They were about to enter the locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium for halftime of the regular season finale, with the Minnesota Vikings leading the Green Bay Packers 13-0.
The two teams exchanged punts early in the quarter, with Ryan Wright putting the Green Bay offense at its own 30-yard line. These teams didn’t play great offense to begin with.
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Green Bay then managed to get the ball near midfield, but Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel combined for a third down and the Vikings took over near their own 10-yard line and the game continued. The Vikings moved the ball down the field and JJ McCarthy found Justin Jefferson for a 17-yard gain, pushing him over the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth consecutive season, making him one of only three players to eclipse that mark in six consecutive seasons. McCarthy then found Jalen Nailor, who hit 17 more goals in Green Bay’s 30 games before they finally found themselves in goal.
However, the offense stalled again and the scoring once again depended on Will Reichardt. He threw the ball over the uprights from 25 yards out, extending the Vikings’ lead to 6-0 with less than three minutes left before halftime.
The Packers followed with a three-and-out, as Emmanuel Wilson ran for minus-19 yards. Yes, minus nineteen.
The Vikings then got the ball back with less than two minutes left and all three timeouts, and McCarthy found Jalen Nailor for a huge gain at the 21-yard line and Ben Sims for a 3-pointer to set up a scoring chance. Then, on a 2nd-and-1 goal, Minnesota got in Ham’s favor for what might have been its last time.
C.J. Ham’s 1-yard run gave the Vikings a 13-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Green Bay would get the ball out of the locker room at halftime.
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Ladies and gentlemen, we’re halfway through the season finale and your Minnesota Vikings are 13-0 and two points ahead of the Green Bay Packers. Come join us for Q3, okay?