Winning in Lambeau: Too Depressing to Enjoy

I got the opportunity to go to the Vikings-Packers game at Lambeau field this Sunday. It was my first experience watching my favorite team behind enemy lines, surrounded by thousands of people that hate the team I love. Walking out of there with a dominating win should have been the highest high a fan could obtain. Instead, everyone in the stadium left with the same somber feelings about their team, no hope for the rest of the season.

Coming off a huge win against the 49ers where it looked like this Vikings team finally hit its stride on both sides of the ball, the first 3 quarters of this game were providing more evidence to that being the case instead of a flash in the pan. The offense was humming, routinely pushing the ball into Packers territory, converting on 3rd and long seemingly every time they were forced into one. This offensive prowess comes without thanks to anyone in the backfield who averaged a stout 2.0 yards per carry and without arguably the top receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson. It all stems from Kirk Cousins playing the best football of his career and the system KOC implores finally being able to be run to expectation, and an offensive line that has given Kirk protection for the first time in years.

Throughout the game there was never a moment where I thought things were going to swing the other way. The offense controlled the flow and the defense refused to allow even a single first down until the final drive of the 1st half. The 2nd half started hot with a touchdown drive, followed by a pick of Jordan Love which led to a beautiful throw from Kirk to Jordan Addison to put the Vikings up 24-3 and afforded us the opportunity to drain the clock out. Up 24-10, at the end of a 7:57 drive that killed the 3rd quarter; Kirk's stellar season, the Vikings playoff hopes, and all joy of beating the Packers at Lambeau were ripped away by a ruptured Achillies. The Vikings won a game on the road against their most hated division rival and the Packers fans may have been more joyous leaving the stadium.

Having that sliver of hope pop up again and having it be taken away like this was a tough pill to swallow. I'm used to the typical ways we meet our demise, like missing kicks or just not showing up in big spots but an injury from a guy tougher than nails was not an end I'm accustomed to. The win no longer mattered, impossible to enjoy when the bigger picture goal becomes unattainable with a single injury. Everyone in the building left with their heads hung low but one thing separated the two fandoms: expectation. Packers fans were already accustomed to the team they have, knowing what they're truly capable of wasn't much. Vikings fans were seeing the light, a path to the playoffs with a team that looked more than competent. One play shut the door on that and turned us into a team hopeful to lose out to secure a chance at maybe finding Kirks' replacement, just depressing for all parties involved.