The Green Bay Packers now know what is required to make the playoffs: wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, starting with Sunday’s visit from the NFC North champion Vikings.
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Stay here for live updates, scoring plays and highlights from Packers vs. Vikings:
Final: Packers 41, Vikings 17
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| MIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| GB | 14 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 41 |
Vikings 3, Packers 0: Greg Joseph 21-yard FG
.@noexcuses_23 gets his hand on another punt. #Skol
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/kawsNZlsX4
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 1, 2023
The Vikings turned a blocked punt recovered at the 1-yard line into nothing more than a short field goal. The Packers stuffed the Vikings on three straight plays, including a tackle for loss on 3rd-and-goal. Backup center Austin Schlottmann was injured on the second-down play, and TJ Slaton beat the third-stringer to blow up the play on third down.
Packers 7, Vikings 3: Keisean Nixon 105-yard kickoff return TD
1️⃣0️⃣5️⃣ YARDS TO THE HOUSE! 🏠
TOUCHDOWN @keiseannixon 🙌 #MINvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/FNlbAotCdd
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 1, 2023
What a response. Keisean Nixon, who didn’t practice all week because of a groin injury, returned the Vikings’ kickoff 105 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. He got key blocks in the middle of the field, beat the kicker and then outran the rest of the coverage unit. The NFL’s most electrifying kickoff returner over the last month has his signature play of the season.
Packers 14, Vikings 3: Darnell Savage 75-yard interception return for TD
🚨 PICK-SIX ALERT 🚨
TOUCHDOWN @darnellsavage_ 🙌 #MINvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/DYXyoPvxst
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 1, 2023
First a kickoff return for a score. Now, a defensive touchdown. Darnell Savage picked off a deflected pass intended for TJ Hockenson and returned the interception 75 yards for a touchdown. Rasul Douglas’ coverage on Hockenson helped create the turnover. The Packers now have an 11-point lead during this crazy first quarter.
Packers 17, Vikings 3: Mason Crosby 26-yard FG
The Packers’ first trip into the red zone stalled at the 3-yard line and resulted in a field goal. The offense marched 56 yards in 14 plays and got a pair of conversions on third down from Allen Lazard, but the Vikings stuffed two runs from A.J. Dillon inside the 5-yard line and Aaron Rodgers fired incomplete on third down. Crosby hit the short field goal to extend Green Bay’s lead to 14 points. The kick provided a six-point swing after the Vikings missed a field goal on the previous possession.
Packers 24, Vikings 3: Robert Tonyan 21-yard TD catch
.@AaronRodgers12 finds @RobTonJr 🎯
TOUCHDOWN 🙌 #MINvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/zogNeGTCgv
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 1, 2023
Is the blowout on at Lambeau Field? Following another Kirk Cousins interception, the Packers drove 60 yards in five plays to push the lead to 21 points. Aaron Jones had a 31-yard run on the drive. On the touchdown, Tonyan got behind the coverage on an extended play and Aaron Rodgers found him open in the corner of the end zone for six. Adrian Amos’ interception on a tipped pass by TJ Slaton set up the drive.
Packers 27, Vikings 3: Mason Crosby 56-yard field goal
A nearly perfect first half for the Packers ended on Mason Crosby making a 56-yard field goal that bounced off the crossbar and flew through. For the second time in the first half, the Packers got a field goal immediately after the Vikings missed a field goal. Green Bay scored five straight times to take a 24-point lead into halftime, and the Packers get the ball to open the second half.
Packers 27, Vikings 3: Kenny Clark forced fumble
.@KCBoutThatLife forces the fumble.@KCBoutThatLife recovers the fumble.#MINvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/BqwvpORrQo
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 1, 2023
Kenny Clark halted another Vikings drive with the Packers’ third takeaway of the contest. He beat right guard Ed Ingram, stripped Kirk Cousins and recovered the fumble. The Vikings are now 0-for-2 scoring touchdowns in the red zone.
Packers 34, Vikings 3: A.J. Dillon 2-yard TD run
The Packers drove 76 yards in 12 plays following Kenny Clark’s strip sack and scored another touchdown, extending the lead to 34-3 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs all had first-down catches. A.J Dillon finished the drive with a 2-yard score.
Packers 41, Vikings 3: Aaron Rodgers 2-yard TD run
.@AaronRodgers12 takes it himself!
TOUCHDOWN 🙌 #MINvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/hXoYOFvmkC
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 1, 2023
The Packers have the game’s last seven scoring plays. The latest was a vintage Aaron Rodgers scramble play in which he used a pump fake to move the defender and score the touchdown. The score came after Kirk Cousins’ third interception (Rudy Ford).
Packers 41, Vikings 10: Jalen Nailor 47-yard TD catch
The Packers, up 38 points at the time, put in reserves on defense and the Vikings immediately hit on a quick-strike touchdown, with Kirk Cousins finding Nailor down the near sideline for the score.
Packers 41, Vikings 17: KJ Osborn 9-yard TD catch
The Vikings replaced Kirk Cousins with backup Nick Mullens, who led his team 79 yards to score another garbage-time touchdown. Jalen Nailor caught a 37-yard pass, and Osborn finished the drive with a catch in the back of the end zone on 1st-and-goal with 21 seconds left.
