Aaron Rodgers has been lights out this season for the Packers. (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers’ takeover of the outright NFC North lead for the first time this season wasn’t easy.
“You want to be able to win games multiple ways,” receiver Jordy Nelson said after Green Bay eked out a 24-21 road victory over the rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. “The last couple weeks, we’ve had some big blowouts (55-14 over Chicago and 53-20 over Philadelphia) and had some explosive gains. This week was a little more of a grind-it-out type of thing.”
Now, the Packers (8-3) will have to find a way to extend their three-game winning streak and maintain the newfound sole possession of first place in the division they reigned over the previous three seasons.
Their most daunting challenge of the season thus far comes Sunday.
In what will be billed ad nauseam as a potential Super Bowl preview, the Packers host the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field.
Winners of seven straight — including blowout victories in their last three games against teams that were division leaders at the time — the Patriots have the AFC’s best record at 9-2. The Packers are right behind the Arizona Cardinals (9-2) for the top record in the NFC.
Nelson insisted after Sunday’s close call with the Vikings, a sub-.500 team Green Bay pummeled 42-10 on Oct. 2 at Lambeau, that he wouldn’t allow himself to think about the Patriots until Monday.
“You have to enjoy this win. This was a hard-fought win,” Nelson said. “This makes you appreciate winning more, when you really have to grind it out and rely on everyone. It makes the game fun.”
As for the upcoming showdown with the Patriots, Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy and his staff are going about their preparations like the other 15 game weeks during the regular season.
“We’re not going to make a bunch of changes,” McCarthy said. “We like the football team that we are, and we look forward to the competition.
“We’re not going to get too far away from the yellow pad. We’re not going to get too far away from the video screen. We’re going to stay true to our process and our preparation, regardless of who comes out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field.”
The only notable difference is the week of prepping for New England comes with a holiday (Thanksgiving) falling on a day when Green Bay normally would meetings and a practice. Instead, the family-oriented McCarthy is making sure the players, coaches and support staff are out of the building by the early afternoon that day.
Even so, the focus won’t be diminished for a game against what McCarthy called an excellent football team more than once during his Monday news conference.
“We get all that, we respect that, but we’ll be working all week to win the game on Sunday,” he said.
REPORT CARD VS. VIKINGS
–PASSING OFFENSE: B — It took quite a bit of effort for QB Aaron Rodgers to throw for 300 yards against Minnesota — in two games this season. After being held to a season-low 156 yards in an abbreviated outing during the lopsided victory over the Vikings in Green Bay on Oct. 2, Rodgers mustered 209 yards in Sunday’s rematch. He went 19-for-29 with two touchdowns for a still-efficient 109.7 passer rating. Rodgers didn’t throw an interception for the third consecutive game and the ninth time in the past 10 contests. The tandem of WRs Jordy Nelson (12 targets, eight receptions, 68 yards) and Randall Cobb (four catches, 58 yards, including a 29-yarder off a deep slant on a third-and-10 throw threaded by Rodgers into tight coverage) had decent statistics. Also memorable was Rodgers’ shovel pass to HB Eddie Lacy for a 10-yard touchdown.
–RUSHING OFFENSE: A-minus — Whereas Rodgers might beg to differ, Lacy wouldn’t mind facing the Vikings’ defense a few more times this season. Minnesota’s concerted attention paid to trying to contain the pass enabled Lacy to have a season-best day despite being under the weather. Lacy turned 25 carries into 125 yards — both season highs — and a touchdown. It was the rugged back’s first 100-yard rushing game since he reached the century mark for the first time this season with 105 yards and two touchdowns in 13 carries against Minnesota last month.
–PASS DEFENSE: B-minus — For the first time in eight regular-season games against Minnesota going back to the 2011 season, the Packers didn’t have the benefit of facing inadequate Christian Ponder at quarterback. Green Bay’s inaugural matchup with rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater turned out to be a mixed bag. Bridgewater wound up throwing for more yards than Rodgers — albeit just a yard with 210 — and the total easily could have been in the neighborhood of 300 given a multitude of errant throws to and dropped passes by open receivers. Bridgewater finished 21-for-37 and had a pedestrian efficiency rating of 79.8, in part because of an ill-advised deep throw off his back foot under some late pressure and into double coverage. That made for an easy pick by DB Micah Hyde of an underthrown floater.
–RUSH DEFENSE: C — Again facing a depleted Minnesota rushing attack, Green Bay continued to be exploited, allowing 100-plus yards for the 10th time in 11 games this season. Minnesota ground out 112 yards behind the effective trio of diminutive, speedy backs Jerick McKinnon and Joe Banyard and a scrambling Bridgewater. McKinnon, a rookie, led the Vikings with 15 carries for 54 yards (long of 10). Banyard, a second-year player who came into the game with zero rushing attempts as a pro, was more proficient with only a third of McKinnon’s opportunities. Banyard picked up 26 yards on five carries. Bridgewater had Minnesota’s long run of 11 yards and produced 32 yards on five improvised keepers.
–SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus — A week after the Packers’ special teams units committed a host of breakdowns in a rout of the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay’s one glaring mistake Sunday was an interference penalty by CB Demetri Goodson on a would-be Vikings punt return in the second half. Goodson arrived just as the football off the foot of P Tim Masthay came down with Minnesota PR Marcus Sherels about to field it. The ball instead hit the back of Goodson’s helmet. Masthay was solid on his four punts with nearly identical averages of 42.3 gross yards and 41.0 net yards. Sherels had only one return, amounting to 5 yards. PK Mason Crosby connected on his only field goal, from 48 yards in the third quarter.
–COACHING: B — Head coach/play caller Mike McCarthy was taken out of his comfort zone of recent weeks by not being able to make liberal use of the pass calls on his play sheets. McCarthy had a ready response prepared before kickoff by going heavy with the run from the outset. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ track record of faring well against starting quarterbacks for the first time continued. However, an inconsistent effort by the defense almost allowed Bridgewater to pull off the biggest win of his fledgling career.
