GREEN BAY – The Packers' defense allowed just 145 yards in the 23-6 victory over the Vikings on Sunday.
It was the fewest total yards allowed by Green Bay in six years, dating back to Matt LaFleur's first season as head coach. But that's not the crazy part.
It was the fewest since allowing 139 in Week 16 of the 2019 season against … Minnesota!
That's right, the two stingiest defensive performances in the LaFleur era in terms of yards allowed have both come against the Vikings.
That game six years ago was two days before Christmas, on Monday Night Football at U.S. Bank Stadium, with first place in the NFC North at stake. The Packers came in holding a one-game lead on the Vikings and clinched the division with a 23-10 triumph behind 154 rushing yards and two TDs by Aaron Jones, along with the stout defense.
Back then, the Packers didn't have the benefit of facing a rookie quarterback as they did Sunday in J.J. McCarthy, who was making just his sixth NFL start. The Vikings had Kirk Cousins in '19, but they were down their top two running backs (Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison) and featured the tandem of Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah in the backfield.
The Packers held that duo to just 55 yards on the ground and the pass rush got after Cousins just as it did against McCarthy. Here's a statistical breakdown of the two games.
2019 at Minnesota
Total yards allowed: 139
Sacks (yards lost): 5 (40)
Sack leader: Za'Darius Smith (3½)
QB passer rating: Kirk Cousins, 58.8
First downs: 7
Third/fourth-down conversions: 4-17 (23.5%)
Longest drive: 31 yards
Total snaps: 53
Yards per play: 2.6
2025 vs. Minnesota
Total yards allowed: 145
Sacks (yards lost): 5 (35)
Sack leaders: Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt (2 each)
QB passer rating: J.J. McCarthy, 34.2
First downs: 10
Third/fourth-down conversions: 2-10 (20%)
Longest drive: 58 yards
Total snaps: 44
Yards per play: 3.3
Interestingly, after that standout defensive effort in 2019, the Packers did not hold another opponent under 200 total yards until 2022 (L.A. Rams, 156 yards) and then did it twice more in 2023 (L.A. Rams, 187; Chicago, 192). That made for a total of four games in five years holding an opponent under 200 yards.
In a little over 1½ seasons with Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator, the Packers now have already held three opponents under 200 yards, doing so last year against both Houston (197) and New Orleans (196).
