Had Mason Crosby's 52-yard field goal attempt sailed a few inches to the left, the Packers would have won a game they deserved to lose.

It didn't happen.

Crosby's missed attempt preserved a 28-27 victory for Minnesota, dropped the Packers' record to 4-5 and pushed Green Bay's upcoming home game against Chicago (next Sunday at Lambeau Field) into the "must win" category.

Here are some observations from the proceedings from a lost afternoon at the Metrodome:

Tough day: The Packers' offensive line was outplayed and overmatched for most of the game. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers held the ball too long on several occasions and paid a heavy price in the form of a few helmet-rattling hits.

This was an occasion when fans could see a clear dropoff in ability between Rodgers and his predecessor, Brett Favre. After years of absorbing heavy hits, Favre developed an uncanny knack for delivering the ball quickly under heavy fire. Rodgers hasn't refined that skill yet. If he doesn't, he's going to need a lot of ibuprofen.

Mirror image: It's hard to imagine Green Bay's offensive line playing worse than it did Sunday. Chad Clifton looks old. Scott Wells seemed to make some bad decisions. Daryn Colledge and others had trouble getting set.

On the flip side, it's tough to imagine a unit playing better than the Packers' secondary. Minnesota's receiving corps isn't great, but Charles Woodson, Collins, Atari Bigby, Al Harris and Co. were up to the task. Tramon Williams' interception at the end of the first half was a big play.

Caught in the act: The Packers are the most penalized team in the National Football League this season. A lot of fans will blame that a lack of discipline and assign blame to Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff. That may be part of the equation, but talent is a bigger factor. Players who are physically overmatched end up jumping offside or grabbing handfuls of jersey to help them overcome their shortcomings.

Back to basics: Much like the penalty debate, it's easy to scream at the coaching staff about play calling. In this case, though, the screaming may be warranted. The Packers clearly need to run the ball more. Throwing an occasional pass to a tight end might be a good idea, too.

Kicked out? Crosby's miss made all the highlight shows and will be a lasting memory from this game, but Packers punter Derrick Frost's dreadful performance played a huge role in the loss.

Kicking in virtually the same conditions that he encounters each day in the team's indoor practice facility, Frost punted seven times for averages of 35 yards (net) and 40.1 yards (gross). A complete lack of hang time compounded his troubles.

Simply put, the Vikings had superior field position for most of the game because Frost kicked like a nervous high schooler.

The guy has been brutal for most of the season and it's flabbergasting that he still has a job. If the Packers don't have a new punter on Sunday, it will be the upset of the week.

Missing in action: The Packers were shorthanded at linebacker because Brandon Chillar informed the coaching staff of a sore shoulder Saturday night at the team hotel and was inactive for the game.

Chillar had been playing reasonably well and subbing for A.J. Hawk in the nickel package. Without him, Hawk played virtually every snap. When Nick Barnett went down with what could be a serious knee injury, the Packers inserted Desmond Bishop, who was burned by Chester Taylor for a 47-yard touchdown, but atoned for it by stripping the ball from Adrian Peterson on a pivotal fourth down play.

Sanitized for your protection: When was the last time an on-field injury was deemed too gross to show on TV? It happened here. Fox decided not to replay the punt return that led to Charles Gordon's broken leg.

Upon further review: After watching the play several times, it's still hard to understand why the first of two safeties was called when Aaron Rodgers flung the ball away in the end zone.

Studio analyst Jimmy Johnson summed it up at halftime when he said: "If that was Brett Favre, they would not have called that a safety."

For the sake of argument... Which play was more electrifying: Will Blackmon's punt return for a touchdown or Nick Collins' interception return for a touchdown? Discuss.

While you're at it... Which was worse - Frost's punting or the play of the offensive line?

Seeing red: McCarthy picked a curious time for his first challenge of the season. Had officials agreed that Peterson was down before crossing the goal line, the Vikings would had the ball inside the 1-yard line with a high probability of scoring and a chance to run time off the clock. There didn't seem to be much upside for McCarthy to throw the flag.

Record book: Green Bay receiver Donald Driver extended his streak to 104 games with at least one reception. That surpassed Sterling Sharpe on the franchise's all-time list. Sharpe was a great player, but was a giant pain for media covering the team. Driver is a good guy, so it's nice to see him at the top of the record book.