MINNEAPOLIS — Carson Wentz and the Vikings offense persisted … and then hit their stride down the stretch.

The veteran quarterback didn't expect to play Sunday against the Packers, but he prepared as if he would play. So when Kyler Murray left the game early after a concussion-causing hit, Wentz took a deep breath and stepped into the huddle.

Regardless of nerves or emotions he may be feeling, Wentz views it as his responsibility to maintain a calm demeanor for teammates in the huddle. He did just that en route to Minnesota's come-from-behind, 39-22 defeat of Green Bay.

"Sometimes you've gotta fake it 'til you make it," Wentz quipped postgame. "But no, by the time I step in that huddle, I'm sitting here like, 'I've done this. I've done this before in a lot of different colors now … I'm confident in what I bring to the table.'

"I'm kind of the old guy in the huddle now," added Wentz, 33. "So that's what I'm called to do. That's why I'm here. That's why I believe the coaches believe in me to put me out there. So that's my job, that's my role. No matter what I'm feeling inside, I've got to present that — and those guys did a great job."

A game of momentum

The Vikings trailed 22-10 late in the third quarter and needed a spark.

Myles Price provided one.

Following Green Bay's 26-yard field goal, the Packers kicked off to Price, who fielded the ball at his own 4 and started sprinting. He watched the field ahead of him and saw DeeJay Dallas — who had been elevated Saturday from the practice squad — put a tremendous block on Green Bay's Evan Williams.

Price wanted to ensure Dallas' block paid off and certainly did, flying into space and totaling 68 yards before being brought down.

"Momentum's a real thing in this game, and if you're able to catch the right side of it and keep it bottled up on your sideline, it's a huge game-changer," Aaron Jones, Sr., said. "I think it really started with that kickoff return."

Wentz found T.J. Hockenson for a touchdown three minutes later.

"Split safety, felt space, went to the space," Hockenson nonchalantly recapped. "He (Wentz) felt it, too. So it was good."

The Vikings to that point had weathered an up-and-down afternoon that included self-inflicted wounds and missteps, as well as a gritty effort to stay in the game.

Hockenson emphasized Wentz's ability to "keep everybody poised" on the field and communicate clearly on the sidelines. The offense settled in, capitalized on opportunities and really started clicking down the stretch.

A stingy stop on fourth-and-1 by rookie defensive lineman Domonique Orange resulted in a turnover on downs at the Vikings 17. Despite a shaky start to the drive, with Wentz being sacked on consecutive plays by Green Bay's Edgerrin Cooper, three third-down penalties on the Packers — illegal contact, roughing the passer, defensive holding — provided the Vikings new life.

And they took advantage.

Jordan Mason broke through and ripped off a 28-yard run after the second flag, advancing Minnesota to the Green Bay 11. When Wentz's third-and-5 pass a few plays later was intercepted by Williams, the pick was negated by a third penalty and became a first-and-goal from the 3. Wentz handed off to Jones and the former Packer eked in for his first touchdown against the team that drafted him in 2017.

"Short fields, we love that. And it's complementary football. When they give us the ball in those situations, you've gotta put the ball into [the end zone]," said Jones, who celebrated with his "Bank Vault" into the stands. "And then to do the leap, man, I've been waiting three years for that."

Wentz successfully found Justin Jefferson in the back corner of the end zone for a 2-point conversion. Then just over two minutes later, Mason got an even shorter field thanks to a strip sack of Jordan Love and fumble recovery by Andrew Van Ginkel at the 1.

Mason got in the paint, and just like that, the Vikings were up 32-22.

Fast forward 31 seconds, and an interception by James Pierre (the ball was deflected by Blake Cashman and bounced off Harrison Smith) returned the ball yet again to Minnesota, which took over at the Green Bay 14.

Wentz again made something happen, finding Jefferson for his second touchdown catch of the day.

"Things happen fast," Wentz said. "I'm over there [on the sideline] trying to just figure out the defense on the tablet, all those things, and next thing you know, we're back in, we score again, you look up and you're like, 'Oh man, we're up a couple scores.'

"A lot of energy. A lot of fun in this building, too," he added. "This is as fun as it gets, to win and feel the momentum, feel the fans behind us."

'Stay the course'

Jefferson shared similar sentiments, calling momentum "a crazy drug."

He commented on the "great team win," noting the Vikings never lost faith they could right the ship.

"Not really looking at the scoreboard, not really looking at the time on the clock — just going out there and executing plays and continuing to fight," Jefferson said. "It wouldn't be a Vikings win without coming back and having a little bit of adversity."

Jefferson finished the game with 92 yards on eight catches, tying Randy Moss for the second-most career receptions in franchise history (587). He helped the Vikings score four touchdowns in four straight drives, tying for the most consecutive TDs in a game by a team since at least 2000.

Mason totaled 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, while Jones added 40 yards and a score on 12 rushes.

Minnesota ultimately defeated Green Bay despite being outgained by 180 total yards — the first win in Vikings history by 15-plus points while being outgained by 150-plus yards. And Wentz's three touchdown passes were his most since 2022.

"Football's a funny game, but it's fun to be on this side," smiled Wentz, who was 12-of-19 passing for 133 yards and posted a passer rating of 123.5.

It's probably fair to say nothing about Sunday's game went as planned for Minnesota.

That being said, Wentz's ability to roll with the punches enabled the Vikings to start their season 1-0 in a dramatic fashion.

"Knowing what he can do … his presence, when he's commanding the huddle, man, it's special," Christian Darrisaw said. "You want to go protect the guy, and he can make a lot of plays.

"He just came in there calm, cool and collected, and he commanded the huddle," Darrisaw continued. "That's what you want from a guy that's calling the plays. And just as an offense in general, we stuck together even when things weren't working out in that first half. Once we got back out there in the third and fourth quarter and our defense gave us that momentum, that was all she wrote."

With one game down, the Vikings will enjoy the win for a night before turning the page to another division contest.

There's much to be written about this season, of course, but Wentz hopes a wild Week 1 will serve as a reminder to play through the last minutes.

"Lock in on your job one play at a time," he said. "We talk about that a lot, and it's kind of my mentality, too. Good throw, bad throw, whatever. There's another play and things can change quickly.

"I think tonight we can kind of look back as the year goes and point to that," Wentz added. "Just be like, 'Hey, stay the course. Down a couple, stay the course.' Things can flip and change fast, especially with the way our defense plays … and it worked out for us."

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