For once, the Green Bay Packers played complementary football in all three phases on Sunday afternoon. The offense, defense, and special teams all got into the act, powering the Packers to a dominant 23-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
The defense was arguably the most impressive unit on Sunday, however. The team has now allowed fewer than 20 points in each of the team’s six home games this season and has given up more than 23 points only twice all season. They now rank 5th in the NFL in points allowed per game and although their per-drive stats are a bit less impressive thanks to the team’s slow pace, they still rank 3rd in net yards per pass attempt and 7th in yards per carry allowed.
Offensively, the Packers moved the ball well on the ground against the Vikings, though it was a bit of an inconsistent performance. Emanuel Wilson had a number of solid runs over the course of the day, though there were a handful of times when he got stuffed in the backfield. Still, the offense scored its first opening drive touchdown since week 2, and it looked to be a little bit cleaner and more up-tempo in the early stage of the game than it has in a while.
And then there were the special teams, which delivered a turnover that seemed to effectively seal the game early in the second half. Daniel Whelan continues his push for a Pro Bowl spot, as he currently ranks 4th in the NFL in gross punting average and is on pace to shatter the team record.
In all, it was a largely stress-free Sunday afternoon for Packers fans, which was a nice change of pace from the team’s other recent games. That felt sorely needed with a tough game coming up against the Lions on Thanksgiving this Thursday.