Big Ten: Packers-Vikings noteworthy numbers

There are 14 teams in the Big Ten, so there are 14 numbers in our weekly statistical look at the game.

0: Conversions on Green Bay’s final six third-down plays. “Again, a really quality opponent,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Got a lot of respect for Mike Zimmer and the players that they have on that roster, on that defensive side of the ball. What really hurt us was in the first half, we didn’t have as many third downs, and when we did, they were third-and-manageable. We were converting. In the second half, we were again third-and-long and they put us in some tough situations. We’ve got to do a better job of staying ahead of the sticks.”

2: Wins in as many tries for LaFleur. The last Packers coach to win his first two games? Vince Lombardi started 3-0 in 1959. Mike Holmgren started 0-2, Mike Sherman started 0-2 and Mike McCarthy started 0-2, as well.

6: Catches by Adam Thielen (five) and Stefon Diggs (one). They were one of two receiver tandems with 100-plus catches last season and averaged a combined 13.4 receptions. One of those Thielen catches on Sunday was an uncontested gain of 13 on the final play.

Video: My take on the game

7: Plays of 14-plus yards by the Packers. Six of those came in the first quarter.

8: Missed tackles by Green Bay’s defense in the fourth quarter after missing just three in the first three quarters, by our unofficial count.

10: First downs on Green Bay’s first three possessions, all of which ended in the end zone. Green Bay’s final 11 possessions also had 10 first downs. None of those drives ended with points and only two crossed into Vikings territory.

14: Green Bay’s undefeated home streak in September games. The Packers are 13-0-1, with the tie coming last year against Minnesota. The Packers will host Denver next Sunday and Philadelphia the following Thursday.

19: Points allowed by the Packers, the fewest given up in the first two games of a season since 2001, when they opened with a 28-6 win over Detroit and a 37-0 win over Washington. With 9.5 points allowed per game, Green Bay trails only New England’s 1.5.

52.9: Passer rating for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. That’s two consecutive games in which the Packers held the opposing passer to a rating of less than 65, with Chicago’s Mitchell Trubisky posting a mark of 62.1 last week. The Packers had held two passers to sub-65 ratings the past two seasons combined.

65: The penalty-yardage advantage for the Packers. Green Bay was guilty of six penalties for 35 yards compared to eight penalties for 100 yards against Minnesota.

116: Rushing yards by Aaron Jones, the fourth 100-yard game of his career and the fourth-best rushing output of his two-plus-year career. The Packers were only 3-4 when Jones topped 70 rushing yards. “We’re efficient,” Jones said. “Our goal is 4 yards per carry and I think we achieved that. It’s just a testament to how hard those guys work and a testament to Minnesota’s defense. They’re always in the right spot. You get to the second level, you make the linebacker miss and, boom, there’s a safety.”

154: Rushing yards by Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, the most against the Packers since Ezekiel Elliott’s 157 yards on Oct. 16, 2016. “We knew he was an explosive back, and you give him any kind of space, if one guy messes up, he’s going to see the crease, he’s going to see the gap opening, and he’s going to cut it back and make a play,” defensive lineman Kenny Clark said.

210: Yards on Minnesota’s 56 plays, not counting what’s below. That’s a 3.75-yard average. 

211: Yards on four plays by Minnesota, with a 75-yard touchdown by Dalvin Cook, 61-yard catch by Chad Beebe, 45-yard touchdown by Diggs and a 30-yard catch by Thielen. “We just have to limit the explosive plays,” Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander said. “If we limit the explosive plays, we beat them by at least 30.”