Packers make statement with dominant Week 1 victory over Vikings

The Packers made a statement in with victory over the Vikings.

The Green Bay Packers weren’t given much love in the offseason.

They went a long way to changing that in the season opener with a dominant 43-34 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota kept the game close on the back of its strong rushing attack, but the game wasn’t in much doubt for most of the second half.

Powered by a vintage Aaron Rodgers performance, the Packers looked at ease on offense. Rodgers threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns.

Davante Adams looked in midseason form with 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns and the Packers also got valuable contributions from Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard. MVS made some costly drops, but he did bring in four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Lazard also had four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Perfect start for Packers in unusual atmosphere

This was hardly a perfect performance, especially by the defense, but Green Bay couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.

When it comes to playoff scenarios later in the year, a road victory in the division counts for a lot.

One thing that helped was the lack of noise from the crowd. There were no fans in attendance due to the pandemic, allowing the Packers to communicate easier on offense. Rodgers was able to draw some offside penalties, leading to free plays. In many ways, it felt like a home game while the offense was on the field.

Green Bay did give up some big plays on defense, particularly against the run, but there were standout performances for Za’Darius Smith (one sack, one QB hit, one tackle for loss) and Jaire Alexander (one interception, one sack, one safety), which is a great sign moving forward.

Most importantly, the Packers are 1-0 and off to the perfect start.