The Packers came out of Week 1 with a clear message from Matt LaFleur: the film showed enough to know there’s work to do, and the biggest issue starts up front.
After revisiting Green Bay’s loss to the Vikings, LaFleur pointed straight at the offensive line’s pass protection and the breakdowns that left the quarterback under constant pressure.
“I saw some of the things we have to clean up,” LaFleur said, via Pro Football Talk. “What’s disappointing is, we had a few protection busts that should not and cannot happen.
We knew that was the challenge going in. They were gonna give some tough looks.
That’s the toughest test you’re going to face Week 1, to play that defense in that environment. I thought there was some really good stuff, but when your quarterback gets hit 15 times, that’s too many times.
There are some things we could do schematically that we’ve got to do a better job with and there are some things we have to go out and execute. But we have to have everybody on the same page if we want to give ourselves a chance.”
LaFleur didn’t stop there. He said the Packers had their moments against Minnesota, but the finish wasn’t good enough.
“We had some great moments when we feasted on it, certainly, but at the end of the game when we needed to make plays, they did what they do,” LaFleur added.
Green Bay is also dealing with possible lineup changes along the offensive line. LaFleur said, “We have to find continuity as quickly as possible.”
Tight end Tucker Kraft and the Packers agreed to a four-year, $75 million contract extension on September 12 that includes a $26.5 million signing bonus, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich also addressed the guard situation, explaining why Donovan Jennings got the start at left guard over Jager Burton, who had handled most of the LG reps during camp.
“Just going through practice and kind of evaluating the last few weeks, we felt like Donovan was doing a better job in practice,” Stenavich said, via Ryan Wood.
Stenavich added that Anthony Belton could see more work at guard this week, while Zach Bako-Bewele is “more situated” physically at right tackle.
He also looked back on Jordan Morgan’s first game at left tackle: “I think he can be better, and he will be. There’s some plays he’d like to have back.”
On the other side of that Week 1 matchup, Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray entered concussion protocol after taking a hit from safety Javon Bullard that drew an unnecessary roughness flag. Minnesota right tackle Brian O’Neill said he wished he had done more in the moment to protect Murray, though he didn’t realize how serious the hit might be right away.
“It was so bang, bang,” O’Neill said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “You don’t want to freak out if you’re wrong.
I was probably wrong to not freak out more than that. So I kind of wish I took a shot at him.”
Vikings running back Aaron Jones watched the play from the sideline and said seeing a teammate in a fencing position put him in a tough spot mentally.
“It almost puts me in a bad headspace in a way because you never want to see anybody get hit like that,” Jones said. “And then especially to me, when somebody’s posturing on the field, that’s when it’s scary. We know what we sign up for, but at the same time you never want to see that happen and you hope that it’s never one of your teammates or you.”
The Bears also had a defensive note worth watching. Head coach Ben Johnson praised DB Cam Lewis for taking on 96 percent of the team’s defensive snaps instead of staying in the planned nickel rotation.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had expected to rotate Lewis with rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad, who picked off his first career interception in his first start.
In Other News...
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T.J. Hockensons Week 1 touchdown against the Packers was the kind of improvisational moment that can reset the tone around an offense in a hurry. With backup quarterback Carson Wentz stepping in after Kyler Murrays injury, Hockenson said the scoring play was a feel decision, a glimpse of how quickly timing and trust can still matter even when the plan changes in real time.
For the Vikings, though, the bigger subplot sits beyond one clutch catch. Hockenson reworked his contract over the offseason to lower his cap hit and void the final year, which puts him on track to hit free agency next year. That makes every productive night feel a little more layered, because Minnesota now has to sort out not just how often Hockenson is featured, but what kind of future it wants to build around him. [Read more 🡒]
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For Minnesota, the more immediate takeaway comes from that comeback win over Green Bay, where Kevin OConnells handling of the game helped steady a Vikings team that needed answers in real time. The quarterback choices and the coaching decisions around them mattered in a way that felt bigger than one divisional result, because this was the kind of game that can either create doubt or confirm the direction of a season, and for the Vikings it did a little of both while still pointing to OConnells hand on the wheel. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have Two Huge Availability Questions Before Bears Game
The Vikings build-up to Sundays trip to Soldier Field took a sharp turn Wednesday, with Kevin OConnell noting that quarterback Kyler Murray was limited in practice as he works his way through the NFL concussion protocol. Murray still has to be medically cleared before he can get back on the field, adding uncertainty to a matchup that already has plenty riding on it as Minnesota heads to Chicago to face the Bears.
Minnesota also got a hit to its backfield, with Jordan Mason moved to short-term injured reserve after suffering a fractured thumb. The move guarantees he will miss at least four games, leaving the Vikings to sort through their run-game rotation while waiting for clarity at quarterback and trying to keep their preparation on track for Sunday. [Read more 🡒]