Jaire Alexander called the Vikings' explosive Week 1 rout of the Packers a "fluke" in the lead-up to this week's anticipated NFC North rematch. It turns out the Green Bay star didn't go far enough in his remarks. With a chance to remain in contention for the conference's No. 1 playoff seed, not to mention sweep and eliminate Aaron Rodgers and Co., Minnesota hardly even put up a fight at Lambeau Field. Folding in every phase of the game, the Vikings trailed early due to a special teams blunder, failed to stop the Aaron Jones-led ground game, then got manhandled by Green Bay's resurgent defense as the Packers claimed a 41-17 rout that was even more lopsided than the score indicates.
The Vikings (12-4) already clinched an NFC North title earlier this season. But Sunday's Week 17 rematch was all Packers (8-8), who can now clinch a wild card berth with a win against the rival Lions in Week 18. While Rodgers himself didn't post gaudy numbers working against a vulnerable Minnesota defense, Kirk Cousins had a particularly head-scratching performance, tossing three interceptions while failing to connect with Jefferson.
Here are some additional takeaways from Sunday's blowout:
Why the Packers won
Early on, it was because the defense and special teams came to play: Joe Barry's unit limited Minnesota to 14 plays for 20 yards on the Vikings' first four drives, and Keisan Nixon made a 105-yard kick-return TD look easy. As the game wore on, it was chiefly the "D," which has been the driving force for the Packers' resurgence as a playoff hopeful. Jaire Alexander flat-out dominated in coverage against Justin Jefferson, setting the tone early with physicality. And the rest of the secondary was opportunistic as ever, getting hands on receivers and Kirk Cousins throws on key downs, with Adrian Amos, Rasul Douglas, Darnell Savage and T.J. Slaton all logging at least a pick or multiple pass deflections.
Offensively, Rodgers mostly leaned on Aaron Jones, who seized on one open lane after another, but also sealed the game with a TD scramble of his own, relocating to the sidelines with more than seven minutes left as Jordan Love took on mop-up duty. Mason Crosby, meanwhile, chipped in with a perfect 56-yard field goal to keep Green Bay in front.
Why the Vikings lost
Despite apparently having destiny on their side in close games with equal or lesser opponents, they know how to fold against the big dogs. An early punt block seemed to set the stage for an upset, but immediately afterward, they failed to punch the ball in from the 1-yard line, getting no push for Dalvin Cook on a night the running back was largely nonexistent. Cousins, meanwhile, did almost nothing through the air while bulleting passes into a tight secondary, hitting only T.J. Hockenson with any regularity. Once the Packers took a sizable lead, it got worse, with Green Bay simply bullying them on every level. Ed Donatell's "D" was actually better than expected against the pass, but ended up being a total sieve against the run. Greg Joseph kept with the program by sailing a pair of field goals wide of the uprights. Their only real points came after the game had been decided.
Turning point
Just over halfway through the first quarter, the Vikings seemed to be gaining steam after Dalvin Tomlinson sacked Aaron Rodgers on fourth-and-1 for a loss of 16. Minnesota took over in Packers territory with a chance to retake the lead. Four plays into the series, however, Cousins rocketed one over the middle to Hockenson and Green Bay corner Rasul Douglas tipped the ball into the air -- and the waiting hands of Darnell Savage, who proceeded to race it 75 yards for the score. The Packers went up 14-3 thanks to the takeaway and never looked back.
Play of the game
Pretty much every third snap from the Packers' secondary belongs here, but the pick-six from Savage took the cake among difference-making plays in coverage:
What's next
The Packers (8-8) will stay at Lambeau Field in Week 18, when they'll battle the rival Lions (8-8) in a showdown that will decide the NFC's final wild card. The Vikings (12-4), meanwhile, will visit Chicago to take on the Bears (3-13), who got routed by Detroit on Sunday.