That was... disappointing?

I really wanted to see Adrian run all over the Packers. That's what this football team is, or should I say was? The last two weeks we've seen AD locked in a box. He had no room up the middle. He couldn't gain the edge much either. I'm fine with Brett Favre being on the team. He's been a god-send when Peterson can't get going, but with all of Favre's success winning games with his arm, he's gaining more and more hype. He seems a natural leader, but he's still on his last legs. He's not a long-term solution, but the past two games have made the Vikings "his" team. If anyone wants that for these Vikings, I'd have to question their sanity.

The defense played fantastic tonight in big ways, both good and bad. They sacked Aaron Rodgers EIGHT times, they forced him into an interception and a fumble, both killing what looked like scoring drives. Yet Rodgers still had a 110.6 rating, throwing for 384 yards of offense. Jermichael Finley (a tight end, no wonder) could not or would not be tackled or covered by the Vikes D. Pack (ha!) on 82 yards of rushing (those draws really did a number), and you have a pretty horrendous day in terms of yard prevention. Of course, point prevention is what matters, so the turnovers, sacks, and clutch fourth and goal stop add up to a good defensive performance.

Aaron Rodgers' performance is the kind that you can really get excited about, if you're a Packer fan at least. He's young, and he shook off EIGHT SACKS and two early turnovers to keep the game close. He stayed collected, and his throws were accurate. And he's young. He's going to ensure the Packers offensive success a year for every time he was sacked tonight. Assuming the Packers ever build a good team around him. Maybe they'll do a trade for their former legend?

It's weird how negative one can be on such a great win, but the Vikes did almost everything they could to keep the game close, from their inability to get push from their offensive line, to their flashy but unproductive wildcat passing play and completely unnecessary bomb to Berrian, both of which stopped the clock. Luckily the Vikings have a power-forward like Sidney Rice to reach up to heaven and snatch any extra possessions and all hope from the Packers.

I'm worried about the Vikings D and running game, the supposed strengths of this team. Big plays are great, but they can't be consistently generated by even the best defenses. Consistently minimizing the offense's big plays and first downs are how defenses win championships. You don't face the Packers' offensive line every week, and Brett Favre won't throw three TDs every week. The defense and running game need to step it up.