Vikings, Packers play to 29-29 Tie

After letting the Packers march down the field a bit to start the game, Sheldon Richardson and Everson Griffen combined to sack Aaron Rodgers and kill Green Bay’s momentum, forcing a punt. The punt pinned the Vikings deep in their own end, the offense sputtered, and the team was forced to punt. Aaaaannnnd… Geronimo Allison blocked it, Josh Jackson recovered it in the end zone, and the Packers were suddenly up 7-0. Mike Hughes had yet another nice play, returning to ensuing kickoff 46 yards, and giving the Vikings good field position.

Kirk Cousins was brought in during the offseason to help rally the team when it’s down. And that’s exactly what he did, marching the team right back down the field and hitting Laquon Treadwell in stride to tie the game, 7-7.

The Packers then answered with a drive of their own, marching 75 years on eleven plays. The drive was aided by a big defensive holding call against Mackensie Alexander on third down, giving the Packers a new set of downs to play with. Rodgers hit Davante Adams for a 9 yard touchdown, putting the Packers back on top 14-7.

The teams then exchanged punts on four straight drives. The Vikings offense went into full-on turtle mode, yet again, with very vanilla playcalling and the team settled for a field goal attempt, which rookie kicker Daniel Carlson booted wide right.

The Packers took over with just over a minute and a half remaining, Rodgers led his team down the field, and Mason Crosby gave Daniel Carlson a lesson on how to kick a ball through the uprights as time expired, putting the Packers up 17-7 at the half.

The score stayed that way until mid way through the third quarter, when Crosby hit from 40 yards out, giving the Packers a 20-7 lead.

As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the Vikings went on a very nice, nine-play 71- yard drive capped by a wide open shoestring touchdown catch by Stefon Diggs, drawing the Vikings to within six, at 20-14.

The Packers then marched down the field, aided by two missed calls by the officiating crew - one, an uncalled down by contact that gave the team a first down, and the second an offsides call against Sheldon Richardson, in which left guard Lane Taylor clearly moved first - and ended the drive with another Mason Crosby field goal putting the Packers up by a score of 23-14.

And, then…

That play drew the Vikings to within two points, at 23-21. What a play!

The Packers then took the next possession and turned in a ten play, thirty-nine yard drive, that took over five minutes off the clock, and resulted in a 48-yard Mason Crosby field goal which put the Packers back ahead by a score of 26-21.

On the next drive, Kirk Cousins then lasered a ball to Laquon Treadwell, who tipped it up just enough to allow Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix to pick the ball off, the Packers ran a few plays without running much time off the clock, and Mason Crosby banged through his fifth field goal of the day, making the score 29-21.

With just under two minutes, the Vikings got the ball back with two time-outs remaining. Cousins then lofted a ball deep, and the Packers Jaire Alexander intercepted. However, Clay Matthews allowed the Vikings to keep the ball by committing a roughing the passer penalty, giving the Vikings new life. Cousins then marched the ball down the field, before this…

Finally, the Packers got the ball back with 37 seconds remaining. And Rodgers Rodgers-ed the Packers down the field, where Mason Crosby had a chance to tie the game. The Packers lined up, Crosby booted the ball through the uprights, and… wait-a-minute… Mike Zimmer called a timeout just before the snap. Crosby then lined up for another try, and booted the ball wide left, sending the game into overtime.

The Vikings won the toss, and began the overtime period with the ball at the 30 yard line after a nice return by Holton Hill. Mike Zimmer inexplicably allowed Laquon Treadwell back out on the field, and Treadwell immediately dropped two passes. This gave rookie kicker Daniel Carlson a shot at redemption. Carlson saw the opportunity, thought about the kick, and promptly vomited all over himself, pushing the ball wide right.

The Vikings defense then held stout, forcing the Packers to punt the ball. Cousins then returned to his best and most reliable playmakers, Diggs, Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, and Running Back Latavius Murray, who set Daniel Carlson up one more time, this time from 35 yards out, lined up directly in the center of the field.

Somewhere, someone out there - and damn you, if it was you! - said “Carlson can’t possibly miss from here, can he?” And Carlson replied, “watch this!”, booting the ball wide right, and ending the game in a sickening, horrible tie.

Kirk Cousins did absolutely everything he could possibly have done to win the game, finishing 35/48 for 425 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

Dalvin Cook rushed the ball ten times for 38 yards, and added another 3 catches for 52 yards.

Adam Thielen had 12 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, Stefon Diggs caught 9 balls for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Kyle Rudolph added 7 catches for 72 yards.

On defense, the Vikings held the Packers to just 4-13 on 3rd down. Rodgers was 30/42 for 281 yards and one TD. Danielle Hunter, Mackensie Alexander, and David Parry each had a sack, and Everson Griffen and Sheldon Richardson combined for a sack as well.

It was definitely a disappointing ending for the Purple after such a great comeback. Next week, the team takes on the Buffalo Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium. Thank you to everyone who got their Vikings game day coverage here at the Daily Norseman.