Posted: Nov. 9, 2008

Minneapolis - Mark Tauscher quickly got to the point.

"We stunk," he said.

About the only thing faster in the Metrodome on Sunday was the Minnesota Vikings' pass rush.

And the Green Bay Packers' inability to fend off the Vikings in a 28-27 loss Sunday was exactly what Tauscher was driving at.

"They hammered us," Tauscher said. "Give them credit. We obviously have a long ways to go."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass 26 times and found himself either sacked or knocked down a combined 12 times.

Rodgers was sacked four times for the second straight game and has gone down 21 times in nine games this season. Brett Favre was sacked 19 times all of last season.

"That's not very good," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "They timed up a couple of blitzes pretty good. But sometimes they just beat us one-on-one and football is a game of one-on-one matchups."

Another sack probably will be added to the total - tying the Packers' season high of five in the Week 3 loss to Dallas - because Kevin Williams was not credited with one on his forced fumble, which led to the first safety.

The only player along the line not to allow a pressure was Tauscher. Left guard Daryn Colledge gave up one knockdown but was penalized twice.

Right guard Jason Spitz gave up two pressures, but none in the second half.

"Unacceptable," Spitz said. "I played horrible."

Center Scott Wells allowed 1½ sacks and two pressures. Left tackle Chad Clifton, playing for the first time in 21 days because of the bye week and his allergic reaction to medication before the Titans game, had a tough time fending off Vikings defensive Jared Allen.

Allen, who wound up playing despite a shoulder sprain, had a safety near the end of the first half and two additional pressures.

"When you design a scheme you can't help everybody and sometimes there are one-on-one blocks that have to be made," Philbin said. "We have to see if our receivers were getting open quick enough, was our quarterback decisive enough, did our line protect well enough.

Allen got the better of Clifton despite being dominated in the Week 1 meeting between the two teams. Allen didn't have a tackle on Sept. 8.

"There's no doubt that the last time we faced each other, he got the better of me. I mean, there is no doubt about that," said Allen, who admitted taking a pain-killing injection before the game.

The Vikings didn't have a sack in the matchup at Lambeau Field. But this time they were all over Rodgers.

Safety in numbers: The Packers likely will be asking the league to clarify the ruling about the first safety, which gave the Vikings a 12-7 lead.

On second and 20 from the Green Bay 10-yard line, Williams knocked the ball out of Rodgers' hand near the Packers' goal line and it went bounding into the end zone. As Rodgers picked up the ball, he attempted to underhand the ball to tight end Tory Humphrey. The pass hit at about the 8-yard line, about 3½ yards in front of Humphrey.

Referee Al Riveron threw a flag and announced an "illegal forward pass" and because it occurred in the end zone, it was a safety.

Asked after the game about the ruling, Riveron said it was intentional grounding.

"First of all, the quarterback was in duress and then he throws the ball to an area where I don't find a receiver in the proximity," Riveron said. "That is my judgment and that is why I called it a safety."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he was told Rodgers was penalized because it was an unnatural throwing motion.

"It was decided on the throwing motion of the quarterback, I was told," McCarthy said.

When asked for comment, league spokesman Greg Aiello said the ruling was intentional grounding.

Rule 8.3.1 states that the pass only needs to go "near or beyond" the line of scrimmage and needs a "realistic chance of completion" to avoid intentional grounding.

Ins and outs: Linebacker Brandon Chillar was a surprise scratch from the game.

Chillar has been a big part of the team's pass defense as a nickel linebacker, but he has been dealing with a shoulder injury for much of the season and it flared up before the game.

"Basically, it was good all week and then it flared up Saturday," Chillar said. "It hurts not to be able to help the team."

Another surprise scratch was defensive end/special teams ace Jason Hunter. After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Hunter returned against Tennessee but was told late last week that he would not be active.

Safety Atari Bigby was active but he found himself on the bench for a series in the first half. He was replaced Aaron Rouse, who started when Bigby was out with a hamstring injury earlier in the season.

Short yardage: Punter Derrick Frost had just a 35.0-yard net average for seven mostly low punts, which cost the Packers dearly in field position. He was not seen in the locker room after the game. Asked if the Packers would keep Frost, special teams coach Mike Stock said, "I don't know anymore about it. We'll sit down and talk more after we look at the video." . . .

McCarthy and Vikings coach Brad Childress shook hands at midfield after the game. Childress was not there after the season opener. He said he had to tend to quarterback Tarvaris Jackson at the time. Childress has since apologized. . . .

Vikings safety Charles Gordon suffered a broken bone in his lower leg on a Packers punt return in the second quarter. He was carted off the field, receiving well-wishes from numerous Packers players on the way, and was seen in the locker room after the game wearing a cast and using crutches.

Tom Silverstein and Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.