7 standouts from Packers’ 33-10 win over the Vikings on New Year’s Eve



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By PACKERSWIRE

7 standouts from Packers’ 33-10 win over the Vikings on New Year’s Eve

The Green Bay Packers got four total touchdowns from Jordan Love, another 100-yard rushing game from Aaron Jones, a pair of touchdowns from Jayden Reed, a surprise performance from Bo Melton and a few takeaways on defense during Sunday night’s 33-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Packers led 10-0 in the first quarter, 23-3 at halftime and 30-3 late in the third quarter. The Vikings, a team that had played 14 one-score games, got crushed at home.

Here are seven standouts from the Packers’ blowout win over the Vikings on New Year’s Eve:

QB Jordan Jove

Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards, three touchdown passes and zero interceptions, and he rushed for a fourth score. Amazingly, Love was one slight overthrow on an extended play (targeting Malik Heath) and one slight miss/drop on fourth down (targeting Bo Melton) from producing five passing scores. The first-year starter completed 72 percent of his passes, averaged 7.8 yards per attempt and didn’t have a turnover. His passer rating? 125.3. Love has produced multiple touchdown passes, zero interceptions and a passer rating over 100.0 six of the last seven games.

WR Bo Melton

Melton made the absolute most of his third and final practice squad elevation. The second-year receiver caught a career-high six passes, produced the Packers’ first 100-yard receiving game of the season, caught his first career touchdown pass and delivered both the dagger score and the game’s final first down. Melton’s night could have been even bigger had he hauled in a fourth down pass in the first half. Expect the Packers to sign him to the 53-man roster at some point next week.

OLB Preston Smith

Smith made two impact plays against left tackle Christian Darrisaw. His pressure on third down ended the Vikings’ first possession, and his strip-sack late in the first half set up a Packers touchdown and helped create a commanding halftime lead. The veteran edge rusher

Aaron Jones

For the second straight week, Jones delivered explosive runs and went over 100 rushing yards. He had gains of 19 yards and 25 yards as a rusher and added one catch for 10 yards. The Packers can be a dominant offense when Jones is healthy and delivering on the ground. Jones now has a run of at least 20 yards in each of the last three games.

WR Jayden Reed

He eventually left with a chest injury, but Reed was a dominant force in the first half. The rookie caught six passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns. His first score — a 33-yarder on a catch between two deep safeties — put the Packers up 10-0. The second — an incredible catch-and-run of 25 yards — gave the Packers a 23-3 advantage before the half. Reed set the team record for catches by a rookie in a single season and became just the third rookie in team history to had 10 touchdowns in a season.

Keisean Nixon

The slot corner finished with a team-high 11 tackles, 0.5 sacks and a pass breakup. He made a huge tackle on third down to help create a turnover on downs, timed out a blitz on a sack of Nick Mullens and defended a late fourth down pass into the end zone. Nixon played nearly every defensive snap for a secondary that allowed less than 100 combined receiving yards to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn.

CB Corey Ballentine

He defended three passes, including a fortunate interception of a deflected pass by Jaren Hall in the first half. Ballentine was one-on-one with Justin Jefferson down the sideline on one of his other pass breakups. The Packers didn’t have Jaire Alexander or Eric Stokes but it didn’t matter on Sunday night. Ballentine handled his business in coverage. His three pass defensed were a game high.