A spectacular fourth quarter lifted the Minnesota Vikings to a wild 39-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The game was in question throughout, with the Packers holding a 22-10 lead with 5:09 remaining in the third quarter.
But as great as the final 20 minutes were, there was a reason the Vikings were down 12 points for a reason. For every standout performance they had, another player struggled, providing plenty of coaching points heading into Week 2.
We won't let the negatives outweigh the positives, because Minnesota still managed a 17-point victory. But it's important to highlight these when analyzing Sunday's game.
Studs and Duds from the Vikings' Week 1 win over the Packers
Dud: Kyler Murray
I don't want to bury Kyler Murray for getting knocked out of the game with a concussion. But his performance up until
that point wasn't encouraging, either, as he went 3/5 passing for 18 yards, with his first attempt being intercepted two plays into the game. He ran twice for nine yards, the second attempt leading to the injury. It would have been a hard hit for many players to recover from, but injuries have kept Murray out of 27 games over the past four seasons. We will see how long Carson Wentz is at the helm, as it appears Murray will be out Week 2 against the Bears, per Adam Schefter.
Stud: Justin Jefferson
Although Murray was injured, the Vikings finally got Justin Jefferson back on the field. Jefferson caught eight of nine targets for 92 yards, including two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. The star wideout only had two touchdowns in all of 2025 and hadn't had one since Nov. 2 against the Lions. Jefferson's 39-yard touchdown reception near the end of the first half was a reminder of what was missing from this offense last year.
JUSTIN JEFFERSON ON A FREE PLAY
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
GBvsMIN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ZKnmvwBDtR
Dud: All receivers not named Justin Jefferson
I don't want to put all the blame on the receivers. Jordan Addison was open on his two targets, which would have extended drives on third down. But Wentz missed him, which can be attributed to his limited snaps in practice. At the end of the game, Jefferson was the only receiver who caught a pass on Sunday. We will need to see Minnesota spread the ball around to Addison and Jauan Jennings once teams begin selling out to stop Jefferson again.
Stud: Blake Cashman
It was impossible to ignore Blake Cashman's impact in the fourth quarter. To me, it felt like he led the fourth-quarter defensive onslaught, blitzing with the kind of speed and physicality that allows Brian Flores' defense to morph into a suffocating unit. Per Next Gen Stats, Cashman generated seven quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds) on Sunday, the most by an off-ball linebacker since at least the 2018 season. He led all Vikings defenders with a 92.1 grade.
Dud: Will Fries
Murray's interception was partially due to Will Fries failing to pick up a blitz. He was also bullied in several other pass-blocking reps, allowing three pressures and a sack, per PFF. His 48.1 grade was the third-lowest on the team, and his 30.0 pass-blocking grade was 26.9 points lower than the next-closest lineman.
Stud: Dallas Turner
Dallas Turner had a sack, a forced fumble, and SEVEN quarterback hits in that game. What a start to his third NFL season. pic.twitter.com/kTlv6mWLH3
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) September 14, 2026
I could give this to Andrew Van Ginkel, too, but the veteran has received his flowers since signing with Minnesota in 2024. Dallas Turner, who was tasked with replacing Jonathan Greenard, had maybe his most complete game as a pro on Sunday. Per Next Gen Stats, he generated a career-high 10 pressures, and his seven quick pressures tied with Cashman for the most in the NFL through Sunday. Turner got a strip-sack on Jordan Love with 5:52 remaining in the game that led to a 3rd-and-17, and Van Ginkel also forced and recovered a strip-sack.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Studs and Duds from the Vikings' Week 1 win over the Packers
