EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Things didn’t get any better for embattled Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil during or after Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers at TCF Bank Stadium.

During the game, Kalil was flagged three times – twice for holding and once for hands to the face. One of the penalties contributed to a three-and-out while another blew a possible touchdown-scoring opportunity and led to the Vikings having to settle for a field goal.

After the game, Kalil, who has given up 11 sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus, dodged reporters and skipped out of the locker room, where things got worse for his image.

A heckling fan drew his attention with insults and by asking where Kalil would like to be traded to next year. Kalil turned around, pulled the fan’s hat off and tossed it. Naturally, the whole thing was caught on a camera phone and became a big deal, at least in some eyes.

Monday, a day after Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and the Packers beat the Vikings for the ninth time in 11 meetings, the hot topic at Vikings headquarters was the struggling left tackle’s behavior.

Kalil met with reporters and opened with a statement in which he apologized to the media for not talking in the locker room.

“The whole incident (Sunday) with the media thing and the fan, obviously a lot of frustration losing a game like that and losing (right tackle) Phil (Loadholt) in the game to injury and stuff like that,” said Kalil, referring to Loadholt’s season-ending torn pectoral muscle. “Obviously I was a little upset. But hopefully you guys didn’t take anything personally. It was just one of those days, so I apologize for that.”

Kalil didn’t apologize to the fan. One could certainly make the argument that he didn’t need to since fans should accept some responsibility when they heckle players from feet away, especially after an emotional game.

The fan was Rhett Wade, a 25-year-old Eagan, Minn. resident. On Twitter, Wade wrote that he asked Kalil, “Where do you want to be traded?” He also told Kalil that he would rather have Kalil’s brother, Ryan, a center for the Carolina Panthers, instead of Kalil on the Vikings.

“Just talking. He’s just a fan, so not a big deal,” Kalil said. “He just caught me when I had a short fuse that day. It’s not like I dog-cussed the guy out or anything like that.”

The Vikings should be more concerned about Kalil’s play on the field. The fourth overall pick in 2012 was supposed to lock down that spot for the next decade. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, regressed last season and has struggled this season with his confidence and a knee that has been slow to recover from offseason arthroscopic surgery.

Coach Mike Zimmer has defended his left tackle, but also has admitted that he needs to play better and has lost some of his confidence.

As for the incident after the game, Zimmer said: “I think that all of us, we put a lot into playing every week and going out here and practicing and working real hard and then pouring our heart and soul into the games on Sunday and everybody is in an emotional state and disappointed. He was wrong in what he did.

“We appreciate 99.9 percent of the fans, they’re great for us and he should have conducted himself in a better manner. It’s a good lesson for all of us. I know in the past there have been times I’ve been upset with people, too, but they pay money to go watch us play and watch us perform so they have a right to express their opinion. We just have to keep our composure and not let things get out of hand, I think.”

MEDICAL WATCH: T Mike Harris, who spent the past two season with the Chargers, will step in for right tackle Phil Loadholt, who will miss the rest of the season because of a torn pectoral muscle suffered on Sunday. Harris started 12 of 20 games for the Chargers and was there in 2012 when current Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner was Chargers head coach. … RB Matt Asiata missed Sunday’s game against the Packers and still has not passed the league concussion protocol.

REPORT CARD VS. PACKERS

PASSING OFFENSE: C – Teddy Bridgewater looked calm and confident while running the no-huddle offense late in the game. He completed 8 of 10 passes for 69 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion pass that moved the Vikings to within three points at 24-21. However, before that drive, Bridgewater completed just 13 of 27 passes and threw an ugly second-quarter floater that was intercepted and turned into a touchdown and a 14-7 lead that the Packers never relinquished. Bridgewater was too nervous in the first half. Receiver Charles Johnson dropped a ball at the Packers’ 8-yard line on third down. And the pass protection was weak, led by left tackle Matt Kalil, who was penalized three times.

RUSHING OFFENSE: C – The Vikings ran for 112 yards and a 4.5-yard average, but 32 of the yards were scrambles by Bridgewater. With Matt Asiata out with a concussion, Joe Banyard backed up Jerick McKinnon and got his first regular-season NFL carries. Banyard showed some promise and fresh legs, averaging 5.2 yards on five carries. McKinnon averaged 3.6 yards on 15 carries. No run was longer than 11 yards.

PASS DEFENSE: B – Aaron Rodgers posted a 109.7 passer rating but completed only 19 of 29 passes for 209 yards. He also threw two touchdowns and wasn’t intercepted, pushing his career totals against the Vikings to 33 touchdowns and four interceptions. The pass rush sacked Rodgers once. It also pressured him other times, most notably on third-and-six late in the fourth quarter. Facing a six-man blitz, Rodgers slipped through the right side of the defense for an 18-yard gain, keeping alive the drive that gave the Packers a 24-13 lead.

RUSH DEFENSE: D – With a little more than three minutes left in the game, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer chose to kick the ball deep from the 50-yard line. He figured his defense would be able to stop the Packers on three plays and get the ball back for the offense near midfield. He figured wrong. The Vikings never got the ball back because they couldn’t stop Eddie Lacy. Even though everyone in the building knew Lacy would get the ball between the tackles, the Vikings gave up a first-down run on third down and then another 10-yard first-down run as the Packers drained the clock. Lacy finished with 125 yards and a 5.0 average.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B – Punter Jeff Locke improved his play by hitting a 54-yard punt and dropping three of four punts inside the 20. Kicker Blair Walsh went 2-for-2 on field goals, including a 51-yarder and knocked all five of his kickoffs for touchbacks. Kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson averaged 37.5 on two kickoff returns, but hurt his ankle and knee on the last one.

COACHING: B – The Vikings aren’t on the Packers’ level mainly because of the disparity at quarterback. Rodgers sometimes appears unbeatable, and he has the 11-4 career mark against Minnesota to nearly prove it. Zimmer’s defense, however, gave Rodgers his best test by a Vikings team in recent memory. Ten incompletions and only 209 yards passing was better defense than Vikings fans have seen in a while. No pass was longer than 34 yards. And Jordy Nelson’s longest reception was 14 yards. The run defense wasn’t up to speed when it counted, but it’s tough to stop everything against the Packers. Offensively, tight end Kyle Rudolph was worked back into the plan in his second week back from hernia surgery. The receivers continue to be unproductive as an overall unit, however. The special teams also had one of its better outings in a while.