The only thing that saved the night for the Vikings was a brilliant performance by the newly-acquired Sam Bradford and another gutsy effort by an opportunistic defense which held off Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the first ever regular-season game at U.S. Bank Stadium, the attractive billion-dollar venue in downtown Minneapolis that will host Super Bowl LII after the 2017 season. Vikings all-pro running back Adrian Peterson left the game toward the end of the third quarter with an injury to his right knee.
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Packers receiver Jordy Nelson will forever have the first touchdown in the Vikings’ new stadium, a 1-yard pass from Rodgers in the first quarter, giving Green Bay a 7-0 lead.
The Packers had one final chance just before the two-minute warning, but cornerback Trae Waynes stepped into the passing lane to intercept a throw intended for Davante Adams.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer refused to reveal his decision all week.
Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford seems to be adjusting well to life with the Minnesota Vikings. He began to find a groove throwing the ball late, but Bradford was the better quarterback on this night.
Bradford found Diggs for a 4-yard completion on fourth-and-1 from the 18. But it was one of those traits (aggressiveness) that got him in hot water for much of tonight’s game and which could have helped the Pack win this game. Bradford hit Kyle Rudolph for an eight yard score, followed by a Blair Walsh 46-yard field goal.
“When quarterbacks and receivers are on time, they’re very tough to stop”, said Packers cornerback Damarious Randall, who was matched up with Diggs for most of the game. Zimmer went on to say that whatever had bothered Peterson initally seemed to subsidein severity.
There were only a couple of instances that even hinted of newness for Bradford and the offense, when one throw on the first drive sailed well past where Rudolph’s route ended and another later in the first quarter was in the air too quickly for Rudolph to turn around.
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Rodgers finished with two turnovers after totaling three in his first eight road games against the Vikings. Each team was charged with a turnover because of the change of possession. In the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, Peterson managed only 31 yards on 19 carries. Rodgers fumbled at his own 12 on the last play from scrimmage of the first quarter, but J.C. Tretter fell on it. Everson Griffen knocked the ball out the hand of a scrambling Rodgers in the third quarter, but Captain Munnerlyn whiffed on his pickup attempt. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty that pinned the Vikings back at their own 27 while nursing a three-point lead in the fourth quarter. Initial tests showed no damage to his ACL.
