When defense shines, so do the Packers

By JERRY TAPP

Here are some of the numbers that helped define the Packers 23-10 road win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, December 23.

• The Packers have held their opponents under 16 points in each of their last four games. They have held the opposition under 20 points in eight of their 15 games so far this season, compiling an 8-0 record in those contests.
• Green Bay has scored 20 or more points in 12 of their games this season. They are 11-1 in those games.
• The Packers were 13-6-2 against the Vikings this decade.
• Green Bay has now won three straight Monday night games in December. They are 7-4 all-time on Monday night in December.
• This was the 15^th game of the season. The Pack is 14-6 in the 15^th game of the season since 2000.
• That was only the third victory on the road versus an NFC North team in their last eight contests. They are 18-11 versus NFC North teams on the road since 2010.
• They saw their top three offensive weapons, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones and Davante Adams each commit a turnover in the game. It was only the second time this season the Packers had three or more turnovers in a game. Ironically, they won both games. Since Rodgers took over as QB in 2008, the Packers are now 5-17 in games where they have three or more turnovers in a game.
• The Vikings scored first in the game after an Aaron Jones fumble. Since 2000, the Packers are now 33-54 (.379) in road games when the opponents score first.
• Mason Crosby was three-for-three in field goal attempts in the game. He has now made 46-of-51 field goal attempts against the Vikes, a .902 percentage rate. The 46 made against Minnesota is the most versus any team in his career. He has made three or more field goals in a game 44 times in his career with the Packers. The team is 36-7-1 (.830) in those games.
• Aaron Rodgers had an interception in the game, only the third this season. It is the 64^th game in his career that he had an interception. Green Bay is 29-35 (.453) in games where Rodgers has one or more interceptions. It was only the fifth game in his career where he had at least one interception and did not have a TD pass in the same game. This was the first of those five games where the Packers won the game.
• Za-Darius Smith had 3.5 sacks in the game. That’s the most sacks by a Packers player in a game since Clay Matthews had 3.5 sacks in a September 13, 2012 game against the Bears. He became the eighth Packers player to have 3.5 or more sacks in a game since 1982. Green Bay is 7-1 since 1982 when they have a player accumulate 3.5 or more sacks in a game.
• Green Bay was behind 10-9 at halftime. The team is now 21-51 (.292) since 2000 in road games when they are behind at halftime.
• Kevin King made his fifth interception of the year, the sixth of his career. Green Bay has never lost when King makes an interception.
• Davante Adams had 13 receptions for 116 yards. The 13 catches tied his career high. It was his ninth career game with 10 or more receptions. That is the most in Packers history (since 1950). Donald Driver and Sterling Sharpe are tied for second with seven games with 10 or more catches. It was the third game in his career that Adams had 12 or more catches in a game; that is also a Packers record. Jordy Nelson, Ken Payne and Vince Workman are the only other Packers to have a regular season game with 12 or more catches since 1950.
• Aaron Jones scored a pair of rushing TDs in the game and now has 19 touchdowns for the season. That ties him with Jim Taylor (19 in 1962) for the most TDs in a season by a Packers player. Jones has one game to try to break the single-season record of TDs of 20 held by Ahman Green since 2003. There have been 24 NFL players who have scored 20 or more touchdowns in a single season. Jones would become the 25^th if he scores next week against the Lions.
• Green Bay had a 17-10 lead at the end of the third quarter. Green Bay has now won 10 straight road games when they have a lead of seven points or more. The Pack is 46-3 (.939) in road games since 2000 when they go into the fourth quarter with a lead of seven points or more.
• Kenny Clark had a sack for the third straight game.
• Aaron Jones became the 14^th Packers player to rush for 150 or more yards in a game. He carried the ball 23 times for 154 yards. Green Bay is 7-1 in games where Jones gets 90 or more rushing yards; they are 7-2 in games where Jones carries the ball 15 or more times in a game.
• The Packers defense allowed the Vikings to gain only 139 total yards. That is the lowest total by a Packers’ opponent since they held Tampa Bay to only 109 total yards in a game on December 21, 2014. The Pack has now won 11 straight games when they hold the opposition to under 150 total yards in a game.
• The Vikings had only seven first downs in the contest. Green Bay is 25-5-1 (.823) in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) in games where they hold the opponents to less than 10 first downs.
• Green Bay scored in every quarter in the game. The Packers are now 20-2-1 since the 2015 season when they score in every quarter of a game.
• The Packers have won each of their four games this month. They have a chance to go 5-0 in December for the first time in team history if they defeat the Lions on December 29.
• The Pack is 5-0 versus NFC North opponents this season. If they defeat the Lions next week, they will go 6-0 versus the NFC North for the first time since 2011.
• Aaron Rodgers had a Passer Rating of 68.3. When Rodgers has a Passer Rating under 70, the Packers are a dismal 4-11.
• Kirk Cousins had a Passer Rating of 58.8, the sixth lowest in his career in a game he started. His teams are 0-6 when he has a Passer Rating under 60. Even more remarkable is that when Cousins has a Passer Rating below 85 in his career, his teams are 1-26… yes, 1-26. Cousins had two games with a Passer Rating under 60 this season, both against the Packers.
• The Packers had 383 total yards to only 139 for the Vikings. It was the 13^th time in team history that they had over 350 total yards and held their opponents to under 150. They are 11-2 in those games.
• Green Bay had 37:32 time of possession to the Vikings 22:28. Green Bay is 42-5 (.894) in non-overtime games when they have 37 or more minutes TOP in a contest.