Studs and Duds from Vikings Week 12 loss vs. Green Bay Packers

The Vikings walked into Lambeau Field on Sunday as a team that was reeling and in danger of spiraling. They had just lost to the Chicago Bears, marking their fourth loss in five games. That lone win, however, came against the Detroit Lions, so there was some hope the Vikings could turn it around against another division rival and maybe salvage something from what is quickly becoming a lost season. That, however, would not be the case.

Sunday's loss to the Packers wasn’t just another loss to a division rival. It was another data point in a growing trend: a talented roster that can’t seem to get out of its own way, a coaching staff struggling to find answers, and a young quarterback who looks more overwhelmed than developing. There were a few bright moments, but they were quickly and thoroughly buried under self-inflicted wounds, injuries, and a second half that was truly tough to watch.

So, with another frustrating Sunday in the books, let’s break it all down. Here are the Studs and Duds from the Vikings’ 23-6 loss to the Packers.

Dud: Myles Price

We're starting the column off with a rough one here. Myles Price has been one of the most consistently good Vikings in a season marked by inconsistency. You can make a (pretty good) case that Price has been an All-Pro-level return man this season.

And, in a vacuum, Price only had one big blunder on the day, and it's a blunder that shouldn't have put the Vikings in the position that it did. Unfortunately for Price and the Vikings, football isn't played in a vacuum. Price botched a punt return, which turned into a turnover. That turnover led to a Packers touchdown that, while extending their lead, didn't put the Vikings out of striking distance. However, from that moment on, the Vikings were a completely different team.

From the moment that turnover happened, it's like all of the life left the Vikings, and they turned in a truly abysmal second-half performance. It's tough to lay all of that at one person's feet, and it's certainly unfair to say that Price is the reason the Vikings lost -- he isn't. But that turnover was seemingly the straw that broke the camel's back in this one, and that earns Price a "Dud" distinction.

Stud: Minnesota Vikings Offensive line (in the first half)

The Vikings came into Sunday's game against the Packers with their best five offensive linemen together for the first time all season. Center Ryan Kelly was back in the lineup after dealing with a concussion, and was playing with star left tackle Christian Darrisaw for the first time, as Darrisaw missed the beginning of the season coming off his season-ending knee injury the year prior.

To start the game, you could see that the Vikings were right in thinking that this group was going to be a vast improvement over the unit that took the field in 2024. In the first half, the Vikings' offensive line was opening up holes for the running backs, allowing them to pick up yards in chunks. They were also, for the most part, giving quarterback J.J. McCarthy time to go through his reads -- not that it mattered. More on that in a minute.

However, much like the rest of the team, things went south quickly in the second half. The Packers' pass rush became too much for the Vikings' offensive line to handle, and the unit collapsed. Then, to add injury to insult -- literally -- the Vikings finished the game without Darrisaw and starting left guard Donovan Jackson, with both leaving the game with ankle injuries.

It started off well and ended in disaster, but it provided a glimpse of what could be a very good offensive line unit it time -- health permitting.

Dud: J.J. McCarthy

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is just 22 years of age, still the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL. Sunday was just his sixth start in the NFL. You've heard these lines 1,000 times used to preach patience with the young quarterback. You've read those lines from me in multiple Studs and Duds columns this year. And while I still think both of those are valid, it's hard not to lose patience with him.

It's not that McCarthy had a bad game, which he did. There's no two ways about a game where the quarterback finishes with less than 100 yards passing. But bad games happen. The issue is that there doesn't seem to be any progression with McCarthy. It's still early, but he's largely the same quarterback now that he was in his first start -- and that quarterback simply isn't good enough to keep sending out there every Sunday.

McCarthy had a full year to sit on the bench and learn from Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O'Connell. He had a full season to learn the playbook and what defenses would throw at him. And yet, he looks like a quarterback who has no idea what's going on out there, and that's certainly disheartening to say the least. Will the Vikings bench McCarthy in favor of backup Max Brosmer? Almost certainly not. Should they? It's getting harder and harder to say no.

Stud: Will Reichard

I don't mean to take anything away from anyone when I say this, but when one of the Studs of the game is your kicker, you know things didn't go according to plan. That said, Reichard certainly earned his spot in the "Studs" column on Sunday, as one of the only bright spots for the Vikings and their entire offense on the day.

Reichard blasted two field goals of over 50 yards, including a 59-yarder that goes down as the second-longest field goal in Lambeau Field history. Pretty much the only positive for the Vikings on a truly ugly day all around.

Dud: Vikings' Coaching Staff

The differences between the 2024 Minnesota Vikings and the team that's taking the field in 2025 are many. Those changes were supposed to be for the better. On paper, the Vikings are arguably one of the most talented teams in the NFL. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has developed a reputation for being a "QB Whisperer" and one of the better coaches in the NFL. Folks across the league raved about Brian Flores and the job he'd done with the Vikings' defense in 2024. So what happened?

Yes, the players need to make plays on the field, but at some point, you have to look at the coaching staff and see what has happened in 2025 as a failure on their part, too. The Vikings have consistently looked like a team unprepared to play. They've consistently shot themselves in the foot with procedure penalties. Those issues are a (poor) reflection on the coaching staff. It has cost the Vikings multiple games this season, and it cost them again on Sunday against a division rival.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Studs and Duds from Vikings Week 12 loss vs. Packers