For the first time in recent memory in Minnesota, there weren’t thousands of cheeseheaded Packer fans from the east who breached the gates and hollered “Go Pack Go!” during the game. Minnesota had scored eight such touchdowns in its last 17 regular-season games, according to stats guru Eric Goska. Although the midgame loss of the star running back may yet produce an offensive nightmare for the Vikings.
Advertisement
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams catches a pass over Minnesota Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Minneapolis.
Peterson stayed down on the field after a 5-yard run with 3:32 left in the third quarter, and he hobbled off the field with the assistance of athletic trainers. But the Packers offense repeatedly stalled in the fourth quarter in the face of Minnesota’s defense, which forced four fumbles and recovered one.
RODGERS SAYS R-E-L-A-X: Nelson’s return has been a boost, but Green Bay’s offense has still been missing the quick-strike, big-play ability it has long had under Rodgers.
The Green Bay Packers were the Minnesota Vikings’ first opponent on Sunday night, when the Vikings officially opened up US Bank Stadium – their new crown jewel – for the the regular season.
Overall, Minnesota’s defense looked magnificent under the guidance of head coach Mike Zimmer.
Did Bradford ever. While it took him some time to get into a groove, he eventually looked as if had been with the Vikings for 15 months, not 15 days. “Hopefully we’re in a position to play for something then”.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will have an MRI on his right knee after injuring it in the third quarter and leaving Sunday night’s game. Stefon Diggs caught nine passes for 182 yards a touchdown.
The first points were put on the board by the visitors, as Aaron Rodgers found Jordy Nelson on a 1-yard touchdown pass to make the score 7-0 in favor of Green Bay about ten minutes into the contest.
The unit sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers five times, with defensive linemen Everson Griffen, Brian Robison, Linval Joseph, Tom Johnson and Danielle Hunter each bringing him down once.
Green Bay’s awakening came in the fourth quarter, when Rodgers orchestrated a 74-yard drive on 10 plays, the last of which seeing Rodgers take matters into his own hands for a 10-yard touchdown run.
It was the first interception Rodgers had thrown in Minnesota since 2009 and it came on a night when he was outplayed by the Vikings’ Sam Bradford, who has been with the team for only three weeks. And that fourth-down conversion to Diggs was a small step toward Bradford’s first touchdown, and perhaps something more. With three seconds to play, Bradford dropped back and heaved a pass out of bounds to end the game.
“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. “He threw the ball away in the right situations and if you don’t the ball over – when you have two evenly matched teams the turnovers always end up being the difference”.
“These guys have had my back from day one”, Bradford said.
When Peterson left U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night, he was wearing a giant knee brace and walking with crutches.
Advertisement
Zimmer said he wasn’t surprised in slightest by Bradford’s big debut.
