Vikings Overcome Kyler Murray Injury to Beat Packers in Season Opener

Minneapolis: The Minnesota Vikings overcame an early quarterback injury and a 12-point deficit to defeat the Green Bay Packers 39-22 on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota lost Kyler Murray in the first quarter after he took a hit while sliding on a third-down scramble. Murray was evaluated for a concussion and ruled out for the remainder of the game after playing only three drives.

Carson Wentz stepped in and helped completely change the game. He finished 12 of 19 passing for 133 yards and three touchdowns as Minnesota scored the final 29 points after trailing 22-10.

Green Bay controlled much of the first half behind quarterback Jordan Love and wide receiver Christian Watson. Watson caught two touchdown passes, including an 81-yard catch-and-run, and finished the first half with 131 receiving yards. Love ultimately threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted once and sacked four times.

The Vikings began their comeback late in the first half when Wentz connected with Justin Jefferson for a 39-yard touchdown. Jefferson later added another touchdown on a nine-yard reception, finishing with two receiving scores.

Minnesota’s defense also took control late. A series of pressures against Love’s inexperienced offensive line included consecutive sacks, with the second producing a fumble recovered by Andrew Van Ginkel at the Green Bay 1-yard line. Jordan Mason converted the turnover into a touchdown to give Minnesota a 32-22 advantage.

Aaron Jones also scored on a three-yard touchdown run as Minnesota moved ahead 25-22 late in the fourth quarter. The Vikings then added Jefferson’s second touchdown to complete the 39-22 victory.

The win gives Minnesota a 1-0 start to the season. The Vikings will next travel to Chicago to face the Bears, while Green Bay will visit the New York Jets in Week 2.