The Green Bay Packers were dispatched by the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon, in the kind of loss that shines a light on the roster’s most glaring deficiencies.
While quarterback Jordan Love and the offense were held under wraps for the better part of three quarters in a 27-25 Week 17 loss to the Vikings, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur believes that there is a far more glaring weakness than spotting Minnesota a 17-point lead.
“You’ve got to pressure these guys,” LaFleur told reporters after Sunday afternoon’s game. “If they’re going to drop back this many times, if you don’t it’s going to be a long day.”
It certainly turned out to be a long day for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s secondary, as Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold passed for a career-high 377 yards with three touchdowns to one interception.
Hafley’s defense only managed one sack of Darnold and failed to generate much consistent pressure on the resurgent quarterback for vast swaths of Sunday’s game.
Staring down the barrel of a playoff path that includes some combination of the likes of Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, and Darnold, the Packers’ defense is going to need to be much more disruptive than the four quarterback hits it was able to register in Week 17.