Vikings Discover How Low They Can Go : ‘We Should Be Embarrassed,’ Kramer Says After Loss to Packers

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings consider it a game that will be remembered, but for different reasons.

The Packers have been trying for more than 20 years to make people forget the legends of days gone by. The 1988 Packers, who began the season so feebly, are at least making people take notice.

“I’m sure greater things have happened in Green Bay Packer history, but I don’t know of a team you could be more proud of than this one,” Coach Lindy Infante said Sunday after the Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 34-14.

“We struggled so bad at the start of the season,” he said of the team’s 0-5 start. “I can’t say enough about these guys, the way they came in here and played against a good team like the Vikings.”

The Vikings, however, weren’t claiming to be good.

“A year ago, we won 1 of our last 4 (games),” a disgusted Minnesota Coach Jerry Burns said. “We had a must game and couldn’t beat Washington here and backed into the playoffs. Were we a team that got lucky in the playoffs? I think our performance today indicates that we’re an average team. At best.”

Added quarterback Tommy Kramer, who was ineffective and benched in the first half: “I don’t think we can get any lower. We should be embarrassed. Pathetic.”

Don Majkowski passed for 243 yards, Max Zendejas tied a club record with 4 field goals and linebacker Tim Harris recorded a safety, blocked a punt for a touchdown and had 2 sacks as Green Bay (2-5) pulled off its second straight upset. The Packers bombed New England, 45-3, last week.

Minnesota (4-3) was penalized 15 times and had almost twice as much penalty yardage (129) as rushing yardage (67) in its fourth straight unimpressive performance since winning at Chicago last month. The Vikings also committed 5 turnovers in losing for the fifth time in 6 Metrodome meetings with the Packers.

“Stupid plays by everybody,” Burns said. “We didn’t belong on the field with Green Bay.”

Majkowski completed 19 of 32 in his second straight winning start replacing injured Randy Wright.