Snaps, Studs and Duds From Packers’ Record-Setting Collapse at Vikings

GREEN BAY, Wis. – How bad was the Green Bay Packers’ season-opening loss at the Minnesota Vikings?

Historically bad. The Packers took a 22-10 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter but somehow managed to lose 39-22. No team had ever held that big of a lead at that point in a game and lost by that many points until the Packers were buried in an avalanche of 29 consecutive points.

The @Vikings are the first team in NFL history to be down by 12+ points with under 20 minutes left in regulation and end up winning by 17+ points. pic.twitter.com/PnwBsd86T8
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 14, 2026

Here’s our weekly look at the snap counts, plus one stud and one dud from a miserable day in Minneapolis.

Packers Snap Analysis on Offense

Quarterback: Jordan survived all 68 snaps. He was pressured 25 times, according to Pro Football Focus, the most for any quarterback in Week 1. Dallas Turner alone had seven hits on Love, according to the official stats. By contrast, the Packers had a total of six hits against Vikings quarterbacks.

Love finished with 387 passing yards, 2 yards short of his career high, which was set in a loss at Minnesota in 2024.

Running backs: This was the big question entering the game. How would the Packers pivot without workhorse Josh Jacobs? Against the blitz-happy Vikings, the answer was somewhat predictable. Chris Brooks, because of his sturdy work in pass protection, played 38 snaps to MarShawn Lloyd’s 30.

Playing in his first game since Week 2 of the 2024 season, Lloyd carried 13 times for 37 yards. His quickness and jump-cut ability showed up a couple times, including on his 12-yard run that produced the only missed tackle forced on their combined 20 rushing attempts.

Kaleb Johnson’s work was limited to two kickoff returns.

Receivers: A few days before the game, Packers coach Matt LaFleur had this to say about his receivers: “We need them out there for as many plays as humanly possible. … All three of those guys are difference makers. We need them out on the field for as many snaps as possible.”

Matthew Golden played 56 snaps, Christian Watson played 52 and Jayden Reed played 39. Meanwhile, Bo Melton played eight and Skyy Moore played four.

Watson had a monster day with six catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Packers, he had only one catch in the second half. Golden caught six passes for 95 yards, but that required 12 targets. He had the only drop, and it was a big one on the third-and-6 that preceded Matt LaFleur’s pivotal decision to take a field goal off the board.

Tight ends: Would Tucker Kraft be on a snap count in his first game back following a torn ACL? If so, the limitations are rather minor. He played 45 snaps, or 66 percent playing time. He caught three passes for 65 yards. He was much more of a downfield weapon than the past two years.

Jonnu Smith, who signed with the team at the roster cutdown, played 32 snaps in his debut, and Mark Redman, who was acquired in a trade at the roster cutdown, played 21. Josh Whyle played only 11, partially due to missing some time with a stinger.

Smith caught two passes for 50 yards; Redman and Whyle were not targeted. In fact, Redman blocked on 19 of 21 snaps and Whyle on 10 of 11 snaps, according to PFF, which charged Redman with one sack allowed.

Offensive line: The line of left tackle Jordan Morgan, left guard Donovan Jennings, center Sean Rhyan, right guard Jacob Monk and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele played all 68 snaps together. Jennings had played six snaps in his two years with the team entering Sunday.

“It was more time on task, I would say, throughout the course of the offseason,” coach Matt LaFleur said of the decision to go with Jennings with Aaron Banks (knee) inactive. “He’s done a nice job, so we felt like he’d earned that opportunity.”

Anthony Belton played four snaps as a tight end. Jager Burton’s NFL debut will have to wait a week. Other than backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Burton was the only player who didn’t get in the game.

The carnage was across the board. PFF charged the sacks to Rhyan, Monk and Bako-Bewele. Morgan was charged with a team-high five pressures, followed by Bako-Bewele (four), Monk (three), Rhyan (two) and Jennings (two).

Packers Snap Analysis on Defense

Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (90) stuffs Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Edges: With only four on the roster, Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell started and played 43 and 40 snaps, respectively. Off the bench, Brenton Cox played 27 snaps and rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton played 21 in his debut. Sorrell’s overall workload was boosted with an additional 21 snaps on special teams.

Van Ness had one sack and missed a tackle on another. According to PFF, Van Ness and Cox tied for the team lead with three pressures.

Defensive tackles: Green Bay’s depth showed up here. With Warren Brinson (calf) and Anthony Campbell (healthy scratch) inactive, Karl Brooks played a unit-high 37 snaps. That’s 57 percent playing time. He was followed by Devonte Wyatt with 34, Javon Hargrave with 30, and Jonathan Ford and rookie Chris McClellan with 28 apiece.

Brooks provided strong interior pressure. One of them set up Van Ness for his sack. Ford led the unit with four tackles, including a sack he shared with Keisean Nixon.

Linebackers: Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin went the distance with 65 snaps. Isaiah McDuffie played one snap. Cooper was sensational with his seven tackles including one sack and two tackles for losses. Franklin had only four tackles, but his early pressure produced Keisean Nixon’s interception.

Linebackers are key players on special teams. Sure enough, McDuffie, Kristian Welch and Nick Niemann played 24 snaps apiece. McDuffie led the team with two tackles on special teams.

Cornerbacks: Keisean Nixon went the distance and was one of the best players on defense. He had a half-sack, a tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and one interception. Even the catches he gave up, he generally was in good position.

Rookie Brandon Cisse played 49 snaps; the team said he left because of cramps. He seemed to lose the ball on Justin Jefferson’s long touchdown catch. That was the only catch he gave up, though.

Interestingly, Carrington Valentine was the next man up with 16 snaps. Benjamin St-Juste, who at one point in training camp was pushing Nixon for the starting job, played only one (but 22 on special teams).

Safeties: The starting tandem of Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney played every snap. Javon Bullard, the team’s nickel defender, played 35. Williams tied for the team lead with seven tackles.

Packers Stud vs. Vikings

Quarterback Jordan Love got the crap kicked out of him. A quarterback has to be the rising tide that lifts all boats. He was that until the Vikings eventually got the better of him.

With a porous offensive line that seemed ill-prepared for the Vikings’ pressures and no running game to support him, Love finished with 387 passing yards. The team finished with 419.

A close runner-up goes to Christian Watson, who caught six passes for 147 yards. He had an 81-yard touchdown and a 32-yard catch while being tackled that set up his 2-yard touchdown. He only got two targets in the second half, though.

“I didn’t do enough for us to win the football game,” he said. “Obviously, I was super-excited coming in for the first half, feeling like everything was going the right way, but it’s hard to be proud of anything when it didn’t amount to anything for the team. So, it’s a tough one.”

Packers Dud vs. Vikings

Limiting this selection to the players rather than coaches (or officials), how can you pick anything other than the offensive line? With only the Monday night game to be played, no offensive line gave up more pressures than the Packers, according to PFF.

“That’s the type of team they are, so in order to combat that, you got to communicate, be on the same page, focus in,” Bako-Bewele said. “I think in the second half, there were some miscommunications here and there that got us beat.”

From @JacobWestendorf, here are the winners and losers - bet you can't guess the losers - from the Packers' embarassing loss to the Vikings today. ⬇️https://t.co/wLcbvgBBs5
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 14, 2026

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