The Minnesota Vikings started the Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era with a bang, dominating the rival Green Bay Packers to the tune of 23-7. Everything seemed to go Minnesota’s way. They were able to methodically drive the ball down the field on the opening drive. The pass rush was formidable. Justin Jefferson kept finding mismatches. And Packers rookie Christian Watson dropped what would have been a walk-in touchdown on their first possession.
The Packers gave the Vikings a bit of a scare in the third quarter when they pulled within 13 points thanks to an A.J. Dillon touchdown. However, Minnesota was able to do something they struggled with all last year: They finished off with critical plays on both sides of the ball in crucial moments.
Here are five numbers that break down Minnesota’s Week 1 win over the Packers.
70.3
Jefferson accounted for 70.3% of Minnesota’s receiving yards and set career highs in his first game under O’Connell. The rookie head coach moved Jefferson all over the place, using him to find the mismatches against Green Bay’s defense. Jefferson recorded 184 yards on nine grabs for two touchdowns. While we knew that Jefferson would have a different role in the offense, nothing could have prepared anyone for how Minnesota’s new coaching staff would use him.
O’Connell sent Jefferson in motion throughout the entire game to create mismatches. Last season, the Vikings sent Jefferson in motion for an average of 5.6 plays per game. In Week 1, he had five plays in motion in the first half. Jefferson’s pre-snap movement confused Green Bay’s defense. In several instances, linebackers Quay Walker and Preston Smith were forced to guard him one-on-one.
It felt somewhat reminiscent of the Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams a few years ago, when Sean McVay was able to isolate Cooper Kupp on Anthony Barr with pre-snap motion.
0
For the first time since 2020, the Vikings gave up no points in the final two minutes. The two-minute defense was Minnesota’s Achilles heel in 2021. If you remove those four minutes of game time, the Vikings would have finished with a 14-3 record instead of 8-9.
Even after a strong first half, an uneasy feeling crept in that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense would be able to use the last 30 seconds of the second quarter to get at least three points and change the game’s momentum. Instead, the Vikings forced Rodgers into a deep throw that Harrison Smith picked off.
With a 23-7 lead in the final two minutes, the Vikings had already effectively ended the game with their bend-but-don’t-break defense. Rodgers and Co. were able to drive down the field, but the Vikings’ defense stopped them on fourth down, with Eric Kendricks and Cam Bynum combining on a pass break-up.
5
Rookie Ed Ingram didn’t have the greatest afternoon, giving up five pressures. There was a lot of hype around Ingram in training camp and the preseason because he beat out Jesse Davis to earn the starting spot. However, Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark victimized him on almost every play.
Ingram was billed as a great pass blocker coming out of college, but his Week 1 performance left a lot to be desired. While it is easy to write off this game and say that his first NFL experience came against one of the best nose tackles in the league, it only gets harder next week. The Vikings play on Monday night in a hostile Philadelphia environment. Ingram will line up against Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, two defensive tackles who can ruin a game from the interior.
4
Minnesota’s pass rushers got after Rodgers all game long, sacking him four times. When Rodgers had a clean pocket last season, he was close to unstoppable with a 77.2% completion rate and a touchdown rate of 7.52%. The Packers were missing Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari‘s protection along the edges this week, and Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith were able to wreak havoc on Rodgers.
Za’Darius Smith had a great day against his former team, recording a sack and hitting his former quarterback multiple times. He also came up big in the run game. On a fourth-and-goal in the second quarter, he was able to get around the tackle and bring A.J. Dillon down short of the goal line.
987
The Minnesota Vikings are over .500 for the first time in 987 days. To put this in perspective, 987 days ago, Jefferson had just scored four touchdowns in one half against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Peach Bowl for LSU. The Vikings were getting ready to face the New Orleans Saints in a road playoff game, and Sean Mannion had started the final regular-season outing.
Since then, the Vikings have gone through a lot of changes in their coaching staff, front office, and personnel. A Week 1 win is far from clinching a playoff spot. But after two years of almosts and could-have-beens, it feels good to see the Vikings with a favorable balance in the win-loss column. It gives hope to a fanbase that has been increasingly desperate to find something to cheer for.
