Kirk Cousins went 23-of-32 passing for 277 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 23-7 home win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota.
Aaron Rodgers went 22-of-34 passing for 195 yards and an interception in defeat for Green Bay.
The Vikings dominated the first half, taking a 17-0 lead at halftime and outgaining Green Bay in the first half, 262-100.
Minnesota struck first on the first drive of the game, going up 7-0 with 9:17 remaining in the first quarter on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Jefferson.
The score capped off a 10-play, 78-yard drive.
Minnesota took a 10-0 lead with 3:54 remaining in the second quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Greg Joseph, and then went up 17-0 on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Jefferson with 33 seconds left until halftime.
In the third quarter after Minnesota recovered a Green Bay fumble, Joseph made a 56-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 20-0 lead with 9:46 to go in the third.
Green Bay finally broke through, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 20-7 with 5:16 left in the third on a 2-yard touchdown run by A.J. Dillon, which finished off a 7-play, 75-yard drive.
After each team held firm with defensive stops, Minnesota then took a 23-7 lead with 6:48 remaining in the game on a 29-yard field goal by Joseph.
Green Bay’s last gasp came when it drove to the Minnesota 18-yard line late in the fourth quarter, but a fourth-and-1 pass from Rodgers fell incomplete and the Vikings took over on downs with 3:45 remaining.
Dalvin Cook rushed for 90 yards on 20 carries to flank Cousins and Jefferson for Minnesota.
Green Bay turned the ball over twice, while Minnesota didn’t have a turnover.
–Field Level Media