Tom Oates: Vikings exploit Packers’ defensive flaws, proving it’s time for some changes

“We knew we had to stop the run,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “That didn’t happen.”

Instead, it was more of the same old tired defense. The last two times an NFL player had more than 200 yards from scrimmage and scored four touchdowns in a game, it was Mostert and Cook. Both came against the Packers.

With Green Bay entering the game with a 5-1 record and Minnesota at 1-5, it looked like the Packers would show the Vikings once and for all who is the boss of the NFC North Division. But all the game showed was that the Packers need better players, better coaching or some combination of the two on defense. If not, they’ll continue to fall victim to the good teams on their schedule. Or even struggling teams, like the Vikings, that have good offenses.

“I’ve got to go back and look at it (on film), but it certainly didn’t feel like it was up to par today,” LaFleur said. “I know there was a couple missed tackles — more than a couple, a lot of missed tackles. I think we’ve all got to look critically ourselves and we better figure out a solution quickly because the formula’s been written and we have got to step up and get it fixed. If not, we’re going to continue to get these types of results.”

Like, say, Thursday night when the Packers travel to San Francisco for a rematch with the 49ers. Mostert, who had 220 yards rushing when the teams met in January, is on injured-reserve, but the 49ers remain a top-10 running team in the league. And the Packers remain a team that is vulnerable to good running backs and good running games.