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Sports
The Associated Press

Undefeated Minnesota Vikings dominate first half and hang on to beat Green Bay Packers 31-29

a football player throws a pass
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to throw a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, in Green Bay, Wis.
Morry Gash | AP

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Sam Darnold threw three touchdown passes and Jordan Addison scored twice as the Minnesota Vikings built an early 28-point lead and hung on down the stretch to beat the Green Bay Packers 31-29 on Sunday.

The Vikings (4-0) are off to their best start since 2016, when they won their first five games before slumping to an 8-8 finish. They have trailed for less than 3 1/2 minutes all season.

Minnesota spoiled the return of Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who returned after missing two games with an injured left medial collateral ligament. He threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns, both career highs. But he also matched a career high with three interceptions while going 32 of 54.

Jayden Reed had seven receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Packers (2-2).

Green Bay got within 31-29 on Dontayvion Wicks’ second fourth-quarter touchdown catch — a 17-yarder with 56 seconds left. Minnesota’s Josh Oliver recovered Daniel Whelan’s ensuing onside kick — it actually was a drop kick — to secure the victory.

Darnold was 20 of 28 for 275 yards with touchdown passes of 29 yards to Addison, 2 yards to Oliver and 14 yards to Justin Jefferson. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble.

Addison, who had missed Minnesota’s last two games with an ankle injury, also scored on a 7-yard run.

The game featured seven turnovers — four by Green Bay and three by Minnesota.

Former Packers running back Aaron Jones had 22 carries for 93 yards and four catches for 46 yards in his return to Lambeau Field. Jones spent seven seasons with Green Bay before getting released and signing with the Vikings in March.

The Vikings capitalized on two interceptions by Love and a pair of missed field-goal attempts from Brayden Narveson to built their 28-0 lead in the first 25 minutes. It was their highest-scoring first half since 2017, when they scored 28 before halftime and beat Washington 38-30.

Minnesota scored on each of its first three possessions as Darnold picked apart a Green Bay secondary missing injured cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine. When the Packers finally forced a punt, Shaq Griffin delivered a 28-yard interception return to set up one more Vikings touchdown.

The Vikings led 28-7 and had second-and-1 from the Green Bay 20 in the third quarter when Xavier McKinney picked off Darnold, becoming the first Packer to intercept a pass in each of his first four games with the team.

That helped Green Bay creep back into the game. The Packers got within 28-14 on Love’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Wicks with 11:38 left.

On the Vikings’ ensuing possession, Keisean Nixon hit Darnold from the blind side and knocked the ball loose, with Edgerrin Cooper recovering the fumble at Minnesota’s 20.

Two plays later, Love threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft. Love found Kraft again for a 2-point conversion that made it 28-22 with 10:16 remaining.

Minnesota regrouped got in field goal range on Darnold’s 27-yard completion to Jefferson. Will Reichard’s 33-yard kick extended Minnesota’s lead to 31-22 with 6:50 left.

Byron Murphy intercepted Love in the end zone and Kraft lost a fumble on Green Bay's next two series. But the Packers got one last chance after Minnesota's Jailen Nailor was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 4 with less than 2 1/2 minutes left.

Love engineered a quick 96-yard drive to cut the margin to two.

Injuries

Packers WR Christian Watson was carted off the field after injuring an ankle on the play that resulted in Grugier-Hill's interception. ... Packers DL Devonte Wyatt hurt an ankle in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Vikings will face the New York Jets on Sunday at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium