NFL: Packers top Vikings to move to 2-0

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers started fast before holding on late for a 21-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The win moved the Packers to 2-0 on the young season, giving them sole possession of first place in the NFC North.

“It’s big, it’s definitely big. I mean, the division is everything. We’ve got to control the North and make sure we bring the North back home. So to start off 2-0, that’s definitely where we want to be right now,” said Packers receiver Davante Adams.

Green Bay scored all three of its touchdowns in the first 16 minutes of action before the offense fizzled out. The Packers’ defense saved the day for a second straight week though, forcing four turnovers to seal the win.

Green Bay came out of the gates strong, putting together a four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in just 2 minutes, 10 seconds.

The drive started with a 39-yard passing play from Aaron Rodgers to Adams. After two runs from Aaron Jones moved the ball 21 yards down the field, Rodgers hit Jamaal Williams on a screen pass, and the running back powered into the end zone from 15 yards out.

Minnesota also looked to be on its way to points on its first possession, but Dan Bailey missed a 47-yard field goal, setting the Packers’ offense up with good starting field position.

The ensuing drive was a bit more methodical, but again ended in a touchdown pass. Rodgers and the offense converted a trio of third-down plays on the drive before Rodgers hit receiver Geronimo Allison for a 12-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 14-0 with 3:18 to play in the opening quarter.

Minnesota converted on third down on its next drive, with quarterback Kirk Cousins fumbling on the play but an offensive lineman recovering the ball to extend the drive. The very next play, Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark pressured Cousins, causing a fumble that was recovered by fellow defensive lineman Dean Lowry to give the Packers another short field to work with.

Green Bay took advantage, with Jones scoring from two yards out to make the score 21-0 in favor of the hosts.

Minnesota flipped the momentum of the game on its next drive, as running back Dalvin Cook broke a couple tackles and sprinted 75 yards down the field for a touchdown.

The Packers looked to regain control on the next possession, as a defensive pass interference put the hosts at the Minnesota 40-yard line and on the move again. But two plays later, Allison fumbled after hauling in a short pass from Rodgers, and the Vikings recovered.

Both defenses then settled in a bit, forcing punts on the next four possessions.

Green Bay forced its second turnover in the game when safety Darnell Savage deflected a pass that linebacker Preston Smith picked off with 4:04 to go in the half, giving the offense another golden opportunity to score before halftime.

After picking up a first down and moving inside the Minnesota 30, Rodgers hit Allison for what he thought was another first down. Rodgers also thought the team got a favorable spot, so he rushed the team to the line to avoid a possible review and handed the ball off to Williams, who was stuffed for a 2-yard loss. To add insult to injury, the original spot was actually short of the line to gain, meaning Williams had been stopped on fourth down instead of first down, giving the ball back to the Vikings.

“I don’t make plays like that,” said Rodgers after the game. “I always pride myself on having really good clock awareness and game awareness. I just assumed first down based on the spot and I should have just looked and made sure it was first and not fourth, because obviously fourth-and-1, we don’t want to run that play.”

The Vikings made the mistake sting, driving down the field and converting a field goal. Minnesota looked to have scored a touchdown a few plays before that, but the play was reviewed and an offensive pass interference was called, nullifying the score.

After the halftime break, the Packers’ offense continued to struggle, as Rodgers fumbled on a third-down play on the first drive of the half. The turnover set up a 45-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to receiver Stefon Diggs at the 9:19 mark of the third quarter.

The Minnesota receiver was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking off his helmet after the score, and it proved costly, as the Packers accepted the penalty to set up a longer extra point try and then blocked the kick.

Neither team scored the rest of the game, with the Packers’ defense bailing out the offense that was unable to sustain a drive.

The Vikings best chance to score came with about five minutes to play, but Cousins was picked off in the end zone by Packers cornerback Kevin King.

The throw by Cousins was into heavy coverage, but King was expecting a throw because he said Diggs had a step on him.

“No, I wasn’t (surprised Cousins threw the ball). I kind of saw it how he (Cousins) saw it, like he (Diggs) had a step on me. It’s kind of like, if I was the quarterback, I might throw this. So it was like, let me put my head down and let me go get it.”

The defense forced a punt on the Vikings next drive and then shut down Minnesota’s lateral play to end the game. Tramon Williams was credited with a fumble recovery on the last play, giving the defense four takeaways in the contest.

“They did a great job,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur on the defense holding up in the fourth quarter. “We stalled a little bit offensively in that second half, couldn’t really get much going. They (the defense) were on the grass quite a bit. But to the credit of our guys, they stuck together. We talked about it, sometimes we’re going to have some adversity. How do we respond in those tough situations? Our guys stuck together. They didn’t blink, and it was a great team win.”

Rodgers finished with 209 passing yards, Jones rushed for 116 yards and Adams finished with 106 receiving yards. No other offensive player totaled over 30 yards.

Linebacker Blake Martinez led the Packers’ defense with 13 total tackles, while Savage and linebacker Za’Darius Smith each had six.

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