MINNEAPOLIS – The Packers built a 12-point lead in the third quarter in their season opener Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, but the final 15-plus minutes were all Vikings.
Down 22-10, Minnesota pulled within 22-17 with a touchdown late in the third quarter, and then everything went wrong.
Starting with a decision to take a field goal off the board due to a Vikings offside call, setting up fourth-and-1, the Packers did nothing right. The fourth-and-1 QB sneak was stopped, keeping Minnesota down by just five.
The Vikings then drove for the go-ahead touchdown, helped by three penalties that wiped out third-down stops by the Packers' defense. The 25-22 advantage after a two-point conversion was Minnesota's first lead of the day.
And it only got worse.
On the Packers' next two possessions, QB Jordan Love was strip-sacked and threw an interception on a ball that was tipped twice. Both turnovers set up touchdowns on short fields for the Vikings as they pulled away.
Love finished 21-of-42 for 387 yards with two TDs, one INT and an 88.1 rating. WR Christian Watson had six catches for 147 yards and two TDs, including an 81-yarder, with WR Matthew Golden adding six catches for 95 yards and TE Tucker Kraft getting three catches for 65. Newcomer TE Jonnu Smith had two catches for 50 yards.
On the ground, RB MarShawn Lloyd had 13 carries for 37 yards and Chris Brooks had seven for 29.
For the Vikings, QB Carson Wentz came off the bench early to replace an injured Kyler Murray, and he went 12-of-19 for 133 yards with three TDs and a 123.5 passer rating. WR Justin Jefferson had eight catches for 92 yards and a score, and TE T.J. Hockenson had four catches for 36 yards and a TD. RBs Jordan Mason (14-59) and Aaron Jones (12-40) combined for nearly 100 yards on the ground.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers lead Vikings 9-3 after first quarter
Green Bay won the opening coin toss and elected to defer. Keisean Nixon tackled former Packers running back Aaron Jones for a 1-yard loss on first down.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon sent Zaire Franklin on an A-gap blitz on the next play. Franklin came free on the blitz to force a deep Kyler Murray pass that Nixon intercepted at the Green Bay 47.
Donovan Jennings gets the start in place of Aaron Banks at left guard. He was in line to start here last January before a throat injury landed him on IR. Jennings' third NFL game since signing with Green Bay as an undrafted rookie in 2024.
Chris Brooks picked up 14 yards on a second-and-10 draw and gained another three yards after Jordan Morgan was called for a false start. Jordan Love threw three incompletions and Green Bay settled for a 59-yard Trey Smack field goal to put the Packers up 3-0 with 12 minutes, 11 seconds left in the first quarter.
It's the second-longest field goal in franchise history, behind only Lucas Havrisik's 61-yarder last season against Arizona.
Minnesota took over at its 30 and converted the initial first down with a 9-yard pass to Justin Jefferson on third-and-4. Edgerrin Cooper came free to tackle Jones for a 4-yard loss on the next play.
Murray scrambled for six before back-to-back false starts on the Vikings. Minnesota checked it down to T.J. Hockenson on third-and-23, gaining eight yards and then electing to punt.
Jonnu Smith initially caught the first pass of the season for four yards, but it was overturned to an incompletion after a successful Minnesota challenge.
On the next play, Love hit Christian Watson on a crossing route that the fifth-year receiver extended for an 81-yard touchdown. It was the longest pass of Love's career and longest career completion for Watson.
Green Bay went up 9-0 with 7:43 left in the first quarter after Smack missed the extra point.
On third-and-7, Murray scrambled for 1-yard before being met by Javon Bullard and Lukas Van Ness. Bullard was flagged for unnecessary roughness, as Murray was injured on the play. He's being evaluated for a concussion.
Murray walked off on his own power, with Carson Wentz replacing him. Jefferson completed the next first down with a 9-yard out to the Green Bay 37 on third-and-6.
Jordan Mason gained four yards on the next carry, but the drive stalled after a Wentz incompletion on third-and-5. Will Reichard made a 38-yard field goal to put Minnesota on the board, as the Packers led 9-3 with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
Bo Melton returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to the Minnesota 40. Watson caught a 10-yard pass on third-and-7 to get the first down.
Packers lead Vikings at halftime
The second quarter opened with Smack making a 43-yard field goal to put the Packers up 12-3 with 13:52 left in the first half.
Minnesota started from its 40 and picked up the first down on a Wentz third-and-1 sneak. Deejay Dallas caught a 1-yard checkdown on third-and-9 and Skyy Moore caught a fair catch at the Green Bay 14.
The Packers opened in a three tight end look and Tucker Kraft came open on a crosser for 30 yards. Green Bay came up empty on the series, but Melton downed Daniel Whelan's 45-yard punt at the Minnesota 4.
Aaron Jones opened with a 6-yard carry that nearly busted for him, but he was ruled down by contact. Lukas Van Ness tackled Jones for no gain and then sacked Wentz to force the three-and-out.
Skyy Moore returned the punt to the Minnesota 36 but false start and holding penalties backed Green Bay up to its 49 and the Packers punted after three incompletions.
Jonathan Ford split his first career sack with Nixon, dropping Wentz for an 8-yard loss. Wentz found Jefferson on a 17-yard post for first down on third-and-8, which went for another 15 yards after an unnecessary roughness penalty on Evan Williams.
On third-and-6 from the Packers' 47, Wentz and Hockenson connected for an 8-yard completion on a stop route. Wentz then hit Jefferson on a free play for a 39-yard touchdown to cut Green Bay's lead to 12-10 with 1:55 left in the first half.
Kraft caught a 23-yard pass down the seam on second-and-8 from the Green Bay 28. Melton moved the Packers into Minnesota territory with a 10-yard completion to the Vikings' 39.
Watson then caught a 32-yard pass despite Byron Murphy Jr. being flagged for defensive pass interference on the play. Brooks gained five yards on first-and-goal at the 7.
Watson caught a 2-yard touchdown off playaction to put the Packers up 19-10 at halftime. He finished the first half with five catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Packers lead Vikings 22-17 after three
Green Bay opened with a 12-yard MarShawn Lloyd carry and 12-yard pass to Kraft across the hashes for the Packers' 38. Brooks was tackled for a 1-yard loss on the next play Green Bay was forced to punt, which only traveled 21 yards out of bounds.
The Vikings went three-and-out, though, after Wentz and Jordan Addison couldn't connect on third-and-6. Moore returned the punt four yards to the Green Bay 13.
Love bought time with his feet and hit Golden for 14 yards on a scramble play. Lloyd then carried the ball four straight times for 16 yards to set up a 6-yard pass to Jayden Reed for a first down on third-and-4.
Off play action, Love found a wide open Jonnu Smith for 43 yards to the Vikings' 7-yard line. Minnesota was forced to use its first timeout on third-and-goal when Love nearly caught the Vikings with too many men on the field.
Love's third-down pass for Reed sailed wide and the Packers settled for a Smack 26-yard field goal to extend Green Bay's lead to 22-10 with 5:09 left in the third quarter.
Myles Price returned the kickoff 68 yards to the Packers' 28. Jones picked up the first down with a 1-yard run from fullback.
On third-and-8, Hockenson ran a post for a 16-yard touchdown to cut Green Bay's lead to 22-17 with 2:08 left in the third quarter.
Lloyd gained six yards on first down and Golden moved the chains with a 7-yard slant. First quarter ended with Love getting sacked for a loss of 10 yards.
Packers fall to Vikings, 39-22
The fourth quarter started with Love stepping into the pocket and delivering a second-and-20 pass over the middle to Golden, who extended for a 42-yard completion to the Minnesota 26.
Love's third-and-6 pass was broken up, and Smack made a 40-yard field goal but Minnesota was lined up offsides. The Packers elected to go for it. Love was stopped short on the sneak.
The Vikings took over at their 17. Jonathan Ford jumped offsides and Josh Oliver caught a 13-yard slant to move the ball to the Packers' 35.
Edgerrin Cooper sacked Wentz on second-and-6 and then Lukas Van Ness got home on third down, but Minnesota got a new set of downs after an illegal contact penalty on Javon Bullard.
The Packers worked out of it, but Chris McClellan was flagged for a late hit on a third down hit of Wentz for a first down. Mason then broke a 28-yard run to the Green Bay 11.
On third-and-5, Evan Williams picked Wentz off in the end zone but Shawn Hochuli threw yet another flag – this time for illegal contact on Xavier McKinney. Jones scored one play later on a stretch play. Minnesota converted the two-point play to go ahead 25-22 with 6:37 remaining.
Green Bay lost possession of the ball on a strip sack and Minnesota recovered at the 1-yard line. Mason scored the 1-yard TD to push Vikings' lead to 32-22 with 4:48 remaining.
Love was then picked off by James Pierre on a pass behind Watson and returned to the Green Bay 14. Jefferson then caught a pass off motion on third-and-5 for a touchdown to push the Vikings' lead to 39-22 with 3:55 left.
The Packers moved the ball downfield with a 20-yard pass to Golden and moved to the red zone with a 7-yard pass to Smith at the two-minute warning.
On fourth-and-2, Love's pass fell incomplete and Green Bay turned it over on downs at its 12.
