Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson celebrates a defensive stop against the Green Bay Packers as he watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (KNFL/KFGO/AP) — Carson Wentz has had little time to practice with Minnesota’s voluminous playbook, a late arrival to the team last season who returned this year in more of a mentor role as Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy competed for the starting quarterback job in training camp.
The Vikings brought the 11th-year veteran back for emergencies like these.
Wentz came in after Murray’s first-quarter concussion in his Minnesota debut and led a spirited comeback against the rival Green Bay Packers, as the Vikings scored 29 straight points to close a 39-22 victory to open the season on Sunday.
“That’s why he’s here,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “For him to come in and do what he did and just be part of that calming presence that allowed our team to continue playing, I can’t say enough about him.”
Wentz had two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson, matching the two-time All-Pro’s 2025 season total, and the pair connected on a 2-point conversion when the Vikings took their first lead at 25-22 with 6:37 remaining. Green Bay extended the drive three times with crushing defensive penalties.
“Football is a funny game,” Wentz said, “but it’s fun to be on this side of it.”
Jordan Love, who had been brilliant against a relentlessly blitzing defense, wilted along with the rest of the team by losing a fumble on a sack and throwing an interception deep in Packers territory.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason each had rushing touchdowns and T.J. Hockenson caught one of the three scores thrown on a turnover-free afternoon by Wentz, who was appointed the backup to Murray ahead of the 2024 first-round draft pick McCarthy for his considerable edge in experience.
Wentz went helped the Vikings convert eight of 15 third downs and posted a 123.5 passer rating in another memorable comeback among many in five seasons under O’Connell, who has yet to win a playoff game.
“This one will stick with me for a long time,” O’Connell said.
Momentum shifted when the Packers were stopped on fourth-and-1
Love finished 21 for 42 for 387 yards and two first-half touchdowns to Christian Watson, but the two late turnovers and a 3-for-12 conversion rate on third downs loomed large as the Packers picked right up where they left off with a five-game losing streak that ended last season.
The Packers lost four times after leading in the second half by at least two possessions, including their wild card playoff collapse against another NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears, who outscored the Packers 25-6 in the fourth quarter of that game.
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur might have mistakenly triggered this meltdown with his decision to take rookie Trey Smack’s field goal off the board to set up a fourth-and-1 on an offside penalty. Love was stuffed at the line with a five-point lead, and the Vikings went the other way for the go-ahead score by Jones, the former Packers favorite who had yet to reach the end zone against his former team.
The Packers actually four defensive penalties on that drive, starting with a seemingly innocent encroachment call on Jonathan Ford.
Javon Bullard, whose injurious hit on Murray was flagged, was called for illegal contact to negate a third-down sack. Rookie Chris McClellan was penalized for a late hit on Wentz to wipe out a third-down incompletion. Then Xavier McKinney’s defensive holding call erased an end-zone interception by Evan Williams, and Jones scored on the next play.
Though the penalties on McClellan and McKinney in particular were contested by the Packers, they had only themselves to blame for this collapse.
“Momentum is a strong thing,” Watson said, “and we didn’t respond.”
Injury report
Murray seemed to be doing well after the game, O’Connell said, but the timetable for his return was unknown. … Packers LG Aaron Banks (knee) was inactive, giving Donovan Jennings his first career start.
Up next
Packers: at New York Jets on Sept. 20.
Vikings: at Chicago Bears on Sept. 20.
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