Coming out of the locker room trailing the Green Bay Packers by a score of 28-13, the Minnesota Vikings got the football first coming out of the locker room. After a touchback on the kickoff, the Vikings started the drive with the third sack of Sam Bradford on the afternoon, as he was taken down by Mike Daniels for a loss of nine. That shut down the offense, as they went three-and-out and called on Jeff Locke to punt the ball away. He got away a bad punt, a 33-yarder that Micah Hyde fair caught at the Green Bay 45-yard line, setting the Packers up with great field position.
The Vikings’ defense stood up on the next possession, as Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter combined on a sack of Rodgers on third down to force a three-and-out for Minnesota’s defense. Rodgers was slow to get up, but got to the sidelines and appeared to be okay. Jake Schum came on to punt for Green Bay, and Marcus Sherels called for the fair catch at the Minnesota 13.
Adam Thielen got the drive started for the Vikings with a 9-yard catch, and the Vikings picked up a first down on an 11-yard run by Jerick McKinnon to the 33. Alex Boone was then called for a false start to push the Vikings back five yards, but Bradford managed to convert a third down by finding Stefon Diggs for a gain of 13. A holding penalty on T.J. Clemmings stalled the drive out, and Jeff Locke came on to punt again, and Micah Hyde returned the punt to the Green Bay 34-yard line.
Minnesota’s defense stepped up once again to force another three-and-out from the Green Bay offense. Schum came on to punt it away again, and the Vikings took over at their own 14-yard line after Marcus Sherels couldn’t generate anything on the return. The Vikings answered that with a three-and-out of their own, and Hyde returned the Jeff Locke punt into Minnesota territory at the 44-yard line.
It looked like the Vikings might put together another three-and-out, but Aaron Rodgers converted third down with a 11-yard completion to Geronimo Allison to keep Green Bay’s drive moving. Rodgers and Allison converted another third down, courtesy of an 8-yard completion down to the Minnesota 19. They didn’t convert any more, though, as Eric Kendricks got to Rodgers for another sack, giving him 2.5 on the afternoon. The Packers are looking at a 4th-and-21 from the Green Bay 30 as we move to the fourth quarter.
We’ve got fifteen minutes of football left at Lambeau Field, and the Packers lead 28-13 and will (likely) be lining up for a field goal to add to it. Can the Vikings mount a comeback? I doubt it. . .but let’s watch anyway, shall we?