Packers Collapse in Brutal Second Half as Vikings Rally

When the whistle blew for the second quarter, the Packers seemed to have everything they needed: a solid game plan, a quarterback who had just tossed two touchdowns, and a defense that forced an early interception from Vikings starter Kyler Murray.

That early interception, however, turned out to be a one‑off. Murray left the field with a concussion, and backup Carson Wentz slipped into the game with just five passes under his belt.

Jordan Love, Green Bay’s starter, looked the part. He racked up close to 200 passing yards and two scores before the half‑hour mark, and the scoreboard reflected a 22‑10 lead. For a moment, it felt like the Packers might be cruising to a comfortable win.

Then the narrative flipped, almost as if someone hit a switch. In the third quarter, Green Bay’s offense stalled, and a routine field goal was all they could muster. Minnesota answered with a flurry of big plays that would eventually add up to 29 unanswered points.

The fourth quarter was a nightmare for Green Bay. On their first three possessions, the Packers turned the ball over three times: an eight‑play drive that died on a fourth‑down stop, a fumble by Love, and finally Love’s first interception of the season.

Meanwhile, Wentz, thrust into the spotlight, found his rhythm. He threw two touchdowns in the second half and capped the comeback with a third score, propelling the Vikings to a 39‑22 victory.

Love did finish with a massive 387 passing yards, but the numbers felt hollow as the final whistle blew. The loss left Green Bay as the only NFC North team without a win after Week 1.

Looking ahead, the Packers will head to New York for Week 2 against the Jets, hoping to snap the early‑season slump and prove that the first‑half spark wasn’t a fluke.