Breaking down the tape: Vikings @ Packers

[dead_poet]

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Brea ... kers010713

[PurpleHalo]

This tape should be burned, it was as depressing a game as the 2002 9/11 makeup game, where Spergeon Wynn started. I meant 2001 season, but was played Jan. 2002.

[dead_poet]

PFF Re-Focused:

Positives on D

As a unit the Vikings’ defense was unable to contain the Packers as much as they needed to in order to keep this game close, but there were a few players that stood out. Fred Evans (+5.9) was the one defensive lineman who made plays in the backfield and around the line of scrimmage. On just 25 snaps he graded more than twice as well as any other DT for Minnesota, and late in the game he was still trying as hard as anybody. With 5:47 to go in the game, and things pretty much done, Evans still tore through T.J. Lang on a run play and torpedoed the run 5-yards deep in the backfield. The other standout from the game was rookie safety Harrison Smith (+5.9), who saved his finest performance of the year for the playoffs, even if it was ultimately in vain. Smith excelled in both coverage and against the run in this game, breaking up a pass in man-coverage on TE Jermichael Finley, but also shooting up to make tackles in the run game when needed. Smith can feel hard done by to miss out on the Pro Bowl in his first season, but if he can have days like this, and iron out the poor games, the Vikings have found a very good player.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2 ... wild-card/