Packers Wide Receiver Christian Watson had 5 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown in the Week 12 game in 2023. The Green Bay Packers continue their stretch of three straight NFC North games with a showdown between the two-time defending division champion Detroit Lions on Thursday. If the Packers are to continue a quest for their first division championship since 2021, defeating the Lions for the second time in three years on Thanksgiving will go a long way toward achieving that goal. The Week 13 NFC North matchup between the Packers and Lions will be the 8th game on Thanksgiving between the two teams since 2001. In the previous seven games, the Packers hold a 5-2 advantage over their neighbors from the west.   Today in 2009: Packers roll to 34-12 Thanksgiving win over Lions. Aaron Rodgers throws three TDs and Donald Driver racks up a game-high 142 yards and a score. Defensively, Charles Woodson posts seven tackles, a sack, and two INTs -- including the game-clinching pick-six. pic.twitter.com/mPNuTdAKbZ — Packers History (@HistoricPackers) November 27, 2024   In all seven of those seasons, the Packers would go on to make the playoffs. Two of those meetings featured games where both the Packers and Lions would qualify for the playoffs, with the Packers being victorious in both games (2011, 2023). Packers at Lions on Thanksgiving since 2001 Year Winning Team Losing Team Score Packers QB Stats 2001 Packers Lions 29-27 Favre 18/26, 252 yds, 2 tds 2003 Lions Packers 22-14 Favre 23/37, 296 yds, 2 tds, 3 ints 2007 Packers Lions 37-26 Favre 31/41, 381 yds, 3 tds 2009 Packers Lions 34-12 Rodgers 28/39, 348 yds, 3 tds 2011 Packers Lions 27-15 Rodgers 22/32, 307 yds, 2 tds 2013 Lions Packers 40-10 Flynn 10/20, 139 yds, 1 int 2023 Packers Lions 29-22 Love 22/32, 268 yds, 3 tds Two years ago, the Lions came into the game with an 8-2 record and a four-game lead over the second place the Packers. The Lions would eventually win the NFC North and be close to their first Super Bowl appearance, before blowing a 17-point lead to the 49ers. In the 29-22 win, the Packers set the tone immediately with a 53-yard pass from Jordan Love to Christian Watson on the first play of the game. Green Bay jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, leading after the first 15 minutes by the score of 20-6. Love had two touchdown passes to Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft, followed by a fumble return from Jonathan Owens. Love and Watson connected on a touchdown pass in the third quarter, as the Packers held off the Lions late en route to a 29-22 win. The last time the Lions hosted Green Bay on Thanksgiving went VERY well for Love and Co#Packers pic.twitter.com/fYuK3XLiGq — BGPG (@BleedGreenPGold) November 24, 2025 By getting out to a quick lead, the Packers were able to get after Jared Goff, finishing the game with three sacks and three forced fumbles. In last year’s game in Detroit, the Lions were the team who led early, leading at halftime by a score of 17-7. They converted on 4 of 5 fourth downs and were able to protect Goff, giving up just one sack. The formula from the game two years ago has been the same as the formula this season. When the Packers are able to get out to a bigger lead, they are able to unleash Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt and company. In the first five games of the season, the Packers were able to get out to double-digit leads in each game. However, in the last six games, they only led by 10 points or more in two of the games. Game Opponent Biggest 1st half lead Biggest overall lead Result Final Score 1 Lions 17-3, 2nd Qtr 27-6, 4th Qtr W 27-13 2 Commanders 14-0, 2nd Qtr 27-10, 4th Qtr W 27-18 3 Browns 3-0, 2nd Qtr 10-0, 4th Qtr L 10-13 4 Cowboys 13-0, 2nd Qtr 13-0, 2nd Qtr T 40-40 5 Bengals 10-0, 2nd Qtr 24-10, 4th Qtr W 27-18 7 Steelers 7-3, 1st Qtr 35-19, 4th Qtr W 35-25 11 Vikings 10-3, 2nd Qtr 23-6, 4th Qtr W 23-6 In games where the Packers led by at least 10 points or more, their record this season is 5-1-1. In games without a double-digit lead, their record is 2-2. If the Packers are to win for the second time in Detroit in three years, playing from ahead will be an important element on their path to victory. Put the pressure on Goff and force the Lions to go away from Jahmir Gibbs and David Montgomery on the ground. Filed Under: FeaturedMitchell McLaughlin PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch __________________________   NFL Categories: Detroit LionsGreen Bay PackersTags: Jordan LoveAaron RodgersBrett FavreThanksgiving Like 0 points

After re-watching the Packers game, here are three plays that made me go hmmm, for various reasons. In general, I either focus on a theme, more nuanced observations, or just things I didn't notice watching live. These can be but are less likely to be "highlight" plays. I present these to you with a short explanation why I picked them and then let you readers discuss the plays. Morgan Whiffs - As I'm sure you know, Jordan Morgan started the game at right guard. After the first series, Anthony Belton came in for a series and then Morgan returned for the next series. It seemed like yet another Packers guard rotation was in the works, but after that series, Morgan was benched and only saw a few special teams snaps the rest of the way. Obviously, the coaches were not happy with his performance but would you like to see some specific visual evidence? Well you're in luck, because here it is. You're getting the bonus of a three-pack of Morgan in run blocking in this video. The first clip is the very first play of the game, where Morgan doesn't seem to know his assignment and ends up blocking no one. The second clip is the last play of that same series where Emanuel Wilson is forced to run over unblocked LB Blake Cashman for the touchdown, which luckily he does. Morgan either blocks the wrong player, or more likely, was supposed to fall off his help block and move to the linebacker. I believe Morgan over commits to the help block getting his head out over his skates and is in a bad body position to even get a hand on the hard charging Cashman. One of the beat reporters was silly enough to ask LaFleur if that Viking player was supposed to be there. LaFleur could have ridiculed the question but instead took the high road and just said, "ideally, he would be blocked." The final clip is from the second series Morgan was in and as you can see, it's another complete whiff from Morgan as he's not able to adjust his path on the run. In fairness to Morgan, his pass protection was fairly good, but against the run - woof!    Doubs punt return - There are two things here. First, I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now. The players the Packers are using as their kick returners (Romeo Doubs and Savion Williams) seem to be more interested in avoiding contact than they are gaining yardage. They are always seen running away from opportunities to "go for it" in favor of taking what's right in front of them. Savion Williams does this almost every time - stopping his forward progress and veering sideways at which point he is enveloped by a cadre of would-be tacklers. Romeo Doubs has quite an interesting approach to punt returns where he tends to catch the ball and then pause instead of taking off. If you stop the clip below right at the point Doubs catches the ball, what do you see? He catches the ball at his own 40 yard line. At that point, the Vikings' two gunners are being double-teamed by Packers blockers, and there are only three Vikings players on his side of the hash marks. Two are being blocked downfield and there is one unblocked Viking approximately 20 yards from Doubs. Instead of staying on that side of the hash marks and taking his chances on the one-on-one with the free running Viking, he decides to go to the other side of the field where the other 8 Vikings players are bearing down on him. At the very least, he would have gained 10-15 yards by going right at that free runner and maybe he's able to avoid him for a much bigger gain. But Doubs doesn't want to take a potential big hit and runs away (my opinion). The second thing is, what the hell is he doing holding the ball away from his body with one hand like a quarterback about to throw a pass on the run? I sure hope SOMEONE had a long talk with him about both these things when he got to the sideline.   3rd and 1 - So nothing spectacular (good or bad) happened on this play itself. It's not being featured to show you what someone did well or poorly. The reason I'm including this is the situation and the defensive alignment chosen is what made me go hmmm. The Vikings have a third and one on their own 26 yard line with 1:20 left in the half. On the Vikings' previous possession, the Packers brought in their short yardage defense and proceeded to successfully stop the Vikings on both third and one and fourth and one. The Packers brought Stackhouse in and tightened up their alignment with McDuffie filling the A gap. So why didn't they do the same thing on this play? If they at least try and stop them there, they get the ball back with plenty of time to try to get more points before the half and double up. I asked on twitter why the Packers would just concede a short yardage first down here and naturally, some knucklehead responded that it was because the Vikings were in two minute offense and it's not so easy to sub then. Well, I had to inform the poor soul (who naturally was not heard from again) that the Vikings actually ran 30 seconds off the clock before running that play, so um, plenty of time to sub. Therefore, I have to assume it was what Hafley decided to do and I'm just curious why. Filed Under: FeaturedJersey Al Bracco   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ "Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of various hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He's a lifetime Packers fan living in the land of the Giants (and Jets). Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.  __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersNew York GiantsTags: packersGiantsplaysvideo3 playsfilmCoaches Film Like 0 points

ALT: a gray alien with big eyes is sitting in a chair with holes in it

It was a run-of-the-mill week in the North. The Vikings were embarrassing. The Bears got a lucky last-minute one-score win. And the Lions took the Giants to OT. Wait, the Giants are bad? Hmm. Vikings The Packers handled the Vikings, 23-6.  Game Notes * Let's start with the Vikings' take-down. We've been talking since the off-season about the monumental decision the team made to drop Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones and go with second-year QB JJ McCarthy. At the beginning of the off-season, it seemed like it could work out. After all, McCarthy was a first-round pick, and Darnold fell apart at the end of the season, and Daniel Jones had never been good. Turns out it was, quite possibly, the worst ever QB decision in the NFL. Darnold and Jones are both playing better than they ever have, and McCarthy is the clear worst QB in the league. I know we talk about this every week, but it's insane how badly this is going for the Vikings.   * We need a second bullet point to get this all out. McCarthy was 12/19 for 87 yards and two picks today. Horrific on every level. Once the Packers went up two scores, the Vikings couldn't do anything on offense. McCarthy had negative yards in the second half and the two interceptions. So, what's next? Fortunately (for us), it's going to have to be patience. Currently, the Vikings are $24 million over the cap for 2026. That means they need to shed $24mm just to get to $0 and sign their draft picks. Part of that will be their 2025 space, which is at around $16mm now and will carry over. They can also save $14mm by cutting right tackle Brian O'Neill, who will be on the last year of his deal and got toasted today.  After O'Neill, the next 14 (14!) players by salary cap number would be a net reduction on the cap if cut before June 1.  * Let's go to a third bullet point. There's certainly no money for a new QB and you can't use another top draft pick on one two years later in a bad draft. That means they probably go with McCarthy next year and either have to commit to O'Neill, who is fine but not great, on another $20mm+ per year deal to get his cap number down, or cut O'Neill and hope they find a good tackle to protect their bad QB. It's a rough situation. Last year, the Vikings were one of the top 3 teams in the NFC, no doubt. If Darnold hadn't fallen apart, they could've gone to the Super Bowl. Now it looks like the best plan for their organization is basically to piss away the 2026 season and hope they can a good QB in the 2027 draft. Will Kevin O'Connell, once thought of as the best young offensive-minded head coach in the league, survive? Will Justin jefferson demand a tarde? You have to think Brian Flores will be out after this season.  * Speaking of first-round picks, Dallas Turner had a clean-up sack and it reminded me of how O'Connell said he was the best pass rusher in the draft last year, and then he got no snaps last season. Honestly, I forgot he existed, so I wanted to check in on his progress. He has a 61.3 PFF grade, good for 71st among edge rushers and he has three sacks on the season, good for 47th. The Vikings traded up for McCarthy and Turner. They spent what Bill Barnwell calculated as the first overall pick in value for Turner and traded up into the top ten for McCarthy. They hit home runs with Justin Jefferson and Kevin O'Connell and then ruined it with one draft.  * Anyway, back to the game. Blake Cashman had 16 tackles because Emannuel Wilson kept getting to the second level. They did have five TFLs as a team, but I think basically all of those can be credited to a Packers missed block or Brian Flores. Justin Jefferson had 4 catches for 48 yards and Jordan Addison had no catches.    Vikings: “JJ we need you to stop throwing interceptions” JJ McCarthy: pic.twitter.com/G9CODonqqE — GhettoGronk (@GhettoGronk) November 23, 2025 Bears The Bears outlasted the Steelers (without Aaron Rodgers), 31-28. Game Notes * How do the Bears keep doing this??? Caleb Williams was 19/35 for 239 yards. Not extremely exciting, but he had three touchdowns and 21 yards on the ground to go with squirreling out of several sacks. He's definitely doing enough right now.  * It was an interesting day on the ground for the Bears against the stout Steelers defense. This time, D'Andre Slow was the back to average under two yards per carry and Monangai had 12 carries for 48 yards. Altogther, they were held under 100 yards (and remember 21 of those yards came from the QB) for just the second time since week 4.  * Not the best showing by the defense, which was facing journeyman Mason Rudolph. Rudolph had 171 yards and one each touchdown and interception, and the Steelers accumulated 186 rushing yards on 36 carries. Have to think they win this with Rodgers at QB. To be fair, the Bears were playing with several players out on the defense.    Caleb Williams during Bears 4-game win streak: 932 passing yards 163 rushing yards 8 total TDs 0 interceptions pic.twitter.com/l03cz7I1tq — Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 23, 2025 Lions The Lions survived the Giants, 34-27 in overtime.  Game Notes * The Loons withstood the might of the new-coach Giants thanks to a career game from Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs had 219 yards on the ground and another 45 through the air. Fellow supertar the Sun God, who we questioned last week, was back in the groove with a 149-yard performance. Altogether, Gibbs and the Sun God combined for 413 of the Lions' 494 yards. The Lions' performance was the catalyst for the Ginats to fire their DC after the game.  * 494 yards is a lot of yards, notwithstanding the extra quarter that the team played, but it was 23 yards short of the 517 that the Giants amassed. The Giants moved the ball mostly through the air, with Jameis throwing for 366 yards and catching a 33-yard TD. To be fair to the Lions, it's hard to defend a QB who is willing to throw up 50/50 balls on basically every play. We saw it just last week. And the Lions did come down with one fo those 50/50 balls. We can only hope that watching this film will tempt LaFleur into being aggressive on Thanksgiving.  * Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary's combined 109 yards on 34 carries didn't come close to the efficiency that Gibbs had. They should've just thrown the ball more.  I could watch this 1000000 times and not get sick of it pic.twitter.com/y5MH1sxeN0 — Honolulu Blues (@HonoluluBlues_) November 23, 2025 Filed Under: Packers NewsFeaturedGreen Bay PackersMike PriceAround the NFC North   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved from Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice. __________________________ NFL Categories: Chicago BearsDetroit LionsGreen Bay PackersMinnesota VikingsNFC North Like 0 points

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Filed Under: Aaron Nagler#PackersDailyPacker Fan Podcasts   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ NFL Categories: Minnesota VikingsTags: Green Bay PackersPackers Daily Like 0 points

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The Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) were able to earn their second divisional win yesterday after beating the Minnesota Vikings (4-7) by a score of 23-6. The Packers didn’t do anything super impressive, but they dominated the time of possession, limited self-inflicted mistakes, and kept the Vikings’ offense in unfavorable situations. Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy was terrible all day. The Vikings are trending downwards, and fast. It was one of the Packers' more convincing wins of the season against a team that has been sputtering for weeks. The rest of the NFC North is strong. After yesterday’s games, the Packers are still sitting in second place in the NFC North. The Chicago Bears (8-3) currently hold first place, while the Detroit Lions (7-4) occupy third place. Both won hard-fought games this weekend. The Bears were able to beat a Pittsburgh Steelers team that was without quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is 24-5 all-time against the Bears in his career, so his absence from the game was a huge break for the Bears. They still needed all 60:00 minutes to beat a Mason Rudolph-led Steelers offense. The Lions also won, but needed overtime to beat Jameis Winston and the New York Giants. The Giants were ahead for most of the game, but when all was said and done, it was Detroit that came away victorious. The battle for the NFC North is shaping up to be a battle of three teams: the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears. All three teams have six games remaining, and the road ahead for all three teams is difficult, to say the least. The Packers are still in a great position to go and win it, and it starts this Thursday against Detroit. "We know that we have a tough stretch,” said Xavier McKinney. “These last however many games that we have, the majority of them are division games. So we know that we've got to be focused and locked in." Three-horse race in the North. Massive game for the Packers in Detroit on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/5rLNB7TY1C — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 24, 2025 What Lies Ahead For the Packers Green Bay Packers Remaining Schedule Week 13 @ Detroit Lions (7-4) Week 14 vs. Chicago Bears (8-3) Week 15 @ Denver Broncos (9-2) Week 16 @ Chicago Bears (8-3) Week 17 vs. Baltimore Ravens (6-5) Week 18 @ Minnesota Vikings (4-7) The Packers are in the midst of one of the most pivotal three-game stretches they’ll have all season, which includes three-straight divisional games, two coming at home. Overall, the final six games for the Packers are statistically the hardest in the league. The Packers have the toughest remaining strength of schedule (.636). All but one of the matchups are against teams with winning records. They have a combined winning percentage of .613 (34- 21). Luckily, Green Bay took care of business yesterday against a struggling Minnesota team. After going 1-5 in divisional games last season, the Packers have won their first two division games this season. Four of Green Bay’s final six games are divisional games. They face Chicago twice, Detroit once, and Minnesota once. To kick things off, the Packers will play on Thanksgiving for the third-straight season. The Packers have won their last two Thanksgiving Day games. The downside is that the game will come on a short week. Both the Packers and Lions will be playing on shortened rest, but that scheduling does give Green Bay a mini-bye before hosting Chicago in Week 14. Two of their remaining games come against AFC opponents - the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos currently possess the #1 seed in the AFC, and the Packers will have to face them in Denver. Traveling to Denver is never easy. In fact, the Packers are only 1-7 all-time in Denver. The lone victory came in overtime. Fortunately, the Packers will face the Ravens at home. Baltimore sputtered to start the season after losing Lamar Jackson for several weeks, but the team is back in playoff contention after winning five straight games. The Packers have fared pretty well against Baltimore over the years, holding a 5-2 advantage all-time. The Packers will play four of their last six games on the road, including three of their last four games. On a positive note, there isn’t a ton of travel involved. Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota are all very short trips. The only substantial trip is to Denver. Other than that, the Packers won’t have to spend much time on a plane. That said, none of the final four games will be easy. Denver, Chicago, and Baltimore will all be fighting for division titles or a better playoff seed. Minnesota could be out of the playoff picture by Week 18, but they would always love to play spoiler to a division rival. The @packers really hit the Skol chant celebration after picking off McCarthy again 💀 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/cjTvR3cydJ — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 23, 2025 The Lions' Final Stretch Detroit Lions Remaining Schedule Week 13 vs. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) Week 14 vs. Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1) Week 15 @ Los Angeles Rams (9-2) Week 16 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) Week 17 @ Minnesota Vikings (4-7) Week 18 @ Chicago Bears (8-3) The Lions' remaining strength of schedule (.600) is the fourth-toughest in the NFL. In addition to being difficult, their rest-of-season schedule is unique. They play three of their final six games on Thursdays. There’s a chance they only have two Sunday games remaining. The Lions will kick off this final stretch of games on a short week by hosting the Packers on Thanksgiving Day. Detroit has only won one of its last eight Thanksgiving Day games. This matchup with Green Bay could end up being Detroit’s final noon game of the season. Detroit will then play the Cowboys the following Thursday. Statistically, the Lions have arguably the easiest final six games. Of their remaining opponents, the Packers, Rams, Steelers, and Bears all possess winning records, but the Cowboys or Vikings do not. Detroit also has three divisional games remaining; two of them coming on the road. Similar to Green Bay, Detroit will finish the season by playing three of its last four games on the road. They have a longer trip to Los Angeles, but the other two games are in the same region, so it shouldn't be as daunting. Detroit might not be having the season many were expecting, but they are still one of the strongest teams in the NFC. They have an explosive offense capable of scoring a lot of points quickly. Detroit’s offense put up almost 500 yards of offense on Sunday against New York, 264 coming from Jahmyr Gibbs. They have one of the best point differentials in the league (+76). They also have a strong defense, although they gave up over 500 yards to the Giants. Regardless, they still rank top ten in total defense, sacks, and third-down defense. Detroit’s final six games might not be a cakewalk, but they are certainly capable of winning all of their remaining games, allowing Green Bay no room for error. Can the Bears Hold On? Chicago Bears Remaining Schedule Week 13 @ Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) Week 14 @ Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) Week 15 vs. Cleveland Browns (3-8) Week 16 vs. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) Week 17 @ San Francisco 49ers (7-4) Week 18 vs. Detroit Lions (7-4) Chicago’s final six games won’t be easy either. Cleveland is the only remaining opponent without a winning record, and Chicago faces them at home. All of their other matchups are against teams squarely in the playoff picture. Their remaining strength of schedule (.606) is the third-toughest. The final stretch kicks off by traveling to Philadelphia on a short week to face an angry Eagles team, which will be an extremely tough game for Ben Johnson and company. Following that matchup, Chicago will face Green Bay in two of their next three games, giving both teams an excellent opportunity to take hold of the division lead. Unlike Green Bay and Detroit, Chicago will play three of their last four games at home. Their one trip during that final stretch is a trip out west to face the 49ers, a place the Bears haven’t had much success over the years. Since 1980, the Bears' record in San Francisco is just 3-11. The other three opponents (Cleveland, Green Bay, and Detroit) all have really strong defenses, which will be a difficult test for Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense, regardless of where the game is located. Chicago has an excellent opportunity ahead. They’re currently in first place and in the driver’s seat. They have a new head coach, a promising quarterback, and talented players up and down the roster. Despite their success, the Bears were widely viewed as one of the more fraudulent teams competing for a playoff spot. They have one of the top offenses in the NFL, but they have a negative point differential (-3), and the defense is forcing turnovers at an unsustainable rate (22 turnovers in 11 games). The Bears have the weakest strength of schedule in all of the NFC (.365), and the second weakest in the NFL. Their stretch of victory (.304) is one of the weakest scores in the league, too. In fact, Chicago’s win over Pittsburgh yesterday was its only win against a team with a winning record. What the Bears have accomplished thus far is impressive, but the final six games will say a lot about this team. Green Bay has allowed fewer than 20 points in all six home games this season, the first time that's happened since 1969. pic.twitter.com/lAyr8nVLx0 — Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) November 24, 2025 The North Is There For Green Bay to Take The Packers control their own destiny. With two games remaining against Chicago and one against the Lions, they have an excellent opportunity ahead to take control of the division lead. It won’t be easy, but nothing in the NFL is easy. The Packers have an elite defense that will keep them in every game. They also have an offense capable of putting up a lot of points if they can stay out of their own way. But will they take advantage? That remains to be seen. Green Bay might have a prime opportunity ahead of them, but so do the Bears and the Lions. The division is truly there for anyone to take. All three teams will want to win the division. A division title means a top-four seed in the playoffs and at least one home playoff game. Whoever wins the division is probably going to need to get to 11 or 12 wins, which means they will have to win at least four of their final six games. That’ll be easier said than done. Brett Favre won the NFC North division title seven times. Aaron Rodgers won it eight times. Jordan Love still hasn’t won a division title. The last time the Packers won the NFC North was during the 2021 season. It’s time for that to change. “Obviously, the divisional games are absolutely critical,” Matt LaFleur said last week. “And you talk about this three-game stretch, but really, all that matters is this one game for us right now. We just have to focus on what’s right in front of us.” PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Carter Semb is a lifelong Packer fan, shareholder, and season ticket holder. He is a contributor for Cheesehead TV and Packers Talk. For commentary surrounding Wisconsin sports, he can be found on X at @cmsemb. __________________________ Like 0 points

Packers play a clean game This Packers team has got in its own way plenty this season in a myriad of different ways, but Sunday was the kind of mistake free game fans wanted to see, in all three phases. Jeff Hafley’s defense will deservedly take the plaudits for dominating the game, but Green Bay’s offense was clean and crucially, took care of the football. It was tough going at times against a stout Minnesota defense, but they scored a touchdown on the opening drive to give the Packers an early lead which they would never relinquish, and effectively bled the clock out late in the game. Special teams got in on the act with one of their better showings in recent memory. Brandon McManus looked back to normal, making all three of his field goal attempts, while Daniel Whelan and Zayne Anderson combined to provide a game-altering turnover in Green Bay’s favor. The Packers were only flagged twice the entire day, and the lack of laundry was emblematic of a crisp overall performance, which made for a comfortable afternoon. Emanuel Wilson gives Packers run game some juice Green Bay’s rushing attack did not skip a beat with Josh Jacobs on the sideline, as in his first NFL start, Wilson went over 100 yards for the first time in his career and scored a pair of touchdowns. Wilson ground out the hard yards and also showed some finesse to make defenders miss, forcing six missed tackles on the day. He is a more than capable second fiddle, and justified LaFleur’s decision to hold Jacobs out, as in a compromised state he may not have been able to perform to the level Wilson did. Christian Watson taking on a bigger role? Watson was targeted seven times on Sunday, the most since week nine of last year against Detroit, and caught five passes, his highest tally since week 13 of 2023 versus Kansas City. Meanwhile, Romeo Doubs was only targeted twice on the day, his lowest number of targets since the Cleveland game back in week three, and well below his previous average of over six per game. Jordan Love has looked Watson’s way on money downs plenty since the receiver returned to the lineup, and he has consistently repaid that faith. Is Sunday’s shift a sign of things to come? Or simply a decision based on the matchup against Minnesota? Anthony Belton gets his shot Rookie 2nd round pick Belton got his first real chance to show what he can do in anything other than injury relief versus the Vikings, rotating with Jordan Morgan to start the game at right guard, before taking over outright from there. Belton played 45 snaps to Morgan’s 21, and Matt LaFleur praised Belton’s playstyle after the game. He said of Belton: “He’s a mauler. I love the way he plays the game. He’s done a great job”. It will be interesting to see how the competition at right guard continues in the coming weeks, with Green Bay still looking to nail down who their starter is at that spot. Run defense shows some cracks without Quay Walker Walker missed Sunday’s game with a stinger, and his absence was felt in the middle of the defense, specifically in run defense. The Packers allowed 4.7 yards per carry on Sunday, up from their previous season average of 3.8, with Jordan Mason also breaking off an explosive run of 22 yards, which came on the only drive the Vikings got into the red zone. Fortunately, Green Bay’s defense stepped up from there, stuffing two attempts to get one yard and giving the ball back to the offense, and Walker’s replacement Isaiah McDuffie had a strong individual day, making four run stops and notching his first career interception. But if Walker, who usually wears the communication helmet for the defense, were to miss a game in the playoffs against a strong run team, it could pose problems for the Packers, and some of that was highlighted on Sunday. Filed Under: FeaturedGreen Bay PackersMark Oldacres   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersMinnesota VikingsTags: Packers newsPackers VikingsEmanuel WilsonChristian WatsonAnthony Belton Like 0 points

Filed Under: Aaron NaglerPacker Fan Podcasts   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ NFL Categories: Minnesota VikingsTags: Green Bay PackersCheesehead TV Good Bad and Ugly Like 0 points

The Green Bay Packers imposed their will on the Minnesota Vikings Sunday for a 23-6 victory at Lambeau Field. The Pack outscored the Vikes 13-0 in the second half behind a steady ground game and fierce pass rush while Special Teams complemented both sides of the ball. “All three phases contributed to the win,” coach Matt LaFleur said via packers.com. “I thought it was a dominant defensive performance which allowed us to play the way we played. Then you can’t discount how critical of a role special teams played in this.”  The Packer offense did enough to earn a 17-6 lead early in the second half. The two-score deficit forced Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell to open up his playbook more for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In passing situations, the Packers pass rush preyed on the first-year starter from Michigan.  McCarthy threw two interceptions and took four sacks in the second half alone. As a team, Minnesota netted -1 yard of offense in the final 30 minutes on 15 plays. The Vikings never moved the ball past their own 36-yard line and McCarthy threw for a paltry 87 yards on 12-of-19 passing for the day.  “It was the first time in a while where I thought our guys could pin their ears back and go,” LaFleur said. “It just goes to show the importance of getting a lead and putting a team in situations where they feel like they have to throw the football.”  Micah Parsons set the tone on the defense’s first snap in the second half when he beat left tackle Christian Darisaw inside for a sack. Parsons added his 10th sack of the season on the next series, and immediately followed that play with possibly his most impressive pressure of the year.  Parson’s second-down sack forced Minnesota to snap the ball with a third-and-17 from its own seven. As he often does on third and long, Parsons aligned standing up behind a nose tackle to get a running start at the interior offensive linemen. Veteran center Ryan Kelly – who has over a 50-pound advantage – braced for the charging ‘backer. Parsons knocked Kelly straight back to his butt, creating havoc in the pocket. Devonte Wyatt cleaned up the mess for the team’s second sack in as many plays.  The Vikings had to throw more due to the game script, and it was the Green Bay punt coverage unit that forced Minnesota’s hand. The Packer offense squandered its opening second-half drive and opportunity to go up two scores. Daniel Whelan placed a 42-yard punt to the Viking eight with a 10-6 lead. The Minnesota return man let the ball bounce behind him and stepped up to block gunner Zayne Anderson. Anderson alertly shoved the blocker into the bouncing ball creating contact with the Viking player, and then jumped on it for the recovery. Two plays later, Emmanuel Wilson ran in for the score, 17-6.  “That changed the entire game; I can’t say enough about that play,” LaFleur said. “It was a great punt, first of all by Daniel. And then Zayne Anderson, his ability to drive his man into the football and somehow come up with it – I thought that was the play of the game.”  While the defense tormented McCarthy in the second half, the offense turned to Wilson and Brandon McManus. After the 17-6 lead, the Packers ran the ball 20 times on 29 plays. They twice settled for short McManus field goals, who was a perfect 5-of-5 kicking (three field goals, two PATs) after dealing with a quad injury. On the fourth drive, LaFleur called seven run plays on seven snaps leading to a McManus chip shot.  “I’ve never called the same run so many times, consecutively,” LaFleur said. “It was like three yards and a cloud of dust, but it was effective. I thought with the way our defense was playing, we took the air out of the ball and said ‘go win it for us.’”  Wilson proved to be a throwback workhorse in his first start for an injured Josh Jacobs. He toted the rock 28 times for 107 yards and two scores. Chris Brooks added 21 yards on eight carries.  Green Bay’s defense didn’t have the same pass-rush opportunities in the first half. O’Connell sheltered his struggling quarterback with the run game, much in the same manner the Giants, Panthers, and others have previously accomplished against the Packers this year.  “We had three possessions in the first half,” LaFleur lamented. “It was like a lot of games this year where possessions are at a premium. We had long drives on all of them, unfortunately we had 10 points.”  Minnesota opened the game with a seven-play drive resulting in a 52-yard field goal. Green Bay countered on its opening drive by going 70 yards in seven plays for a Wilson touchdown, 7-3. Jordan Love was a perfect 3-of-3 passing on the drive and teamed with Luke Musgrave for a 24-yard defensive pass interference penalty.  After the teams traded punts, the Vikings drove inside the red zone. On third-and-1, Minnesota used tight end T.J. Hockenson under center for a sneak. However, Nazir Stackhouse led the charge in blowing up the attempt for no gain. The Vikings tried a traditional handoff to running back Jordan Mason on fourth down, but Kingsley Enegbare cleanly beat the right guard with a swim move for the stop.  The teams then traded field goals for the 10-6 halftime score.  Isaiah McDuffie – getting starter minutes for an injured Quay Walker – led the team in tackles with nine, and gathered McCarthy’s first interception. Rashan Gary appeared to hit the ball or McCarthy’s arm as he attempted the throw. Gary earned a sack and was credited with two quarterback hits.  Evan Williams caught the other pick thanks to a bad overthrow. It was Williams’ second interception in as many games.  Jordan Love finished 14-of-21 passing for 139 yards. Both Love and LaFleur didn’t seem to have concern about the quarterback’s left shoulder injury and didn’t attribute the game plan to it. Love was also handing the ball off with his right hand, even when the ball carrier was to his right.  Christian Watson led the team in targets (7), receptions (5), and yards (49).  Other Notes * The offense started the game with a right guard rotation, again, consisting of Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton. However, only Belton played in the second half. LaFleur praised his play style as a “mauler.”  * Kesian Nixon left the game in the first half with a stinger when he ran into Wyatt on the sideline. Kamal Hadden played the rest of the way in his place * The Packers have a short turnaround with a Thanksgiving Day match up at Detroit. The Lions (7-4) played an extra 10 minutes of football, beating the Giants in overtime.  * The Bears (8-3) also won, keeping Green Bay (7-3-1) second place in the division.  * The Vikings (4-7) are now four games back Filed Under: Packers NewsFeaturedJocelyn Hopkinson PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Jocelyn Hopkinson is a contributor for CheeseheadTV and can be found on Twitter at Jh0p_4 __________________________   NFL Categories: Minnesota VikingsNFC NorthTags: VikingsSpecial TeamsEmanuel Wilson Like 0 points

Filed Under: FeaturedAaron NaglerPacker Fan Podcasts   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ NFL Categories: Minnesota VikingsTags: Green Bay PackersGut Reactions Like 0 points

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Filed Under: FeaturedAaron NaglerPacker Fan Podcasts   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ NFL Categories: Minnesota VikingsTags: Green Bay PackersCHTV Watch Party Like 0 points

The Green Bay Packers are back at home today for what is just their second divisional game of the 2025 season, taking on the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field at 12 PM CST. It's strange to say in late November that this is only the second divisional matchup the Packers have had, but it's the reality that the schedule makers have bestowed upon us. Last week, the 6-3-1 Packers were victorious over the New York Giants in what ended up being a more competitive game than anticipated. The 4-6 Vikings are coming off a 19-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, where they nearly came away with a win, if not for a final-second field goal propelling the Bears to victory. The Packers are looking to start a winning streak, and the Vikings are hoping to keep their season alive.   The last time these two teams met was December 29, 2024, in Minnesota, when the Vikings were victorious with a final score of 27-25. The Packers' offense was fairly limited in the first half, only putting up three points to Minnesota's 13. A second-half surge with three touchdowns was an improvement, but with the Vikings putting up two more touchdowns themselves in the 3rd quarter, the deficit was just too much to overcome.  Last week, many called the matchup against the Giants a "get right" game for the Packers. That may have been the case in a way, coming off two straight losses at home, the Packers sorely needed a good win to get back on track. The problem is, no matter what the opposing team's record says, they're not going just to be your "practice game." They're going to go out there and make you earn the victory. The Giants seemed to take advantage of Green Bay's offensive line issues, making it difficult for anything to run consistently on that side of the ball. The defense also struggled, giving up a decent game to the Giants' running backs, which is very uncharacteristic of that squad so far in 2025. A few sloppy drops by receivers didn't help either, but the Packers will be looking to bounce back.  In the first of five divisional games to wind out the final seven games of the season, the Packers are looking to start strong.  What to See on Offense Minnesota loves to blitz the QB. So far this season, they've blitzed on around half of all passing plays they've faced. The Packers' offensive line is going to need to be at its best today to pick up those blitzes and prevent them from being a problem. Last week, the Packers faced a Giants front that hadn't gotten to the QB often, but they had the talent t,o and I was talking about ensuring they didn't find their stride against us. They did a good job of doing so. Minnesota is tied for 11th in the league when it comes to sack totals, with DT Jalen Redmond leading the way with four.  That's not a large sack total for the team leader, but that's what happens when 12 other players are on the stat sheet with at least a half sack. Anyone can get home. The Vikings don't have All-Pro pass rushers, but they can still give you trouble if you don't take them seriously.  If we can contain the pass rush, Minnesota's secondary can be exploited by our receivers.  When it comes to takeaways, Minnesota's secondary is even ranked behind the Packers'. However, Minnesota does hold the seventh-fewest passing yards per game in the NFL. Packers receivers have been rather hit or miss lately, but Christian Watson certainly found his stride last week, getting in the endzone twice against the Giants' secondary. Jayden Reed started his 21-day window for coming back from IR on Friday. Don't expect him today, as he is listed as OUT for today's game, but possibly in a few days, on Thanksgiving. Matthew Golden and Savion Williams may play a larger role today, being further removed from injury, but the biggest test will be seeing who holds on to the football. The Packers' receivers were plagued by drops last week, reminding everyone of the 2024 season. Hopefully, today we can put those drops behind us.  Will Josh Jacobs play? If you ask him, he'd probably say he'll be out there today. But the medical staff may have other ideas. He's considered a true game-time decision. Just in case, the Packers have elevated Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad. The Vikings currently rank 22nd in the NFL with 122 rushing yards per game. If Josh Jacobs is a go today without being hindered by a snap count, the rushing attack could have a relatively decent day. Now that's not to say that if Josh Jacobs is out, the rushing attack is null and void. Emanuel Wilson has been a formidable runner in relief of Jacobs, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt on 53 carries.  Wilson isn't Jacobs, but I'd be intrigued to see what he can do in a starting role. If Jacobs can't go, could we see Wilson have a breakout game? It'll be interesting to see if Chris Brooks plays more of an RB2 role or if Pierre Strong takes that role. We haven't seen much of Brooks this season other than as a blocker or receiving target. It will be intriguing to see how he is used today, if needed as RB2.  What to See on Defense This was supposed to be the year that the Vikings showed off their new franchise quarterback returning from injury in his rookie season, and set the league ablaze. Well, JJ McCarthy has only played in five games this season, and in those five games, he hasn't exactly been stellar. He's turned the ball over eight times in those five games with a QB rating of 61.7. He's also been sacked 15 times, which is just one less than Jordan Love in twice as many games played. This is a product of McCarthy having a tendency to hold on to the ball for too long. You'd better believe that the Packers' pass rushers, Parsons, Gary, and Wyatt, are going to be dialed in to make him pay if he keeps up those mistakes this week. This week marks another chance for Lukas Van Ness to return from injury, and he, too, can factor into that pass rush.  If McCarthy can get the ball out of his hands, he has some stellar targets in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, and TJ Hockenson. McCarthy's chemistry with Jefferson has yet to be unlocked, and today is not the day for it to happen. The Packers' secondary showed a bit of improvement last week, and they're going to need to keep it up this week in the event the pass rush doesn't get home quickly. If McCarthy does get the ball out, they need to be ready for any mistakes made. The Packers dropped four INT chances last week against Jameis Winston. McCarthy tends to turn the ball over as well, so they need to take advantage of it this time. Against the Panthers and Giants, the Packers' opponents have done what they can on the ground to keep the Green Bay offense off the field as well as keep the pass rushers honest. Minnesota may try something similar this week, running the football with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. With Jones missing four games this season, Mason has been the lead back with 489 yards on 108 carries with five TDs, but Jones isn't far behind with 256 on 52 carries and a touchdown. The Packers' run defense has done well this season, but has had a few questionable games as of late. Heading into the colder months of the season, now is not the time for the run defense to slow down.  Quay Walker is doubtful for today's game, and the Packers did elevate LB Jamon Johnson from the practice squad, so it's a good bet Walker will be OUT today. Isaiah McDuffie will likely fill Walker's role on defense, with Johnson mainly taking over McDuffie's special teams duties.  Minnesota will likely run the ball as much as they can and get the ball out of McCarthy's hands quickly when passing. The Packers have seen this often already this season and will need to find a way to halt Minnesota's offense quickly or force turnovers.   Extra Notes I don't want to talk about kickers this week; you can't make me. Okay, fine, I guess it's kind of my job here. Brandon McManus was inactive last week again after apparently re-aggravating his quad, so Lucas Havrisik took over as everyone wanted. But then Havrisik missed two extra points that can be partially blamed on wind and a poor snap/hold. We just can't have nice things. McManus was back as a full participant this week at practice, so he should be a go today. I'm going to be honest and say that at this point, I don't even care if a 76-year-old Chester Marcol runs onto the field to kick this week, just make the darn kicks.  Minnesota's Will Reichard has only missed two field goals this season (must be nice), and their punter, Ryan Wright, is 10th in the league with a 48.1 average to Green Bay's Daniel Whelan, who ranks second with 50.8.  Myles Price is Minnesota's main kick returner, averaging 25.9 yards on 38 attempts with a long of 61 on kickoffs and a 10.7-yard average on punts with a long of 43. Green Bay hasn't been gashed too badly on returns this season, outside of a few penalties extending field position, so hopefully this should not be an issue today if they stay disciplined.  On the other side, last week Minnesota gave up a 56-yard kickoff return to Chicago's Devin Duvernay, which set up a walk-off field goal. Duvernay has had a lower return average than the Packers' Savion Williams so far this season, so even though Williams hasn't looked that terribly explosive in the return game, Minnesota could be prone to another big return.  In the End Today marks the beginning of a huge three-game stretch on the Packers' schedule. With as close as the NFC North is currently, these three games could make or break the season. It's very important that we get off to a good start with home-field advantage today.  In just four days, we're back at it for some Thanksgiving football in Detroit. Let's head into it on a positive note. Go Pack Go.    Filed Under: FeaturedGreen Bay PackersGreg MeinholzPreview and PredictionGameDay PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersMinnesota VikingsNFCNFC NorthTags: Green Bay PackersJordan LoveJosh JacobsEmanuel WilsonPackers defense Like 0 points

Jayden Reed practiced today for the first time since Week 2. Jayden Reed’s 21-day practice window has officially opened. It’s his first practice since Week 2. Josh Jacobs is also practicing.#Packers DNPs: Quay Walker, Nate Hobbs, Savion Williams and Karl Brooks. pic.twitter.com/fWROVhiQMo — Dominique Yates (@RealDYates) November 21, 2025 The team has 21 days to activate Reed. With two games in one week coming up, the best guess is the team will wait until after the Lions game. There's even a chance they don't activate him until after the Bears game, with the deadline to do so sitting on the Thursday prior to the Broncos game. Reed has led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards each of the past two years and looked to be on his way to another productive season prior to breaking his collarbone against the Commanders in Week 2.  Filed Under: Packers News   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Tags: Green Bay Packersjayden reed Like 0 points

We’ve all endured the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands over opportunities missed, dropped passes, wasted red zone trips and would-be interceptions. Now, things are about to really get serious. There are seven games left to be played in the Packers’ season, and five of those are NFC North Division games. Included in that are three of those division games in a row, starting Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern (noon Lambeau time) against the Minnesota Vikings. Shuffled in there are Week 15 and Week 17 non-division games against the surging Denver Broncos and the always-dangerous Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens, respectively. One might call it a gauntlet. So, buckle up. Moreover, the longtime doormats Chicago Bears are heading into this stretch at 7-3 and looking like a real challenge, even if their wins have often been fluky. They are no longer the pushovers of the past. The Packers have questions to be answered sooner rather than later, and there’s no more time for anticipation. The roller coaster is about to climb the final hill of the ride. Fortunately for Packers fans, it appears that Jayden Reed may finally return from his shoulder injury soon, returning to the lineup a big weapon for the offense. And it’s been good to see that apparently running back Josh Jacobs’ knee injury is little more than a bad bruise. If the 2025 version of Jordan Love’s annual Toyotathon surge is taking off – it sure started to look that way on Sunday, never mind all the dropped passes – the Pack might be in a good spot to make a run. (Don’t talk to me about Tucker Kraft – I’m still in mourning.) So, it all starts Sunday. J.J. McCarthy, Justin Jefferson and company come to town off a two-game losing streak to the Bears and Ravens, having previously beaten the much-revered (but beatable) Detroit Lions. This is a game the Packers should win. The following Sunday, the Packers travel to Detroit to take on those Lions, which they defeated in fine fashion in Week 1, 27-13. But those were different times, and that was a different Packers team. That’s back when the narrative began to bubble that Green Bay might be fielding a powerhouse this season, fresh off the signing of Micah Parsons and with a healthy squad that had auspicious offensive line depth (or so we thought). Then we kick off a three-game stretch wherein the Packers play the Bears twice. Thanks for that, NFL schedule makers. In years past, Packers fans might have gone ahead and checked off a couple of wins. That no longer seems to be the case. (And doesn’t it feel strange that Chicago sits in first place in the division? Life is weird.) And following the two non-division matchups, we wrap up the season in the bane of birds, U.S. Bank Stadium, against the rival Vikings. The Packers are currently 6-3-1. This final game could very well be Green Bay’s last shot to secure a playoff spot. Or, the team could be looking to lock up a top seed.  Or, and I hate to put this into the universe, they could simply be playing out the string, having whiffed on the playoffs completely. It’s just that wide open at the moment. Such is life in the NFL, especially in a season when there seem to be no layups. (Heck, we all watched the Buffalo Bills wet their pants against the then 5-5 Houston Texans last night.) So I’ll say it again: Buckle up. Keep your hands inside the car at all times. It’s going to be a wild ride. Filed Under: FeaturedKevin Gibson   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Kevin Gibson is a professional writer and author based in Louisville, Ky. He's also a former sports writer who covered high school, college and professional sports, a Packers shareholder and a fan since 1975. Even John Hadl couldn't break him. Follow him on Twitter: @kgramone __________________________   NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Jordan LoveGreen Bay Packersjayden reedJosh Jacobs Like 0 points

The date was September 28, 1985.  I was working as the sports director/anchor for the NBC affiliate TV station in Birmingham, Alabama.  I had been assigned to cover one of the biggest college football games of the early season.  Auburn, which had just climbed to the number one spot in the wire service polls, was playing Tennessee in Knoxville.  Auburn was a powerhouse, featuring running back Bo Jackson, who would go on to rush for more than 1,700 yards that season and win the Heisman Trophy.       But it was evident early on this would not be Auburn’s day.  Tennessee came out and dominated the first half.  I recall that, at halftime, all of us in the press box were thinking surely Auburn would regroup during the intermission and get back into the game.  The second half was worse, as Tennessee rumbled its way to a blowout 38-20 victory that was not as close as the score indicated.       After the game, Auburn coach Pat Dye was asked why his team didn’t appear to make any adjustments in the second half.  Dye, in his deadpan, heavy southern drawl, responded “There are no adjustments you can make when the other team is just knocking you down and running over you.”       That quote has come to mind several times as I have watched the Green Bay Packers play their last three games.  The defense can’t seem to stop the run.  And it is largely because the Packers’ defensive front is getting knocked down and run over.   Rico Dowdle (130 yards rushing), the Philadelphia Eagles (111 yards rushing),  Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary (142 yards rushing) have enjoyed large gaps of daylight behind their physical offensive lines.  This is a problem, because the running success enables opponents to stay in short yardage on third and fourth down, which results in frequent conversions, which lead to long, clock-killing drives.  Shortening the game makes it extremely difficult for the Green Bay offense to get on the field often enough to get into a rhythm.       I’ve never been an NFL football coach, and you haven’t either, but you don’t have to be Vince Lombardi to recognize the Packers need to stop the run and get the defense off the field.  Simple, right?  Stop the run, force the opponent into third and long passes, then unleash your pass rush.  There.  Problem solved.       Believe it or not, this has probably also occurred to Jeff Hafley.  But you see, it’s one thing to say “stop the run”, and quite another to actually do it.  The Packers are struggling in this area because, as the late Coach Dye put it, Green Bay’s front seven is getting knocked down and run over.  It’s maddening to watch opposing running backs slash through the line for five or six yards every first down.  It always seems to be third and one, or two.  And since fourth down is no longer a punting down, opponents have two chances to convert, which they usually do.         In all the exuberance over the acquisition of Micah Parsons, maybe we undervalued the loss of Kenny Clark.  We seemed to regard him as little more than a throw-in to complete the trade with Dallas.  But Clark was perhaps the Packers’ best run stopper.  Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, Kingsley Enagbare, Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Rashan Gary, and yes, even Parsons, have not gotten the job done against the run.       So what is Hafley to do?  Put eleven in the box?  Bring the safeties up and trust these cornerbacks to cover one on one?  The reality is the Packers don’t really have adjustments to make.  The front seven is what it is.  Gilbert Brown is not walking through that door.  The current players are going to have to put on their big boy pants and start pushing these O-linemen backwards.  The question is, are they capable of doing it?       The Vikings come to town Sunday.  You can bet their game plan will be more of the same.  They will be looking to play keep away by sending Aaron Jones off tackle all day long.  To win, the Packers must stop him.  It’s time for our guys to be the ones to knock people down and run them over.  Filed Under: FeaturedGreen Bay PackersKen LassThe Lass Word   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder. __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay Packers Like 0 points