More Banjo: Week 16 @ Minnesota

[George Cumby]

Linsley is guilty of having the most guilty expression on his face post play that I've ever seen.

Jenkins with two solid blocks at the second level on Jonesey's 51 yard run. God we were stupid to draft the best rookie OL in the NFL. We could have had another green WR that doesn't know what he's doing.

lol.

I saw that on the replay, it was a scrum in there and he was just getting in everyone's way but Jones.

[Bossman641]

Maybe we have a chance after all? I have no effin clue. NFL literally feels like any team can lose at any time.

[George Cumby]

Vikings Fans are amazing. From comments on PFT post on Packers winning tonight:

"endtimesparty says:
December 23, 2019 at 11:41 pm

Very encouraging — very PROMISING — showing by the Vikes. Adjusting expectations after unavailability of Cook, you have to ask yourself — what do you look for in a team that could make noise in the postseason and years to come? Well, for one, we like that QB sensation Cousins completed 16 passes against 15 that failed to connect. That’s over 50%.

We like that the Vikings forced 3 first half takeaways en route to essentially winning both the 1st quarter and the first half, 10-9. We like that the Vike D stonewalled Rogers on a 1st and G at the 1 to preserve the first half victory.

So watch out, NFC field. And watch out, Packers. These Vikes will be a tough out in January and, who knows? February?"

[texaspackerbacker]

It seems like the Packers are peaking at the right time while a lot of the competition is fading. The Vikings are just keeping up a long tradition of late season floundering - how sweet it is. I never had much respect for Cousins. The much maligned Trubisky will end up being better than him IMO.

It's weird how the Packers D was so great at the start of the season, then they pretty much took 8 or 10 weeks off, and now they are back - seemingly all the way back. I hated it when Pettine was just dropping a lot of people into coverage and seemingly giving up on the pass rush. Tonight, he rushed hard - and mostly without blitzing. Part of it was Cousins' ineptitude, but mostly it was good D.

This was a major puzzle piece. Now we have to take care of business against Detroit and hope Seattle can rise up against the Niners. I wonder if Beast Mode still has anything in the tank.

[mmmdk]

Great win, great defense...I'm still not sold on the offense though but I'm loving this Packers season.

[Fritz]

That was a most satisfying kind of win. God I love watching a Packer defense play like that. I don't know if I've seen a Packer front seven simply manhandle an opponent's offensive line like that since Reggie White & Company had that lovely Super Bowl year in the late nineties. Yes, Cook was out, and that really hurt the Vikes, but man, I love watching the Packers play defense that well. Way better than watching something like those 2011 Packers. Even though they could score at will, so could the other team.

I hope this defense can keep this level of play up. Into Detroit and beyond. Cousins was hapless and helpless back there - and Pettine didn't even have to blitz.

Nothing is as satisfying as watching your team play defense at that level. Gives you a lot of confidence.

[ThunderDan]

We crushed the Vikings. It was a great game to watch.

We had 13 drives in the game (not counting the kneel downs to win) and only punted 4 times. The O played really well. The turnovers are the only thing that kept the score respectable. We had 5 scoring drives and had the ball 15 minutes more than Vikings.

This team looked nothing like the team that played the last 4 weeks. If the Packers continue to play like this they have a legitimate shot at the Superb Owl.

[George Cumby]

^
^^

What those guys said.

[pbmax]

Vikings Fans are amazing. From comments on PFT post on Packers winning tonight:

"endtimesparty says:
December 23, 2019 at 11:41 pm

Very encouraging — very PROMISING — showing by the Vikes. Adjusting expectations after unavailability of Cook, you have to ask yourself — what do you look for in a team that could make noise in the postseason and years to come? Well, for one, we like that QB sensation Cousins completed 16 passes against 15 that failed to connect. That’s over 50%.

We like that the Vikings forced 3 first half takeaways en route to essentially winning both the 1st quarter and the first half, 10-9. We like that the Vike D stonewalled Rogers on a 1st and G at the 1 to preserve the first half victory.

So watch out, NFC field. And watch out, Packers. These Vikes will be a tough out in January and, who knows? February?"

We should recruit that guy.

[Harlan Huckleby]

How come Fackrel is missing?

Who's that college kid pointing his finger in air?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Too bright

Another reason to feel good was the maturation of the running game. Jones and Jamaal Williams have given opponents something else to worry about. Load up to stop the pass and deal with the consequences. Open your mouth too wide, and also deal with the consequences, a lesson Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was taught after verbally taunting Jones after Jones fumbled to start the game.

According to Jones, Barr followed the turnover by saying: "The lights are too bright for you. Get off the field. You're sorry."

"That definitely got me going," said Jones, who has run for 339 yards and five touchdowns over his last three games.

In an interesting twist, Jones' long score came the play after Barr left the field with an injury. It gave Jones 16 rushing touchdowns this season, three off the franchise record.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Agree with the comments on how satisfying the win was. Don't want to hear about how Cook mattered so much. If Cook is the reason that the offense can't get over a 140 yards, and their defense couldn't stop the Packers from staying on the field for almost 38 minutes then the Vikings have a serious problem with how their team is built a la how we found out when Rodgers went down.

[esoxx]

I can smell a Super Bowel coming our way.

[Teamcheez1]

I loved the win and found the defensive effort exciting. Aaron Jones and the O Line were fantastic. Rodgers and the receiving corps were not appreciably better than Cousins and company.

[George Cumby]

I can smell a Super Bowel coming our way.

Is that like when you have a great poop in the morning and are Walking on Sunshine the rest of the day?