NFL
Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers Recap
The Minnesota Vikings stepped onto Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Both teams won their Week 1 matchups and looked to go 2-0 after Week 2.
First Half
The Packers started out strong when receiver Geronimo Allison blocked Minnesota’s punt, allowing rookie CB Josh Jackson to run it back for a touchdown.
Kirk Cousins entered Lambed Field for the first time in his career on Sunday. After Green Bay’s touchdown off the punt block, Cousins knew he had to step up. Cousins then drove his offense 65 yards down the field on the next drive. In the red zone, he threw a short touchdown pass to Laquon Treadwell to tie the game.
However, Aaron Rodgers responded quickly — taking the Packers downfield two more times for scores before the half was over. At the end of the first half, the Packers led 17-7.
Second half
At the start of the third quarter, a Mason Crosby field goal put the Packers up 20-7. Following up with two more field goals and an interception, it seemed like the Packers would walk away with a win by the end of the fourth.
The Vikings, however, came soaring back in crunch time. Minnesota scored a touchdown and made the two-point conversion to level the score at 29-29.
Rodgers, then, had 31 seconds left in the game to get his team in field goal range. Aaron Rodgers, of any quarterback, is the man any coach would want under center in this situation. The Packers had all the confidence in the world, especially since kicker Mason Crosby made 5/5 field goals, tying his previous record.
Rodgers succeeded, for his part, and took the Packers 30 yards in 27 seconds. This set Crosby up for a 52 yards field goal, easily in his range. Right when the Packers hiked the ball, though, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer called a timeout. When Crosby re-kicked, he missed — sending the game into overtime.
Overtime
Since the rules have changed, there is only one overtime allowed. Fans witnessed this rule change in action as early as Week 1, with the Steelers tying the Browns after both teams went scoreless in overtime.
Notably, Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 48 yard field earlier in regulation time. Coach Zimmer said that no good kicker misses twice (and Carlson has since been released by Minnesota). Cousins took the Vikings down the field to set up a 49-yard field goal to take the lead, but Carlson missed once again — giving the Packers a chance to steal the game.
Aaron Rodgers brought the Packers up to field goal range, but the Vikings defense sacked Rodgers to take them out of range and force a punt. Cousins, then, had another chance to put this game away, as the next score would win the game. Cousins threw three dimes – along with Latavius Murray’s two great runs – that put the Vikings in reasonable range to win the game with 4 seconds left. Carlson missed two field goals this game, but both came from over 40 yards. The Vikings set up Carlson for a 35-yard walk-off field goal, but it flew wide right and missed the goal post.
The game ended in a 29-29 tie. Both the Vikings and Packers now hold a current record of 1-0-1.
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Photo Credit: Christopher Hanson via Flickr
