GREEN BAY – The Packers blew a scoring chance late in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing the Vikings, 10-0, on Saturday night at Lambeau Field.
Here's a recap of the first half.
First quarter:
The Packers picked up just one first down on their first three possessions and the Vikings scored twice to take a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.
The Packers won the toss and elected to receive. On the first snap of the game, a 7-yard completion to WR Randall Cobb, RT Jason Spriggs went down with an injury and had to be carted off the field. Justin McCray, starting at RG for Jahri Evans, moved over to RT with Lucas Patrick coming in to play RG.
RB Jamaal Williams ran three straight times for 10 yards, bringing up third-and-6, and QB Brett Hundley's pass for rookie WR Michael Clark was broken up by CB Trae Waynes. A poor punt put the Vikings on their own 30.
A 17-yard pass to WR Stefon Diggs, a 7-yard run by RB Jerick McKinnon, and an 8-yard pass to WR Jarius Wright on third-and-2 gave the Vikings a pair of first downs. On third-and-7 from the Green Bay 31, QB Case Keenum's pass to the sideline for WR Adam Thielen was broken up by CB Davon House, and K Kai Forbath was good from 49 yards out for an early 3-0 Minnesota lead.
The Packers went three-and-out, and the Vikings started on their own 28. DT Kenny Clark sacked Keenum on third down, and the Vikings punted. The Packers went three-and-out a second straight time.
RB Latavius Murray ran three straight times for 23 yards, and then Keenum took a deep shot to Diggs. CB Josh Hawkins was flagged for defensive pass interference at the Green Bay 6-yard line, and two plays later, Keenum and Diggs hooked up for a 4-yard TD. The Vikings led 10-0 with 56 seconds left in the quarter.
Second quarter:
The Packers began the second quarter with a 10-yard pass to Cobb on third-and-2, but that was all. The Vikings went three-and-out, with S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix just missing an interception on a third-down pass for Diggs.
Green Bay went three-and-out for the third time in five possessions, though, as WR Jordy Nelson dropped a slant pass that would have moved the chains. P Justin Vogel's punt pinned the Vikings on their own 11.
Keenum hooked up with Diggs for 20 yards on the first snap to get Minnesota out of the hole. McKinnon caught a 9-yard pass to convert on third-and-7, but on the ensuing third-and-1, LB Kyler Fackrell sacked Keenum for a 4-yard loss on a bootleg, and the Vikings punted.
QB Brett Hundley scrambled for 24 yards to get the Packers across midfield for the first time. After Williams ran for 9 yards, Hundley found Nelson for 25 yards on a free play with Minnesota having 12 defenders on the field. The Vikings challenged the ruling of a completion, and the call was overturned on replay, with Nelson having lost control of the ball as he went to the ground.
With the penalty enforced instead, the Packers had a first down on the Minnesota 35, and Hundley hit TE Lance Kendricks for 8 yards, followed by a 5-yard connection with Nelson for a first down at the 22. Williams ran for 4 up the middle to take it to the two-minute warning.
But on third-and-3 from the 15, Vikings S Harrison Smith stepped in front of Kendricks and picked off Hundley's pass.
The Vikings went three-and-out when they got confused by the chain gang on their side of the field giving them a first down, but it wasn't official. What they thought was a first-down pass was a third-down pass that was incomplete, forcing the punt.
