Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings: Fourth Quarter Open Thread

Having deferred to the second half after winning the coin toss, the Green Bay Packers got to receive the second half kickoff from the Minnesota Vikings, with the home team holding a 10-7 lead. Ty Montgomery took the ball to the Green Bay 24, and Aaron Rodgers led his offense back onto the field. The Packers wound up going three-and-out, thanks in large part to a holding penalty on tight end Richard Rodgers, and Green Bay had to call upon Jacob Schum once again to kick it away. Marcus Sherels called for a fair catch at the Minnesota 23, and Sam Bradford brought the Minnesota offense back onto the field.

Bradford immediately hit Stefon Diggs for a 10-yard gain, and got an additional 15 yards after a helmet-to-helmet shot on Bradford by Mike Daniels. Unfortunately, once the Vikings crossed midfield the drive stalled, as Bradford got sacked by Clay Matthews for a seven-yard loss to end the drive. Jeff Locke came on for the punt, and got away another good one, as Micah Hyde fair caught the 37-yard punt at the Green Bay 14-yard line.

Green Bay started their drive with a decent gain, thanks to a pass interference call on Trae Waynes that gave the Packers 13 yards. Aaron Rodgers then hit Jared Cook for a 14-yard gain to the 41-yard line, and the Packers were on the move. Waynes then got hit with a defensive holding penalty that gave the Packers a fresh set of downs on what would have been a third-and-long situation. Eddie Lacy then plowed through for a 12-yard gain into Minnesota territory at the 43.

Tom Johnson then picked up a sack of Rodgers, and after a short completion to Cook, Rodgers was forced to scramble on a play that picked up the first down. Everson Griffen forced Rodgers to fumble, but the ball bounced to the Packers and allowed them to keep possession. That was the Packers' third fumble of the evening, and they've recovered all of them. Minnesota forced Green Bay into a 3rd-and-2 from the Vikings' 14, and Rodgers' pass for Jordy Nelson fell incomplete on third down. Mike McCarthy chose to roll the dice and go for it on 4th-and-2, and Brian Robison and Linval Joseph combined to stuff James Starks for a HUGE fourth down stop, preserving a 10-7 lead with just under five minutes left in the quarter.

After a first down carry by Peterson, Bradford found Stefon Diggs again for a beautiful 46-yard pass to put the Vikings into Green Bay territory at the 36-yard line. Bradford found Adam Thielen to convert a third down, and then found Diggs once more time for a 25-yard touchdown! Blair Walsh hit the extra point, and the Vikings extended their lead to 17-7. That catch gave Diggs 8 catches for 186 yards, making Diggs the first Vikings' receiver to go for 100+ yards in the first two weeks of the season since Cris Carter in 1997.

Walsh's kickoff went for another touchback, and the Packers started their next drive at the 25-yard line. The Packers got pushed back on a holding penalty, but then got an iffy pass interference call against Trae Waynes to move the ball near midfield. James Starks then took the ball down to the Minnesota 35 near the end of the quarter.

As we move to the fourth quarter of play, the Packers are looking at 2nd-and-8 from the Minnesota 33-yard line, with the Minnesota Vikings holding a 17-7 lead. Can the Vikings hold on and win the first ever game at U.S. Bank Stadium? Come hang out with us for the conclusion and find out!