Packers: Analyzing all three facets of the win vs. Vikings

Special Teams

Punter JK Scott received endless recognition, and well-deserved recognition at that, for his performance in Chicago last week. With both offenses being stymied time after time, Scott’s leg was crucial in winning the field position battle.

This week was a bit different in that the offenses could score and move the ball, but Scott was still important in leaving the defense with space to work with. His 47.63 yards per punt average was even better than last week’s mark, showing that he is still improving week over week.

In terms of the kicking game, Scott was as good as he established in Week 1, and kicker Mason Crosby was a perfect three-for-three on extra points. There isn’t much of a point of concern there, and coverage was good on the kicks too, allowing only 25 total yards on punt returns to the Vikings.

Special teams has been considered a weak point for the Packers in the last few years. The hiring of Shawn Mennenga has appeared to bring a new era of emphasis on special teams, or so it would seem as the second week of play comes to a close.

Overall, this win was a collection of “enough.” The offense was good enough, the defense held on long enough, and the special teams didn’t have any game-changing mistakes.

After the disappointing 2018 season, under new leadership, and still working with new pieces, this is still a time to be cautiously optimistic for the potential of this new Packers team. Two weeks in, two wins in the division, and with the second-ranked defense in the NFL, this is about as good a start any fan could hope for.

Now the focus should be turned to sustaining that success.