Love’s throwing side and the QB took an unnecessary risk on first down.

“We never want to just throw the ball up,” LaFleur said. “Obviously we were deceived by the optics. They applied total pressure.”

After a three-and-out by the defense, Kraft’s aggression after the catch that helped score the previous touchdown cost him, this time as he had the ball knocked out near the sideline and the Vikings moved to their fourth takeaway of the game recovered.

After that, Love’s late TD pass to sophomore Wicks with just under a minute left wasn’t enough. The Packers ran out of timeouts, couldn’t recover the onside kick, and the Vikings kept their perfect record (4-0) intact.

“We battled the whole game and started making plays later, but just too little, too late,” Love said. “Didn’t make enough money early on and didn’t take advantage of it early on.”

4. From a health perspective, the love from the game was good, but there are other injury problems looming.

Love, who set career highs with 32 completions, 54 attempts, 389 yards and four touchdowns while also matching his career high with three interceptions, said his injured knee felt good after the game. He mentioned a painful hit he took in a second-quarter scramble, but nothing else of note.

The most serious injury of this game occurred earlier in the week when Green Bay’s defense lost cornerback Jaire Alexander to a groin injury. He was injured during practice on Thursday and was unable to practice or play on Friday.

His absence, coupled with the loss of fellow cornerback Carrington Valentine (ankle), forced the defense to change its game plan against Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson. But LaFleur — who didn’t believe the injury was all that serious — wouldn’t forgive giving up touchdowns on Minnesota’s first three drives.

“I’m not going down that path,” LaFleur said. “It is like it is. Just like when you get injured in a game, you have to make an adjustment as a team and to me that’s an excuse. I’ll never use that here. We have to adapt.” Our game plan if necessary.

Additionally, receiver Christian Watson (ankle) and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt (ankle) left the game and did not return. Watson’s injury occurred during Love’s first interception, when his leg became trapped under a defender and he was carried to the locker room.

5. Emotionally, LaFleur criticized himself and praised his players.

In the end, it cost the Packers nothing as they scored late in the first half anyway, but LaFleur was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when the officials didn’t give him a timeout and he lost his temper. He was told he was getting upset “too demonstratively.”

“I am absolutely embarrassed that I have become unsportsmanlike,” he said. “If you expect your team to be calm and then do that, it looks bad. I think we can all do better, and I’m number one.”

He praised his players for continuing to fight through the ups and downs of an equally strange and frustrating game. The momentum from the last two weeks’ wins with Malik Willis and Love was non-existent, while the second-half surge left everyone wondering what that might have been.

“Of course you want to learn lessons when you win, but I’m very proud of our guys’ performance,” LaFleur said. “That’s one thing. These guys fought. It’s interesting how you react when you’re down 28-0, and I think you saw the character of our locker room today in the way our guys competed.”

“This is a humbling league at times and it is to their credit that they did more than us to win the game. And we have to recover from this.”