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Packers fall to Vikings, 31-29

Huge deficit too much to overcome for Green Bay

Packers defense
Packers defense

GREEN BAY – The Packers fell behind by 28 points in the second quarter and tried to rally in the second half, but it proved to be too big a hole.

The Vikings left Lambeau Field on Sunday with a 31-29 victory and a 4-0 record, dropping the Packers to 2-2.

QB Jordan Love returned from his two-game absence due to a knee injury, but the game couldn't have started worse. With the Vikings driving for touchdowns, the Packers missing field goals, and Love throwing a couple of interceptions, it became 28-0 Minnesota.

Two turnovers deep in Minnesota territory that were converted into scores – a muffed punt and strip-sack – helped get Green Bay back into the game. The Packers eventually cut the lead to 28-22 in the fourth quarter on TE Tucker Kraft's TD catch and two-point conversion.

But the Vikings responded with a long drive for a field goal for a 31-22 lead, and then on Green Bay's next two possessions, Love threw his third interception on a deep ball to the end zone, and Kraft fumbled the ball away along the sideline.

After the Packers stopped the Vikings on fourth-and-short inside the Green Bay 5-yard line, Love drove the offense the length of the field in just five plays, hitting WR Dontayvion Wicks for his second TD catch of the game with 56 seconds left.

The Vikings recovered the onside kick, and that was that.

For the Packers, Love was 32-of-54 for 389 yards with four TDs, three INTs and an 83.0 rating. WR Jayden Reed had seven catches for 139 yards and a score, Wicks had five catches for 78 yards and two TDs, and Kraft had six grabs for 53 yards and a score. RB Josh Jacobs had nine carries for 51 yards, and RB Emanuel Wilson added eight carries for 27 yards.

For the Vikings, QB Sam Darnold was 20-of-28 with three TDs, one INT and a 123.4 rating. Former Packers RB Aaron Jones had 22 carries for 93 yards. WR Justin Jefferson had six catches for 85 yards and a TD, and WR Jordan Addison had three catches for 72 yards and a score.

WR Christian Watson and DL Devonte Wyatt both left the game for the Packers with ankle injuries.

Here's a recap of all the action:

QB Jordan Love

Vikings lead Packers 14-0 after first quarter

The Packers won the opening coin toss and deferred. Minnesota opened with three straight Aaron Jones touches, producing 18 yards. Isaiah McDuffie nearly picked off Sam Darnold on second-and-9 but couldn't hold onto it.

The Vikings faced third-and-14 after a delay of game penalty but Darnold connected with Jalen Nailor on a deep crossing route for 31 yards. On the next play, Jordan Addison came free for a 29-yard touchdown to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first quarter.

With Jordan Love resuming his starting position, the Packers ran the ball well out of the game. Josh Jacobs gained 21 yards on his first two carries and was stout in pass protection to give Love time to find Jayden Reed across the middle for 24 yards. Reed surpass 1,000 career receiving yards on the play.

Elgton Jenkins jumped on third-and-9 and Dontayvion Wicks couldn't bring in a pass from Love to bring up fourth down. The Packers tried a 37-yard field goal, but Narveson hit the right upright with 6:47 left in the first quarter.

A 17-yard Jones run and facemask penalty on Edgerrin Cooper moved the ball from the Minnesota 27 to the Packers' 41.

The Vikings converted two third-and-1 situations on their second possession, which culminated in a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Oliver that extended Minnesota's lead to 14-0 with 1:37 left in the first quarter.

Love was intercepted by Kamu Grugier-Hill down the seam on a third-and-7 pass. Watson was injured on the play.

Packers defense

Vikings lead Packers 28-0 at halftime

The Vikings produced their third-straight touchdown drive at the start of the second quarter, with a 7-yard Jordan Addison end-around extending Minnesota's lead to 21-0 with 11:50 remaining in the first half.

The Packers opened their next drive with a 20-yard pass to Romeo Doubs to midfield. After an 8-yard pass to Reed, Green Bay moved the ball to the 23 off a defensive pass interference penalty.

However, Pat Jones sacked Love for a 10-yard loss and Narveson missed a 49-yard field goal to keep the deficit at 21-0 with 8:04 left in the first half.

The Vikings went three-and-out on their four offensive possession. Ryan Wright mishit his punt, but the ball still bounced down to the Green Bay 6 for a 53-yard effort.

The Packers converted a first down with a Jacobs 6-yard run and a 7-yard pass to Doubs, but Love threw his second INT, this time to Shaq Griffin in the face of a free-blitzer.

The Vikings converted the takeaway into a 14-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson to push their lead to 28-0 with 5:28 left.

Blake Cashman came unabated to Love on the first two plays, but Green Bay converted a third-and-10 when Tucker Kraft came open on the right side and extended it for 21 yards.

Love scrambled for 17 yards on third-and-6 with an illegal hands to face penalty on Vikings. Doubs initially was ruled to have a 17-yard catch but it was overturned upon review.

The Packers turned the ball over on downs at the Vikings' 33 after a fourth-and-10 Love pass fell incomplete in the end zone. Minnesota went three-and-out, though, as Darnold's third-and-1 pass for Brandon Powell went incomplete.

The Packers went three-and-out and were forced to punt with 50 seconds left in the half. Daniel Whelan boomed a 74-yard punt that Jalen Nailor fair-caught but it went over his head. Bo Melton recovered it at the Minnesota 3 (the ball couldn't be advanced).

Officials ruled Doubs caught the first-and-goal pass at the 1. Head Coach Matt LaFleur was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after officials missed him trying to call timeout. Green Bay still got on the board with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Reed with 15 seconds left to bring the score to 28-7.

S Xavier McKinney

Vikings lead Packers 28-7 after three

The Packers received to start the second half but went three-and-out after it was determined after a successful challenge that Dontayvion Wicks didn't complete the catch on a third-and-4 pass from Love.

Darnold got the Vikings going with a 25-yard completion to Addison on third-and-10, but Xavier McKinney got the ball back for the Packers when he picked off Darnold near the sideline.

It was McKinney's fourth interception in four games with the Packers, the most by a Green Bay player in his first four games with the team.

Starting at their own 2, the Packers went three-and-out and were forced to punt. Jones broke a 13-yard run on first down but was tackled for a 2-yard loss by Javon Bullard on the next play. Quay Walker then sacked Darnold for a loss of 13.

Green Bay started at its own 20 after Wright's punt went for a touchback.

Wicks took a receiver screen for 1 yards and then converted a first down on an 8-yard out. A 17-yard pass to Reed moved Green Bay across midfield.

A holding penalty negated a Wilson run and the Packers turned the ball over on downs when Love's deep ball for Wicks on fourth-and-10 went incomplete.

Minnesota punted after going three-and-out when Ty Chandler was tackled for no gain on third-and-1. The Packers took over at their own 11 with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.

Reed gained 12 yards on a pass in flat and Jacobs caught an underneath pass for nine to end the third quarter.

Packers defense

Packers' comeback falls short in 31-29 loss to Vikings

Jacobs moved the chains with an 11-yard pickup on third-and-2. On second-and-7, Love found an open Bo Melton for a 28-yard gain to the Vikings' 27.

Malik Heath gained nine yards on a second-and-7 stop route to move inside the red zone. After a 9-yard checkdown to Jacobs, Love threw a 6-yard touchdown to Wicks on a third-and-1 slant to pull the Packers within two scores, 28-14, with 11:38 left.

The 11-play, 89-yard scoring drive was Green Bay's longest of the year.

Keisean Nixon recorded a blindside strip sack of Darnold, which Edgerrin Cooper recovered at the Vikings' 20. After a 7-yard Jacobs run, Kraft fought through the first would-be tackler for a 13-yard touchdown with 10:16 remaining.

Green Bay pulled within six after a successful two-point conversion on a pass to Kraft.

The Vikings charged back with a seven-play, 55-yard scoring drive that included a 27-yard pass to Justin Jefferson.

After an errant Darnold throw on third-and-7, Will Reichard made a 33-yard field goal to push the Vikings' lead back to two possessions, 31-22, with 6:50 remaining.

Love opened the next drive with a 36-yard pass to Wicks to the Vikings' 34 but was then intercepted by Byron Murphy in the end zone on a deep pass intended for Wicks with 6:13 left.

The Vikings went three-and-out, punting the ball back to Green Bay with 4:40 left in the game. Murphy forced a fumble on Kraft to get the ball back at the Packers' 42.

On third-and-12, Jefferson completed a 13-yard catch after a successful challenge by Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Green Bay 4, with Nailor being stopped short of the first down on a stretch play.

The game reached the two-minute warning after a 6-yard Wilson run and Doubs catching a 10-yard out. Love established a new career-high with his 30th completion on a 21-yard pass to Reed. He then scrambled out to hit Reed for 42 yards to the Minnesota 17.

Love found Wicks in the end zone for a 17-yard TD to make it 31-29 with 56 seconds left. It was Love's first four-TD game. Daniel Whelan tried a drop-kick but Josh Oliver recovered it to secure the win.

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