GREEN BAY – The opportunity Emanuel Wilson has been preparing for the past three years finally arrived on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
And the Packers' running back ran away with it.
Making his first NFL start, Wilson posted career highs across the board in rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries to power Green Bay's 23-6 win over the Vikings in front of 77,991 at Lambeau Field.
The Packers were without three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who missed his first game with Green Bay and just the 10th of his seven-year NFL career due to the bone bruise he suffered in last Sunday's 23-6 win over the New York Giants.
Wilson signed with the Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and quietly has worked his way up the team's depth chart over the past three seasons. After filling in admirably against the Giants, the 26-year-old felt ready for his moment.
"I just kept it the same," Wilson said. "I approached it today just like it's another game. This is my first start since, what, college, so I just tried to go out there and take advantage of it."
Wilson said he woke up feeling a few butterflies but appreciated Head Coach Matt LaFleur's pregame advice to him – "It's another game, a bigger title with a name."
Without Jacobs, the Packers hitched their offensive wagon to Wilson beginning on the very the first drive. The 5-foot-10, 223-pound running back set the tone early when he ran through Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman on his 1-yard touchdown.
After the defense earned a key fourth-and-1 stop at the Green Bay 17, Wilson picked up 28 yards on five straight carries to ignite a 14-play, 68-yard scoring drive that ate eight minutes off the clock and culminated in a Brandon McManus 32-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Wilson bulldozed through the Vikings' defensive front for a second score after the Packers' special teams recovered a muffed punt at the Minnesota 5-yard line.
While pushing the pile for extra yards, Wilson became the first Green Bay running back to eclipse 100 rushing yards this season with his 11-yard carry at the start of the fourth quarter.
"He came out with a chip on his shoulder and something to continue to prove," receiver Christian Watson said. "He did everything we asked of him. Props to him, he was out there balling."
Not expecting such a heavy workload, Wilson's workmanlike performance enabled Green Bay to not only weather Jacobs' absence but also register its most time of possession (37:15) in more than a year (Sept. 15, 2024, vs. Indianapolis).
His 107-yard, two-TD day puts Wilson in an exclusive club, as he's just the second Packer since the 1970 merger to post 100-plus rushing yards and multiple rushing TDs in his first NFL start.
The other? Beloved Packers running back Samkon Gado, who had 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a 33-28 win over Atlanta on Nov. 13, 2005.
Afterwards, Wilson received a game ball for his efforts. Not too bad in a spot start for Jacobs.
"We didn't know if he was going or not," Wilson said. "Today Josh just was in my corner telling me to believe in myself and telling me he believed in me, so I just went out there and did what I did."
Defensive dominance: The Packers' defense put on a clinic against the Vikings, particularly in the second half.
The unit conceded just four total yards while sacking quarterback J.J. McCarthy four times and intercepting him twice in the final 30 minutes.
All told, Green Bay gave up 145 total yards, posted five sacks and allowed 10 first downs, the first time the Packers have given up fewer than 150 yards, fewer than seven points and 10 or fewer first downs, and recorded five-plus sacks in a game since Dec. 21, 2014, at Tampa Bay.
"I think we got one of the best defenses in the league, if not the best; the talent that we have," safety Xavier McKinney said. "We have a hell of a DC (Jeff Hafley). He called a great game today and we went out there and executed. Great DC, great players all coming together, it looks good."
Defensive end Micah Parsons registered three QB hits and two sacks while also aiding defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt in his two sacks of McCarthy, who finished with just 87 passing yards.
Parsons now has 10 sacks on the season, making him just the second NFL player (since 1982) to post 10-plus sacks in each of his first five seasons in the league (Reggie White, 1985-89).
"Me and CeeDee Lamb used to say 1,000 yards is like the minimum," Parsons said. "I feel like 10 sacks for the standard of player you are, that should be the minimum you should get. For me, mine was just always 10 sacks. I'm beating him right now."
McDuffie, Hadden step up: Aiding the defensive performance was Isaiah McDuffie starting in place of an injured Quay Walker (stinger) at middle linebacker and Kamal Hadden relieving Keisean Nixon, who left with a stinger in the first quarter.
While relaying the defensive play calls, McDuffie registered a team-high nine tackles, a half sack and grabbed his first career interception in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
"It's a great feeling because we see it in practice," McDuffie said. "We knew eventually it was gonna happen in the game. Just taking the time to be patient about it and now we're seeing it happen."
Hadden hadn't played on defense since the preseason but was pressed into action after Nixon collided with Wyatt.
A 2024 sixth-round pick by Kansas City, Hadden held his own against the likes of Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor while Carrington Valentine traveled with All-Pro Justin Jefferson.
"You never know when it's gonna happen, so I've always kept that mentality," Hadden said. "It happened today. You just never know. I was just ready for getting my mind right. I wasn't expecting it but I was expecting to play every time because I know what I could happen."
Belton rotates in: Jordan Morgan received the start at right guard, but rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton rotated throughout the game.
Like Morgan, Belton started primarily at left tackle in college but has been working more at guard since Sean Rhyan slid over to replace an injured Elgton Jenkins at center.
"The past couple weeks I have been getting those reps at guard, so I was expecting to be in the inside," Belton said. "Today was the day. I had the opportunity. I just wanted to put my best foot forward to try to put good stuff on tape."
