Winners and losers: 5 takeaways from the Packers' narrow loss to the Vikings

The Green Bay Packers are not afraid to say how important Jordan Love is to their overall success any time they speak in public. Someone should let everyone in Green Bay know that actions speak louder than words. Head coach Matt LaFleur failed to give his franchise quarterback enough opportunities to knock off the Vikings in Week 17 until things were too late.

It was a frustrating evening for Packers fans. They saw their offense continue to plunge Josh Jacobs into the Minnesota line over-and-over again. Love was limited to handoffs for much of the night. Jacobs was not completely ineffective, but he only managed 69 yards rushing on 17 carries.

The Vikings deserved the victory but the Packers will be kicking themselves for their slow start. Without further delay, here are five Green Bay winners and losers from their disheartening Week 17 loss.

Packers winner No. 1: Romeo Doubs

When the Packers did decide to throw the ball, Romeo Doubs was Love's most popular target. He ended the night with seven catches for 58 yards. It wasn't a breakout performance for Doubs but he continues to be the guy his quarterback trusts when the stakes are at their highest.

Doubs is not the big-play threat in Green Bay's receiver room but he possesses a nice combination of size and speed. He worked well getting open on the outside against the Vikings secondary. He was not able to find the end zone against Minnesota but he did help keep the chains moving.

The Packers offense still needs to find a bona fide No. 1 wideout in the offseason but Doubs continues to make a case that he can be one of the best second receivers in the NFL. That's a positive development for his career and the Packers.

Packers winner No. 2: Carrington Valentine

Carrington Valentine continues to give the Packers great value for a seventh-round pick. His interception of Sam Darnold and long return gave Green Bay the platform they needed to get back into the game.

Green Bay would prefer Jaire Alexander get healthy and return to action, but Valentine did a reasonable job of holding up in his absence. He shouldn't be counted on as a long-term starter but just being playable gives Jeff Hafley and his defensive coaching staff a big boost. Valentine has done more than enough to justify his roster spot for 2025.

Packers loser No. 1: Jordan Love

Love almost did enough to engineer his team to an improbable comeback win but he came up just short. He didn't play poorly against the Vikings, but he tops this list because of the lack of opportunities he earned from his coaching staff.

There's no way around the reality that Love should have thrown the ball more than 30 times in this game. He did not turn the ball over despite being frequently harried by Minnesota's defensive front. That pressure did stop Love from getting enough time to take the sorts of shots down the field he enjoys.

Love is Green Bay's best offensive player and the coaches need to treat him like he's that guy. If they continue to over emphasize the run in the playoffs it could lead to an early postseason exit for the Packers.

Packers loser No. 2: Jayden Reed

The Vikings came into this game with a clear idea of how they wanted to defend Jayden Reed. They executed it perfectly by holding the young slot receiver to a single catch for six yards. Again, blame falls on the Packers' coaching staff for not working harder to get the ball to one of their best players.

At the very least, Reed should have been given a rushing attempt or two to loosen up the Vikings' defense. That's been a staple of his game this year that Green Bay went away from entirely on Sunday afternoon. He is a game-breaking player with the ball in his hands and must be fed against elite opponents.

Instead, he was an afterthought for a Packers offense that really couldn't get things going until the fourth quarter. It's impossible to know how this game might have gone had Reed gotten some first half touches. It's a question LaFleur and his staff should be asking themselves this week.

Packers loser No. 3: Kingsley Enagbare

In recent weeks, Kingsley Engabare was starting to look like the Packers defensive end most likely to seize the starting spot opposite Rashan Gary. His anonymous performance against the Vikings was a major step backwards for the enigmatic edge rusher.

This is a failure that could have long-term ramifications in Green Bay. Their lack of an edge-rushing foil for Gary is a major weakness for their defense. It could cost them dearly against pass-heavy offenses in the playoffs.

It has gotten to the point where GM Brian Gutekunst and the front office will have to spend serious offseason capital on trying to solve this long-term problem. First-rounder Lukas Van Ness also deserves blame here for his inability to prove he's a quality NFL starter. Enagbare is the one who got more snaps against the Vikings and that's why he lands on this list.

There's still time for Enagbare to go on a big run in the playoffs but time may be ticking on his time as a trusted member of Green Bay's edge-rushing rotation. He needed to get something done against the Vikings and he failed.