Green Bay Packers: What was Reason for Victory in Week 8?

The Green Bay Packers dominated the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football to the surprise of no one. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was nearly perfect while the rest of the league has to be worried about the two-headed monster that has become the Packers’ offense. Even though there are several key reasons for why Green Bay was victorious, what is one big reason they improved to 5-2 in Week 8?

There are actually two reasons but they coincide with each other. Time of possession and third down efficiency is the easiest way to boil down the win.

The Packers converted their first seven third downs of the game, including four on the first drive alone. Overall, they converted 13 of the 18 times they were faced with a third down situation. Not to mention, Green Bay were two-for-two in fourth down attempts. That means the Packers were 15-of-18 when an opportunity to move the chains presented itself.

The incredible 72.2 percent third down conversion rate, which is the best in the NFL this season, directly resulted in Green Bay’s fantastic 40 minutes and 53 seconds time of possession. What might be even more unbelievable is the fact that the Packers controlled the clock for 12:58 in the third quarter as they only allowed the Vikings to have the ball on a three and out.

It is certainly an exciting time to be a fan of Green Bay because the Packers have never really been known as a team that controls the clock. The reason for this is because Rodgers and the offense typically move down the field with such ease while putting up plenty of points. However, the addition of rookie running back Eddie Lacy and the emergence of the running game have given Green Bay the chance to win games all sorts of different ways.