MINNEAPOLIS – The Packers fell far behind and then rallied late, but it wasn’t enough as they suffered a 27-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday at US Bank Stadium.

Here are five takeaways from the tough defeat:

1. Another possession for the offense might have won the game.

But after the Packers scored two touchdowns for 15 points to cut their 17-point deficit to two, the Vikings got two first downs, running out time.

The second pass was converted into a third-and-3, the Packers’ last chance to get the ball back, and QB Sam Darnold floated a pass into the flat that running back Cam Akers caught over the tips of his shoes as he fell backwards.

The Vikings went into victory formation and the comeback was in vain.

“Our guys keep fighting and scratching and clawing, but we just can’t put ourselves in a hole like that,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “It took too long to get going offensively and this was the result.”

2. There were many mistakes that led to the deficit.

A fumble on the first drive of the game, a failed fourth down in scoring territory, two illegal formation flags that negated first downs, a 12-man-in-the-huddle penalty and an offside call on a missed field goal that ended the Vikings’ victory came with another blowout on the final play of the first half…it all made for a frustrating afternoon and, in the end, too much to overcome.

LaFleur apparently objected to one of the illegal formation calls and the offside call on the field goal, but to no avail. Those came on consecutive possessions late in the first half that helped end a Green Bay drive and give Minnesota three points for a 13-3 lead at the break. The deficit then got worse when the Vikings scored a touchdown to start the second half.

“I’m not going to make excuses for it,” LaFleur said of the flags. “They saw it differently.”

3. The defense’s inability to generate a pass rush made life difficult.

Green Bay’s defense was shorthanded due to injuries early in the second, then lost safety Zayne Anderson to an early concussion after a tackle in kickoff coverage.

The diminishing depth at the back wasn’t helped by a pass rush that struggled to get to Darnold, who was rarely pressured and was sacked just once in 43 pass attempts. He completed an efficient 33 for 377 yards and three TDs, with one INT, for a rating of 116.1, which led to several big gains downfield.

“You have to put pressure on these guys when they fall behind so often,” LaFleur said. “If not, it’s going to be a long day.

“They have a lot of weapons.”

On a day in which the Packers largely shut down the Vikings’ ground game (23 runs for 72 yards, no knee downs), four pass catchers each totaled 68 or more yards for Darnold, led by Justin Jefferson with eight catches for 92 yards.