Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings: Second Quarter Open Thread

To start the 110th meeting between these two teams, the Green Bay Packers won the coin toss and chose to defer to the second half, meaning that the Minnesota Vikings got the football first. Cordarrelle Patterson took the kickoff from Mason Crosby and took it to the Minnesota 27, where the Vikings started their first drive. Things got off to a bad start when Matt Kalil was called for holding on the first play from scrimmage, but the Vikings recovered thanks to a 10-yard run by Adrian Peterson and a 12-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Jarius Wright. Two plays later, the Vikings were into Green Bay territory, but the drive stalled following a Mike Wallace drop at the Green Bay 43-yard line. The Vikings brought on the punting unit, and Jeff Locke's punt wound up going for a touchback to give the Packers the ball at their own 20-yard line.

The Packers picked up a big third down conversion on their first drive, and then Aaron Rodgers found James Jones for a 25-yard gain into Minnesota territory at the 39-yard line. The Vikings' defense forced the Packers into a 4th-and-1 at the Minnesota 30-yard line, and the Packers went for it. Rodgers got Anthony Barr to jump offsides, giving the Packers a free, fresh set of downs. The Vikings eventually stopped the Packers, and the Packers had to bring on Mason Crosby to attempt a field goal. Crosby was good from 42 yards out, and the Packers took the first lead of the afternoon at 3-0 with 4:49 left in the quarter.

Green Bay kicked it short on the ensuing kickoff, with fullback Zach Line returning the kick to the Minnesota 36-yard line. Two carries by Adrian Peterson later, the Vikings found themselves back in Green Bay territory at the 49. Peterson then carried for two more yards, and then Teddy Bridgewater found Kyle Rudolph at around the Green Bay 30-yard line. Rudolph slipped a tackle and went the rest of the way from there for a 47-yard touchdown connection. The play was the longest scoring reception of Rudolph's career. Then, of course, Blair Walsh pushed the extra point wide to the right, limiting Minnesota's lead to just 6-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, Jeff Janis. . .subbing for the injured Micah Hyde. . .got away a great return, cruising all the way down to the Minnesota 34-yard line. Eddie Lacy moved the ball down to the Minnesota 25, but Brian Robison got a huge stop on Lacy on 3rd-and-1 to force another field goal attempt by Crosby. He hit from 47 yards out, and the game was tied at 6-6.

The Vikings' next drive started from their own 20-yard line after a touchback, and as we move to the second quarter of play, the Vikings are looking at 3rd-and-8 from their own 22-yard line.

The Vikings and the Packers are tied, 6-6, after one quarter of play at TCF Bank Stadium. Come on in and join us for the second quarter of play!