Sporting a fresh haircut after a summer of personal rejuvenation, Rodgers returned to an offensive cast that needs plenty of work - the running back duo of Aaron Jones and A.J. Starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins were also inactive. The 'MVP' chants from the fired-up crowd in Minnesota came soon after for Jefferson.Īllen Lazard, the leading returning receiver this year for Green Bay, didn't play because of an ankle injury.

That drive yielded the first of two field goals by Greg Joseph - who later made a career-long 56-yarder - and was set up by a 64-yard gain by Jefferson on a burst between Amos and fellow safety Darnell Savage to grab the heave from Cousins. He came close to a third touchdown on the previous drive, too, but his diving catch at the edge of the end zone was a bit too far for him to drop both feet down. Jefferson had a 36-yard reception for a score in the final minute of the first half to give the Vikings a 17-0 lead. When Adam Thielen ran a slant, cornerback Eric Stokes and safety Adrian Amos both turned inside - leaving Jefferson wide open in the flat after he came in motion across the formation. Jefferson rewarded O'Connell for his first critical in-game decision by catching a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 to punctuate the first possession. #Skol /ZFQQfAba72- Minnesota Vikings September 12, 2022 The best part about winning is celebrating the win. The Packers are going to need a healthy offensive line for once, too, after they played most of the second half with three backups. Last year, they deftly rebounded from a 38-3 defeat by New Orleans, but a repeat will require some new wide receivers to quickly emerge in rhythm with Rodgers. Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 32 passes for 277 yards without a turnover, targeting Jefferson on more than a third of his throws and keeping the Packers on their heels for most of the afternoon.Īaron Rodgers' first game without Davante Adams was a struggle, and the three-time defending NFC North champion Packers fell flat in their opener for the second straight season. The Vikings are a lopsided 12.5-point underdog against the Packers on Sunday.Justin Jefferson started his third season with Minnesota by smashing rival Green Bay for 184 receiving yards and two touchdowns, giving new Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell a 23-7 victory over the Packers in his first game on Sunday.Īfter accumulating the most receiving yards (3,016) in a player's first two years in the NFL, Jefferson set an all-time Vikings receiving record with 158 yards in the first half against a stacked Packers defense. Vikings Radio Network Betting odds (Per Tipico Sportsbook): NBC (Sunday Night Football) Broadcasters: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI Live stream: So yes, it’s going to be quite the uphill climb for the Vikings. And then there’s the whole MVP-caliber season thing happening for quarterback Aaron Rodgers as well. Meanwhile, the Packers have rolled to four straight wins as the currently top-seeded team in the NFC. The Vikings are coming into Sunday’s matchup after having their two-game winning streak snapped in a heartbreaker at home last week against the Los Angeles Rams. Veteran backup Sean Mannion was activated off the COVID list and is expected to take the starting snaps under center. If you thought this would be the time for rookie backup Kellen Mond to make his grand entrance, you should probably think again. The Vikings’ starting signal caller was officially ruled out after testing positive for COVID and being placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list on Friday. Well, technically, they’ll have a quarterback on the field, but it won’t be Kirk Cousins. The quarterback-less Minnesota Vikings (7-8) hobble into Lambeau Field for an NFC North showdown with the Green Bay Packers (12-3) in Week 17.

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