{"id":174791,"date":"2023-01-02T06:52:08","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T06:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/5-takeaways-from-packers-blowout-win-over-vikings\/"},"modified":"2023-01-02T06:52:08","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T06:52:08","slug":"5-takeaways-from-packers-blowout-win-over-vikings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/5-takeaways-from-packers-blowout-win-over-vikings\/","title":{"rendered":"5 takeaways from Packers’ blowout win over Vikings"},"content":{"rendered":"
3. The takeaways just keep coming now for the Packers’ defense.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The pick-six by Savage turned out to be the first of four turnovers generated by Green Bay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Safety Adrian Amos also got a deflected interception with Minnesota in scoring range, defensive lineman Kenny Clark executed his own strip-sack and recovery in the third quarter, and safety Rudy Ford played centerfield nicely on a deep ball in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Packers scored 28 points off the takeaways, most in a game for Green Bay since 2005, and built a 41-3 lead. The Vikings, who missed two field goals, didn’t score after the opening goal-line stand until midway through the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I think this is the way they expected to play for much of the season,” Rodgers said of the defense. “It hasn’t been the way that they’ve played the entire time, but when you’re playing ball in December and January, the most important thing when you’re talking playoffs \u2026 you want to be playing the right way and you want to be healthy. And if you look at our squad, outside of Rashan Gary, we’re pretty healthy and we’re playing the right way.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Following months of up-and-down play on defense, the second-half shutout and four takeaways in Miami last week appear to have begun a late-season surge that has energized the entire team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Momentum’s a crazy thing that you really can’t explain, and I do think there’s something to that,” LaFleur said. “You look at, I want to say over the last four games we’ve had 12 takeaways and if you do that, you’ve got a good chance of winning the game.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 4. Jaire Alexander shut down Justin Jefferson.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Back in Week 1, the Packers botched several zone coverages and Jefferson torched them for nine catches, 184 yards and two TDs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In the rematch, Alexander got the assignment the bulk of the time and rendered Jefferson a non-factor, with just one catch on five targets for 15 yards. Cousins \u200b\u200bfinished 18-of-31 for 205 yards with one TD, the three INTs and a 49.2 passer rating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I know Jaire chirped a little bit, but he backed it up,” LaFleur said, crediting Alexander’s physical play at the line of scrimmage for throwing Jefferson off his game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n LaFleur also gave a lot of credit to Savage, who had been benched about a month ago but needed to answer the call last week, and did so as the defense locked down the Dolphins in the second half. He appears to have earned back his regular role in the secondary with another solid outing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Some guys won’t respond that way and I think that speaks to who he is as a man,” LaFleur said of the fourth-year safety. “Just really, really, really happy with how he’s responded and I think he’s stacked two games back-to-back and played really good football.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 3. The takeaways just keep coming now for the Packers’ defense. The pick-six by Savage turned out to be the first of four turnovers generated by Green Bay. Safety Adrian Amos also got a deflected interception with Minnesota in scoring range, defensive lineman Kenny Clark executed his own strip-sack and recovery in the third quarter, …<\/p>\n