Game-Changing Play of the Week: You Pick a Missed Opportunity

Much like the week one loss against the Eagles, Sunday’s loss against the Vikings wasn’t so much the story of a turning point as it was a number of missed opportunities.

For the purposes of this article, I had a hard time picking just one play that turned the game in the Vikings’ favor. Really, there are four.

Here they are:

• Two missed field goals: Brayden Narveson’s missed 37-yard and 48-yard field goals ended up being more than the difference on the scoreboard. There’s no guarantees that the game plays out the same way if he makes one or both of those field goals, but it at least is an issue that must be mentioned. At this point, there’s no reason to feel any confidence any time Narveson steps on to the field, and the Packers need to be combing over all available kickers to find some competition to bring in. Narveson has missed kicks in every game so far, and the problem appears to be getting worse rather than better. 
   
• A dropped Dontayvion Wicks touchdown: Dontayvion Wicks had an absolutely awful day for most of the game until two late touchdowns helped pull the Packers back into it. What’s wild is that, had Wicks caught all the balls that hit him in the hands, he would have had the best game of his NFL career. But a fourth-down endzone shot by Jordan Love that could have brought the Packers within a score with much more time on the clock bounced right off of Wicks’ hands. Love didn’t see Wicks breaking open until late, so he wasn’t able to lead him, but he still threw up a perfectly catchable ball that hit Wicks right between the numbers. It’s a pass Wicks needs to catch every single time. It’s a completely different game if he makes that play.
   
• A dropped Isaiah McDuffie interception: While it’s hard to consider a play that happened on the first drive of the game to be game-changing, one has to wonder how this game would have played out differently if McDuffie held on to that awkward Darnold out pass that hit him in the hands. The Packers would not have given up a first-drive touchdown and would have been in prime position to take an early lead. The Vikings have rarely had to play from behind this season, so right off the bat it would have been a different type of ball game.

A frustrating day at the office, to be sure.