Tom Oates: Packers show a few attitude in latest win

The table said the same thing as the scoreboard – an opportunity had been lost.

Everyone wants to hate on the Packers Defense.

The lights at TCF Bank Stadium were too bright for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and as it has so many times this season, the glare of the spotlight blinded Mike Zimmer’s young team to one unfortunate truth – they’re not ready to dethrone the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. The Packers defeated the Vikings 30-15.

But the offense, though far from flawless, played with far greater goal and the defense rediscovered its early season ferocity as the Packers slapped the Vikings back into their place.

“Maybe we’ll get you guys off our back for a couple days”, said Rodgers following the game against the Minnesota Vikings, according to Fox Sports.

I look forward to see if the National Football League says anything about this.

The staggering Packers – who less than a month ago were undefeated at 6-0 and appeared almost invincible – could regain the momentum in the division race, tying it up at seven wins each with a road victory Sunday.

Bridgewater threw for 296 yards on 25-of-37 passing but was sacked six times.

The Packers took away what the Vikings do best, slowing down running back Adrian Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher, and neutralizing their pass rush, which has been fearsome at home. Peterson was also limited by his offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, who dialed a meager 13 carries, but Peterson also fumbled as many times as he scored (one, on both counts). The rematch is January 3 in Green Bay. This was an important week for us.

“We needed to be more focused this week and have more urgency and we did that today”. They gave Bridgewater no time in the pocket, allowing the Vikings quarterback to be sacked six times by a team that had not recorded a sack over the past three games. There’s plenty of time for Green Bay to put together a run. Zimmer was trying to pick up the pieces from an uncharacteristically sloppy game while trying to remind the Vikings that they’re still 7-3, still tied with the Packers atop the NFC North and still looking at what could be six huge games down the stretch, culminating with a rematch with the Packers in Lambeau Field on January 3. With the incomparable Adrian Peterson at halfback and a strong, fast defense, the vikings looked like the last team the suddenly punchless Packers wanted to play as they tried to cure what ailed them.

Kicker Mason Crosby, who missed a 52-yard field goal last week on the final play that would have won the game, drilled five field goals, all from beyond 40 yards. However, the team estimated Lacy would have been a limited participant with him still listed on the injury report. “You get beat once, shame on us, but two of them, then it’s shame on me”.

After the game, the locker room was full of happy Packers. Peterson did not hold back when asked about that. Although Minnesota players are off Tuesday, Zimmer gave them a homework assignment of watching film on the Falcons.

I might be the only person that was a little shocked that Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver James Jones played the game against the Minnesota Vikings in a hoodie.

“I just think we executed better today”, quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. Now we’re back on top of the division.

Now that Eddie Lacy has put one big question to rest, he’ll try to answer another one posed by head coach Mike McCarthy.

The Lions could have made it easier on themselves if not for their own mistakes. Is the Vikings just aren’t that good.