Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (83) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings held a 28-0 lead over the Green Bay Packers late in the 2nd Quarter of a Week 4 showdown on Sunday.
Gradually, the Packers clawed back into the contest — and damn near closed the gap before Minnesota forced a couple of turnovers to survive and advance. And it all started with a football version of the butterfly effect.
Barring injury, wide receiver Brandon Powell handles all the Vikings’ punt-returning duties with extreme efficiency and dependability. He doesn’t make many gaffes. That’s why he’s the primary punt returner. But on Sunday, Powell was injured midgame with a rib injury, thrusting Jalen Nailor into a punt-returning role — that did not go well.
Nailor attempted to field a punt late in the 2nd Quarter with Minnesota ahead 28-0. Deep in his own territory, he lost the punt in the sun, attempted to catch it with hands over his head instead of his breadbasket, and it sailed over his head, resulting in a Packers recovery.
Green Bay scored a touchdown soon after, and the comeback, albeit ultimately unsuccessful, was in motion. Where’s the butterfly effect, you ask? Well, that was all Sam Darnold’s fault. The quarterback accidentally generated the mayhem.
Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer wrote Sunday, “Powell said quarterback Sam Darnold came up to him on the sideline to apologize after a late third-down pass over the middle that got Powell drilled by a couple of Packers defenders. Powell missed the end of the first half with a rib injury.”
Powell said about his injury, “It’s a timing play. That’s his fault I got hurt, but it’s football.”
It should also be noted that Powell didn’t lambast Darnold with hostility. The comment wasn’t designed to throw his quarterback under the bus; just some friendly ribbing.
So, if you’re keeping score at home: Darnold left Powell out to dry with an errant pass. Powell attempted to catch it. Powell injured his ribs and couldn’t return the next punt. Nailor waltzed into the special teams lineup. Nailor muffed the punt. The Packers scored. Momentum wildly swung in Green Bay’s favor.
They call it a game of inches for a reason.
Thankfully for the Vikings’ sake, they stifled the comeback, Powell’s ribs aren’t seriously injured, and Nailor learned a lesson about letting the ball sail over his head when the sun plays a factor.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.