The Most Important Aspect of Vikings’ Win over GB
The Minnesota Vikings sprinted to a 28-0 lead over the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 at Lambeau Field and held on for a 31-29 win about two hours later.
The Most Important Aspect of Vikings’ Win over GB
Minnesota has now toppled the Packers at their house in back-to-back seasons, a notable achievement because the purple team doesn’t necessarily fare well at Lambeau as a matter of practice.
And somehow, despite the almost-meltdown, the Vikings’ most important takeaway from the win dribbled out Sunday afternoon — surviving its first real bout with 2024 regular season adversity.
Of course, hardship permeated Minnesota’s summer — from a player death to a player arrest and season-ending injuries for cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Yet, up to Week 4, the Vikings never experienced a game in doubt, taking care of business in commanding fashion over the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans.
Then, Sunday arrived, and the Vikings damn near produced the largest single-game collapse in franchise history.
The mayhem began with a muffed punt by wide receiver Jalen Nailor, who lost a ball in the sun right before halftime. Had Nailor routinely hauled in the punt return catch, Minnesota would’ve waltzed into halftime with a 28-0 lead. But he did not, and the Packers scored a touchdown shortly after.
Momentum sprouted for the cheese team.
Thereafter, the Packers never really looked back until Minnesota decided to smother the comeback late in the 4th Quarter. Head coach Kevin O’Connell often talks about how his squad handles adversity, and in a unique way — nearly unspeakable — his team mitigated precisely that en route to the organization’s first 4-0 record since 2016.
Predictably, O’Connell remained optimistic about the win — as he should — after his team produced his most impressive season start since landing the big job in 2022.
“You guys can feel it — the juice and the energy in here,” he told reporters after the game. “Momentum in football is a serious thing. Plays that sometimes at different points in the game could look a whole different way. Momentum, the energy, I thought it was a pretty significant atmosphere, especially in that second half.”
Sometime soon — maybe this Sunday in London — the Vikings will trail in a game, and it will feel rather odd. Well, nearly choking away a 28-0 lead at the foremost rival’s house served as a decent test of the team’s mettle. Had they lost, Vikings fans would’ve never heard the end of it, lambasted by meme culture and all the trimmings.
But O’Connell held on, is 4-0, and a brush with adversity is in the books.
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.
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