The Packers Led by 12 Points and Still Lost by 17. The NFL Is Already Noticing a Pattern.

Green Bay blew a 12-point lead deep into the third quarter on Sunday, falling to the Minnesota Vikings 39-22 in a season opener that instantly became one of the NFL’s most unique late-game collapses ever. Seriously, you gotta see how this one unfolded, because it was wild. The Packers were up big, cruising, and then just… cratered.

A Historic Meltdown Unfolds

Listen, losing stings, but this? This was something else. According to OptaStats, the Vikings became the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 12 points with under 20 minutes to go and still win the game by at least 17 points. Think about that for a second. The Packers were leading 22-10 until backup quarterback Carson Wentz hit T.J. Hockenson for a 16-yard touchdown pass with only 2:08 left in the third quarter. From that moment, it was like the wheels just flew off. The Vikings went on a bonkers 29-straight point run, flipping that two-score deficit into a massive three-score lead. Wentz’s final touchdown pass, a 9-yard score to Justin Jefferson, came with 3:55 to go in the fourth. So, in roughly 13 minutes of game time, the Packers completely unraveled.

Turnovers and Missed Opportunities Sealed the Deal

You want to know how you give up 29 unanswered points? Turnovers. That’s how. Jordan Love lost a fumble, and it was recovered at the 1-yard line, setting up a brutal one-play, one-yard touchdown drive for the Vikings. Then, on the very next drive, Love threw an interception that put the Vikings right back in scoring position at the 14-yard line. Those two turnovers, and the 14 points scored off them, turned what was a tight 25-22 game into that ugly 39-22 blowout. It wasn’t just the turnovers either; the Packers were also stopped on a 4th-and-1 sneak after taking a field goal off the board earlier, a real head-scratcher. And later, Love couldn’t get them into the end zone on fourth down after driving to Minnesota’s 12-yard line, though that was pretty much garbage time by then. The Vikings, somehow, managed to score 39 points despite gaining only 239 total yards and averaging just 3.9 yards per play. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s team was outscored 22-0 in the fourth quarter. Brutal.

Deja Vu in Green Bay?

Here’s the kicker: this kind of collapse isn’t exactly new for Green Bay. Go back to January, during the NFC Wild Card Round, and you’ll see a similar story. The Packers were outscored 25-6 in the fourth quarter of that game, losing 31-27 after holding leads of 21-3 at halftime and 27-16 late in the fourth. That’s a pattern, right? This team has to figure out how to close out games. This kind of start to the season is brutal, and they need to find their footing fast, because the league is definitely taking notice of these late-game implosions.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.