Some football games are a symphony of skill, execution and innovation, graceful, soaring and inspiring. And some are a quirky holiday concert from a college orchestra, where, sure, everyone may be doing their best…but you still want it to end as soon as possible.
How did Green Bay’s 23-6 loss to Minnesota play out on Sunday? In other words: it wasn’t anything close to a symphony.
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It was a game that revolved around mental errors by Minnesota, one ridiculous, one catastrophic. About the one positive the Vikings can take from the game: At least none of those mistakes were JJ McCarthy’s fault.
What was McCarthy’s fault: the fact that Minnesota’s offense is as uninspiring and bland as fourth-day Thanksgiving leftovers. McCarthy struggled all afternoon moving the ball, only managing one 10-play drive…and even that one ended with a red zone turnover on downs. McCarthy finished the day with just 87 yards on 12-of-19 passing and two brutal interceptions in the second half.
Pick your quarterback crime, McCarthy committed it. He held the ball too long, threw it into traffic, constantly made bad decisions, turned the ball over, and generally looked overwhelmed at every turn. It’s still only the 22-year-old McCarthy’s sixth career game, but there’s a sense his struggles getting off the ground might run deeper than a young player’s nerves.
The Packers’ Emmanuel Wilson set the tone for this NFC North brawl from the start with his first touchdown, bouncing all over the Minnesota line to charge into the end zone and give Green Bay a 7-3 lead:
McCarthy simply couldn’t move the ball anywhere on the field, and only kicker Will Reichard’s prodigious leg — he made field goals of 52 and 59 yards — put Minnesota on the board.
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However, the Vikings’ problems go far beyond just the quarterback position. If you want a preview of Minnesota’s 2025 season, look no further than a penalty in the final minutes of the first half. Minnesota was lining up to block a Green Bay field goal, panicked that there were 12 men on the court, called a timeout, realized there were only 11 men on the court after all…and gave up the field goal anyway.
But it was just embarrassing. What happened early in the second half was downright embarrassing for everyone involved. Minnesota’s defense forced Green Bay to punt on its first drive of the half…but on the punt, the Packers’ Zayne Anderson essentially dumped Minnesota return man Myles Price in the ball.
That turnover gave Green Bay the ball at the Minnesota 5-yard line, and the Packers delivered what was effectively the knockout blow just a few minutes into the second half.
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Packers quarterback Jordan Love wasn’t particularly stellar Sunday, going 14 of 21 for 139 yards, but he didn’t need to be. And Micah Parson was more disruptive — two sacks, three-quarter hurries — than he probably needed to be. The result, however, is a 7-3-1 record in Green Bay and – with two games remaining against Chicago – a direct path to the top of the NFC North.
As for the 4-7 Vikings – yes, again, Sunday marked only McCarthy’s sixth game. But Sunday also marked one of the most disastrous offensive performances of the year, if not the decade, for Minnesota. And with little cap space, Minnesota’s all-in gamble on McCarthy looks more and more like a mistake with each passing week.
