The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 39-22 on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, and the red zone decided it. Minnesota went 4-for-4 in the red zone, while Green Bay cashed just 1 of its 4 trips and leaned on Trey Smack's leg instead.
That gap mattered more than the yardage, which tilted hard toward Green Bay. The Packers outgained Minnesota by 180 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per play to the Vikings' 3.9. They still lost comfortably.
How It Happened
Green Bay controlled the first quarter. Smack opened the scoring with a 59-yard field goal, and Jordan Love found Christian Watson for an 81-yard touchdown at 7:43. Smack missed the extra point, leaving it 9-0. Will Reichard's 38-yard field goal made it 9-3 after one.
Smack added a 43-yarder early in the second quarter for a 12-3 lead. Carson Wentz answered with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson at 1:55, cutting it to 12-10. Love and Watson then connected again from 2 yards out with 14 seconds left, sending Green Bay into halftime up 19-10.
Smack's 26-yard field goal at 5:09 of the third quarter pushed the lead to 22-10. It was Green Bay's last score. Wentz hit T.J. Hockenson for a 16-yard touchdown at 2:08, and the Vikings were within a score entering the fourth.
The fourth quarter was all Minnesota. Aaron Jones Sr. scored from 3 yards out at 6:37 to give the Vikings their first lead, and Wentz found Jefferson on the two-point conversion to make it 25-22. Jordan Mason punched in a 1-yard run at 4:48, and Wentz hit Jefferson from 9 yards at 3:55. Those last two touchdowns came less than a minute of game clock apart.
Key Performers
Carson Wentz: 3 TD passes (39, 16 and 9 YDS), 1 two-point conversion pass
Justin Jefferson: 2 TD receptions (39 and 9 YDS), 1 two-point conversion catch
Christian Watson: 2 TD receptions (81 and 2 YDS)
Trey Smack: 3 field goals (59, 43 and 26 YDS), 1 missed PAT
Green Bay passing (team): 21-42, 353 net YDS, 1 INT
Minnesota passing (team): 15-24, 132 net YDS, 1 INT
Minnesota threw for less than half of Green Bay's passing yardage, but Wentz accounted for 3 touchdown passes and the two-point conversion on the go-ahead fourth-quarter score.
Jefferson was the finisher, with 2 touchdowns and the two-point catch. Watson gave Green Bay both of its touchdowns, but the Packers never found a third.
What It Means
Minnesota opens 1-0 and 1-0 at home. Green Bay starts 0-1, and this one belongs on the Packers' own ledger as much as the Vikings'.
Discipline was the second story. Green Bay was flagged 12 times for 98 yards, and Minnesota picked up 5 first downs by penalty. The Vikings committed just 3 penalties for 15 yards.
The Packers also failed in the money downs. They converted 3 of 12 third downs and went 0-for-2 on fourth down, while Minnesota moved the chains on 8 of 15 third downs. Add 2 turnovers to Minnesota's 1, and a dominant yardage day turned into a loss.
For Green Bay, the fix starts in the red zone. An offense that piles up 419 yards cannot keep settling for field goals and expect to hold leads.