Zimmer opened his postgame news conference talking about the game atmosphere and how well quarterback Sam Bradford played in his Vikings debut. In front of 66,813 fans and a national TV audience, Stefon Diggs had a breakout performance, with a career-high 9 catches for 182 yards and a highlight reel touchdown. Zimmer said he was told the injury had already “calmed down” afterward.
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He talked this offseason about the inability to call all the plays he wanted to a year ago because wide receiver Jordy Nelson wasn’t there to knock the top out of defenses. “I won’t know until we get the MRI”.
That set up Green Bay with another 1st-and-goal.
He did enough to beat the Jaguars last week, but there were moments of apparent frustration for him Sunday night that weren’t entirely because of the pressure the Vikings brought. The Vikings last opened a permanent new home on September 12, 1982, beating Tampa Bay 17-10 in the inaugural game at the Metrodome. Our tempo wasn’t good. that’s really two weeks in a row, that’ll be a focus for us as we go into Detroit.
“These guys have had my back from day one”, Bradford said.
The injury severely hinders the Vikings offense going forward.
Minnesota (2-0) broke its offensive touchdown drought in the second quarter with Bradford connecting with Kyle Rudolph in the back of the end zone with an 8-yard dart.
Peterson suffered a devastating left knee injury in 2011 – tearing both his ACL and MCL ligaments – only to bounce back and rush for 2,007 yards in the 2012 regular season.
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.
New QB for Vikings: In the Mike McCarthy era, the Bears and Lions have combined to use 11 different starting quarterbacks against the Packers.
Rodgers added a score on the ground with a scramble, and was 20 of 36 passing for 213 yards. But the Packers offense repeatedly stalled in the fourth quarter in the face of Minnesota’s defense, which forced four fumbles and recovered one.
Defensive tackle Tom Johnson, who recorded a sack early in the second half, left the game to undergo the league’s concussion protocol.
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Bradford, acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the preseason after Teddy Bridgewater was lost to a knee injury, threw for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first start for the Vikings.
