GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The Vikings went from pretty good to bad to unpalatable Sunday in a 23-6 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Like so much of this season, a major miscue completely swayed momentum as Minnesota fell to 4-7.
The Vikings offense scored before halftime, and the defense got a stop on the Packers opening drive of the second half.
Complementary football and a chance to chase a 4-point lead?
To borrow from Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."
Punt returner Myles Price made a rookie mistake. After initially opting to get away from the football and let it hit, Price got too close. It bounced off his hand and was recovered by Zayne Anderson at the Minnesota 5-yard line.
Emanuel Wilson gained 4 on his first carry of the drive and punched the ball into the end zone on the next snap.
Conditions worsened for the Vikings thereafter.
J.J. McCarthy was sacked for a loss of 7 yards on Minnesota's next snap, resulting in a quick three-and-punt.
Minnesota's defense got the ball back to the offense but Aaron Jones, Sr., was stuffed for a loss of 1 on first-and-10, and McCarthy was sacked on back-to-back plays by Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt. McCarthy was down at the 1.
Donovan Jackson suffered an ankle injury during the Parsons sack and did not return.
The next drive ended at the Minnesota 2 after a 10-yard loss on another sack by Wyatt.
The offense entered desperation mode, and McCarthy was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter. He was hit by Rashan Gary on the first pick and overshot Jalen Nailor on the second.
All told, the Vikings finished with 4 net yards in the second half.
Here are four more observations.
1. Unsuccessful in short yardage
The Vikings found success in the run game in the first half with 86 yards on 17 rushes.
It was the most rushing yards by Minnesota in a first half this season, but it needed to be at least one more yard.
Facing third-and-1 at the Green Bay 17-yard line in the second quarter, the Vikings opted to line up with T.J. Hockenson under center. Hockenson was tripped up for no gain on the rush attempt.
Trailing 7-3, the Vikings opted to go for it on fourth-and-1, but Jordan Mason was stuffed for no gain.
The Packers responded by driving 68 yards over the course of 14 plays and possessed the ball for a season-long 8:01.
View game action photos from the Vikings vs. Packers Week 12 game at Lambeau Field.
2. O-line health lasts less than three quarters
Sunday was finally going to be the day Minnesota had it's intended starting five on the offensive line play together for the first time in 2025.
Veteran center Ryan Kelly returned for his first action since Week 4.
Jackson's injury late in the third quarter disrupted that progress.
Christian Darrisaw later left the game with a foot injury and did not return.
View pregame photos as the Vikings prepare for the Week 12 game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
3. Run defense tested
The Packers were without star running back Josh Jacobs, but Emanuel Wilson provided Green Bay with its first 100-yard rusher of the season.
He finished with 107 yards on 28 carries, often adding to his total after initial contact.
The flow of the game allowed Green Bay to run the ball a whopping 42 times and finish with 146 yards, keeping the football for more than 37 minutes.
4. Reichard & Wright provide bright spots
Will Reichard drilled a pair of 50-plus-yard field goals in the first half.
The second-year kicker capped Minnesota's opening possession with a 52-yard strike for an early 3-0 edge with 12:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Reichard also capped Minnesota's final possession of the first half, absolutely drilling a 59-yarder to make it 10-6 with 10 seconds remaining. That kick was the second longest ever at Lambeau Field (behind David Akers' 63-yarder in 2012).
Reichard passed Evan McPherson (14 from 2021-22) for the second most field goals of 50-plus in a player's first two seasons in NFL history. Only Brandon Aubrey netted more (24 from 2023-24) in his first two seasons.
Reichard also became the first player in NFL history with four field goals of 59 or more yards in one season.
In addition to holding on the kicks, Ryan Wright's first punt of the day was an impressive 53-yarder that bounced out of bounds at the Green Bay 2. It helped Minnesota flip field position after the Vikings came up empty on their second possession of the game.
The Packers were able to gain 9 yards on a first-and-10 pass by Jordan Love to Christian Watson and convert third-and-1 with an 8-yard run by Emanuel Wilson before Minnesota stalled Green Bay's possession.
View the 2025 Vikings Schedule.
See the Vikings 2026 Opponents.
Check out the Vikings 2026 Draft Picks.
View future opponents for the Vikings.
Buy single game tickets.
Download the official Vikings App.
