The Minnesota Vikings just flipped Week 1 on its head, scoring the final 29 points of their season opener to snatch a wild 39-22 victory from the Green Bay Packers. It was a stunner at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, especially after quarterback Kyler Murray left the game early with a concussion. Talk about a roller coaster to kick off the 2026 NFL season.
Rough Starts and Early Exits
Man, this game started ugly for the home team. The Packers won the coin toss, deferred, and the Vikings got the ball first with Murray at the helm. His very first pass as a Viking? An awful loft under pressure, picked off by Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon. Yikes. Lucky for them, the Vikings’ defense dug in and forced Jordan Love into three straight incompletions. Still, rookie kicker Trey Smack nailed a ridiculous 59-yard field goal to give Green Bay an early 3-0 lead.
The second drive for the Vikes wasn’t much better, stalling out with false start penalties and ending in a punt from rookie Brett Thorson. Then Love hit Christian Watson on a short crossing pass, and Watson took it 81 yards to the house for a touchdown. Smack missed the extra point, but the Packers were up 9-0 midway through the first. The Vikings finally got on the board after Murray scrambled, slid, and took a late hit from Javon Bullard, drawing an unnecessary roughness flag. That gave them a first down, but Murray was done for the day, heading to the medical tent for a concussion evaluation. Carson Wentz checked in, moved them into field goal range, and Will Reichard put through a 38-yarder to make it 9-3. But Green Bay got another field goal from Smack, a 43-yarder after a kickoff return, stretching their lead back to 12-3.
Wentz Takes Command, The Comeback Begins
From there, things tightened up with both teams exchanging punts for a good chunk of the game. But then Wentz started to find his rhythm, driving the Vikings down to the Green Bay 39-yard line. Just as it looked like the clock might tick down, the Packers jumped offsides, and the Vikings snapped the ball.
While the play-by-play stops right there, we know what happened next: Wentz absolutely took over. He went on to throw three touchdown passes as the Vikings stormed back, scoring those final 29 unanswered points to seal that unbelievable 39-22 victory. What a comeback!
This Week 1 stunner shows you everything you need to know about this Vikings squad right out of the gate. Facing an early deficit and losing your starting QB? No problem, Wentz stepped up big time. This kind of grit and late-game surge sets a wild tone for their season. The NFC North better be ready, because this team just showed they can fight their way out of any hole. What an absolute statement win to kick off 2026.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Daily Norseman.
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