The Green Bay Packers handed the Minnesota Vikings 14 early points off giveaways, got back into the game via two important takeaways and then let the comeback attempt die on the vine due to two more late giveaways in a seesawing turnover battle on Sunday that ended with the Vikings escaping Lambeau Field with a 31-29 win.
Each and every week, coach Matt LaFleur talks about “winning the ball.” On Sunday, the game rocked back and forth violently based on the winner of the ball.
Two early interceptions thrown by Jordan Love — one on third down intended for Christian Watson, and another that went through the hands of both Luke Musgrave and Romeo Doubs — set up the Vikings in Packers territory and led to quick touchdown drives. On the first, Love didn’t read the coverage right and tried to fit a ball into an impossible window, causing an injury-creating collision for Watson and a turnover. On the second, a throw to Doubs went through Musgrave’s hands and off Doubs’ hands and into the waiting arms of Shaq Griffin. The first was a bad decision; the second was just bad luck.
By the time the Packers got their footing in the game, the Vikings led 28-0 and were in full control.
LaFleur’s team found hope in the takeaway.
Daniel Whelan’s towering punt late in the second quarter was misread by returner Jalen Nailor, and Bo Melton recovered inside the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Love’s touchdown pass to Jayden Reed had the Packers on the board and feeling a little better at 28-7 entering half.
After Xavier McKinney’s fourth interception in as many games halted what could have been a dagger drive for the Vikings in the red zone in the second half, the Packers used another takeaway to jumpstart the comeback attempt. On the second play following a Packers touchdown, Keisean Nixon strip-sacked Sam Darnold and set up Love at the Vikings’ 20-yard line. Nixon came on a well-timed blitz from the slot and got the ball, and rookie Edgerrin Cooper recovered. Two plays later, Love hit Tucker Kraft for a touchdown and a two-point conversion to get the Packers to within six points at 28-22.
But a couple more giveaways were too much to overcome.
After the Vikings added a field goal to go up nine points, Love tried to beat a well-designed blitz with a deep ball to Dontayvion Wicks, but Byron Murphy won the jump ball in the end zone with 6:13 to go. The Packers were on the Vikings’ 34-yard line and had 1st-and-10. Love wanted to give Wicks a chance to make a play, but he also admitted he probably could have thrown the ball away and lived to fight another down.
A drive later, Murphy made another play. Kraft caught a pass in the flat, tried to turn upfield and Murphy perfectly punched the ball out, and the Vikings recovered inbounds 4:27 left. The Packers were approaching midfield. Instead, the Vikings took over, drove 38 yards and killed another two minutes off the fourth-quarter clock.
Even though Love engineered another touchdown drive, the Packers didn’t have the timeouts or time on the clock to get another possession after an onside kick failed.
In a matchup of two teams so good at creating turnovers, the game’s turnover margin ended up being a primary storyline. The Packers got three takeaways but gave the ball away four times. Both teams got 14 points off turnovers — a pair of touchdowns by the Vikings to take control early, and a pair of touchdowns by the Packers to get back into the game.
The difference was the turnovers late. With the door still open, the Packers stubbed their toe too many times to take advantage.
In wins over the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, the Packers were plus-five in turnover margin. On Sunday, LaFleur’s team lost the turnover battle for the first time in 2024 — and in the process handed the rival Vikings an early lead in the NFC North race.