NFC North: Vikings rally past Packers, Lions win in OT

Carson Wentz came in after Kyler Murray’s first-quarter concussion in his Minnesota debut and led a spirited comeback against the rival Green Bay Packers as the Vikings scored 29 straight points to close a 39-22 victory to open the season Sunday.

Wentz had two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson, matching the two-time All-Pro’s 2025 season total, and the pair connected on a 2-point conversion when the Vikings took their first lead at 25-22 with 6:37 remaining. Green Bay extended the drive three times with crushing defensive penalties.

Jordan Love, who had been brilliant against a relentlessly blitzing defense, melted down along with the rest of the team by losing a fumble on a sack and throwing an interception deep in Packers territory.

Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason each had rushing touchdowns and T.J. Hockenson caught one of the three scores thrown by the 11th-year veteran Wentz, who was appointed the backup to Murray ahead of 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy for his considerable edge in experience.

Love finished 21 for 42 for 387 yards and two first-half touchdowns to Christian Watson, but the two late turnovers and a 3-for-12 conversion rate on third downs loomed large as the Packers picked right up where they left off with a five-game losing streak that ended last season.

The Packers lost four times after leading in the second half by at least two possessions, including their wild card playoff collapse against another NFC North rival in the Chicago Bears, who outscored the Packers 25-6 in the fourth quarter.

Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur might have mistakenly triggered this meltdown with his decision to take rookie Trey Smack’s field goal off the board to set up a fourth-and-1 on an offside penalty. Love was stuffed at the line with a five-point lead, and the Vikings went the other way for the go-ahead score by Jones, the former Packers favorite who had yet to reach the end zone against his former team.

The Packers actually four defensive penalties on that drive, starting with a seemingly innocent encroachment call on Jonathan Ford.

Jonathan Bullard, whose injurious hit on Murray was flagged, was called for illegal contact to negate a third-down sack. Rookie Chris McClellan was penalized for a late hit on Wentz to wipe out a third-down incompletion. Then Xavier McKinney’s defensive holding call erased an end-zone interception by Evan Williams. Jones scored on the next play.

— Dave Campbell in Minneapolis

Detroit Lions 31, New Orleans Saints 30

The Detroit Lions felt fortunate to escape with a 31-30 victory in overtime over New Orleans on Sunday for at least a few reasons.

The Lions had to defend a 2-point conversion to hold on for the victory. They blew a three-touchdown lead in the third quarter. And a review went their way that overturned a touchdown for the Saints.

“Football is a weird game,” Jared Goff said.

Indeed.

The Saints had a chance to score a touchdown in overtime to extend the game and Tyler Shough connected with Noah Fant for an 8-yard throw in the end zone.

After coach Kellen Moore chose to go for the win instead of tying the game with time on the clock, Shough threw an incomplete pass in the end zone on a 2-point attempt.

“The Lions have a great offense, and I didn’t want to give them 1:34 to try to make a play and beat us,” Moore said.

Detroit was at its best with the ball when Jahmyr Gibbs had it.

Gibbs finished with a career-high 29 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns along with five catches for 30 yards.

“That guy is our hot hand,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

New Orleans rallied from a 21-0 deficit and pulled into a 24-all tie on Shough’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson with 1:07 left in the game.

Detroit went three-and-out on offense on the subsequent drive, giving the Saints the ball with a chance to win it, but Ryan Wright missed a 62-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

“We hung in there and made the last play to win and that’s the most important thing,” Campbell said.

Goff was 26 of 39 for 206 yards with two touchdown passes without turning it over and that proved to be a difference in the game.

Shough, coming off a promising rookie year, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble before closing strong to finish 35 of 56 for 410 yards and three scores.

“Our defense did a lot of good things in the first half to keep us in the game,” Moore said. “We just couldn’t find a rhythm on offense.”

The Saints suddenly showed signs of life on offense late in the third, scoring two touchdowns on Kendre Miller’s 8-yard run and Slough’s 1-yard pass to a fully extended Devaughn Vele to pull within a touchdown.

Trailing by seven late in the game, Shough converted a fourth-and-12 from his 23 with a 15-yard pass to rookie receiver Bryce Lance. Three snaps later, he threw a 43-yard pass to Chris Olave to set up the touchdown pass to Johnson.

The Lions advanced to the New Orleans 1 late in the fourth with a chance to seal the victory, but a holding penalty pushed them back and led to a field goal for a 24-17 lead with 2:32 left.

The Saints had a touchdown overturned by video review early in the second quarter.

“I’ll be the first to say, I thought we lost that one,” Campbell said.

Goff dropped back to pass and was sacked by Chase Young, forcing what appeared to be a fumble that was scooped up for a defensive touchdown.

The veteran quarterback said he didn’t know why the rule went in his favor.

“I was trying to figure it out on the fly,” Goff said.

While it looked like a fumble, the call on the field was changed by review because Goff started his throwing motion to make it an incomplete pass.

“It’s unfortunate, but we know what the rule says,” Moore said. “Once the arm starts forward it doesn’t matter where the ball ends up.”

— Larry Lage in Detroit