The Green Bay Packers held a fat 12-point second-half lead today against a Vikings squad playing without its starting QB, but holy smokes, it all blew up. A late gamble totally backfired, some seriously questionable calls went Minnesota’s way, and the Vikings rallied for a stunning 39-22 win. By the time the final whistle blew, the Vikings’ defense had completely taken over, piling on an insane 22 points in the fourth quarter alone. What a collapse!
Matt LaFleur’s Big Roll of the Dice
Seriously, this game turned on a dime. The Vikings were already playing shorthanded, with their starting quarterback Kyler Murray getting knocked out in the first quarter with a concussion after a reckless hit to the head from Packers safety Javon Bullard. Backup Carson Wentz was in, and Green Bay had largely bottled up Minnesota’s offense in the first half, outside of one huge 39-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson. Green Bay was up 22-10 late in the third quarter, feeling pretty good.
Then came the pivotal moment early in the fourth. The Packers kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 25-17 with 13:21 left on the clock. But a Vikings penalty on the kick gave head coach Matt LaFleur a choice: take the points or pull the field goal for a chance to keep the drive alive. LaFleur pulled ’em! He went for it on fourth and a long one, and Jordan Love’s sneak got absolutely stuffed. The Vikings took over on downs, and you knew that was going to haunt Green Bay.
The Collapse Was Brutal, The Calls Even Worse
Things went from bad to worse faster than you can say “Skol!” Green Bay’s defense looked like they’d stopped the ensuing Vikings drive short of midfield, but then, boom: a questionable roughing the passer penalty on a third-down hit on Wentz extended the drive. Are you kidding me? A few plays later, Green Bay thought they had an interception in the end zone, but *another* borderline penalty, holding on Xavier McKinney, totally bailed Wentz out. Twice in a row, the Vikings got life when they should have been dead.
Minnesota capitalized big time. Aaron Jones ran for a touchdown right after that, and a two-point conversion gave the Vikings a shocking 25-22 lead. The momentum flipped hard, and the Vikings piled on. On Green Bay’s very next possession, the Vikings forced a fumble on a third-down sack of Jordan Love, recovered the ball in the red zone, and converted that into a Jordan Mason touchdown for a 32-22 lead. Then, just two plays later, James Pierre intercepted Love, and the Vikings immediately turned that turnover into Justin Jefferson’s second touchdown catch of the day, making it 39-22. What was a controlled game for Green Bay became a full-blown Vikings blowout, with “Skol” chants echoing through U.S. Bank Stadium. What a gut punch!
What a brutal way to lose a game you had locked up. That 12-point lead, those crucial chances, gone in a blur of fourth-quarter turnovers and momentum swings. The “Skol” chants were deafening, and you know this one’s going to sting for a long, long time in Green Bay. How do you even recover from a collapse like that?
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.
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