Running back Josh Jacobs had a decent game, carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards and a touchdown (and making a little franchise history in the process). But the rest of the offense did not really start seeing success until late in the fourth quarter, when it was too late.
Indeed, an impressive touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Malik Heath and a touchdown run from Emanuel Wilson proved to be too little too late.
However, there was one blatantly bad call by the referees that may have affected the outcome of the game.
Green Bay Packers Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper Was Called Offsides on a Missed Field Goal Attempt
Green Bay’s offense frustratingly could not sustain a drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, and gave the Vikings the ball back. The score, at the time, was 10-3.
The Packers defense did enough to limit Minnesota’s offense in the closing minute, keeping them at the very edge of field goal range. With just seconds left in the half, Vikings kicker Will Reichard missed a 55-yard field goal. That should have been it.
But it wasn’t.
The referees called rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper for lining up offsides on the play. The flag moved Minnesota up five yards and allowed them to re-kick. Reichard did not miss again, drilling a 50-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 13-3 halftime lead.
However, as one can see from the image above, Cooper was not offsides. If anyone was offsides, it was Vikings lineman David Quessenberry.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Addressed the Penalty After the Game
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur met with the media after the game and, of course, he was asked about that call at the end of the first half.
Trying to be diplomatic, LaFleur simply said, “I was standing right down the line. I didn’t see it that way. But I’m not an official.”
Obviously, the poor call ended up being one of the things that did not go Green Bay’s way. That being said, the officials are nowhere close to being the reason the Packers lost the game.
That blame lies with them. They simply did not come ready to play. Hopefully they have better game plans when the NFL Playoffs start.
