Carson Wentz says the Minnesota Vikings were “learning on the fly” as they overcame the loss of quarterback Kyler Murray during the first quarter and recovered a 12-point third-quarter deficit to win 39-22 at the US Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Backup Wentz, 33, replaced concussed debutant Murray and completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings scored 29 points without reply to win their opener.
“Football is a funny game,” said Wentz. “I didn’t think I’d be out there, and the momentum swung fast at the end of the game for us scoring. It’s fun to be on this side of it.
“We just stayed the course. We had a couple of self-inflicted wounds early. I missed a couple of throws.
“The way the defense stepped up down the stretch was unbelievable, but that doesn’t surprise me.”
.@Showtyme_33 🫡
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 13, 2026
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/DveNwAMEEO
Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings: Wentz ‘ready’
The Packers’ Trey Smack and Minnesota’s Will Reichard exchanged first-quarter field goals either side of Christian Watson’s 81-yard run to build Green Bay’s early lead with one of two touchdowns for the wide receiver.
Wentz supplied Justin Jefferson for a touchdown but by the time Smack recorded his third field goal in the third quarter, Green Bay were firmly in control.
TJ Hockenson reduced the deficit before Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and Jefferson also scored touchdowns within two minutes and 42 seconds of the fourth quarter.
“Being here last year and experiencing the huddle with these guys and how Kyler calls it, [and] some of the no-huddle stuff… [made it] comfortable for me,” explained Wentz.
“Tapping into some of last year’s things helped… I felt mentally ready, whether I had the reps or not.”
.@cj_wentz ➡️ @TheeHock8#Vikings cut the lead to 22-17.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 13, 2026
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/wZgG7sPDet
Kyler Murray injury: Minnesota Vikings ‘saw right away’
Murray received a hit during a scramble, although it has not been confirmed whether the 29-year-old will miss game time.
“It was a different process,” said Wentz. “I’m not going to lie. “I stayed as ready as I could. I’m confident in what I bring to the table and what I can do.
“If my number gets called, I can step up when needed. I didn’t know how it was going to play out. None of us did in here.
“It’s never fun to see Kyler go down. I love the kid. I knew right away – we probably all saw right away.
“I’ve been a part of a couple concussions in my career, too, so it sucks for him. The guys rallied and made a lot of plays down the stretch to win.”
What’s next? Packers, Vikings confirmed NFL Week 2 schedule
The Packers face the New York Jets on Sunday at the same time as the Vikings meet the Chicago Bears.
| Date | Game | ET start time | PT | BST |
| Sun, Sept 20 | Jets vs Packers | 13:00 | 10:00 | 18:00 |
| Sun, Sept 20 | Bears vs Vikings | 13:00 | 10:00 | 18:00 |
Full NFL Week 1 results
Here are the results from Week 1.
| Seattle Seahawks 13-10 New England Patriots |
| Los Angeles Rams 7-27 San Francisco 49ers |
| Detroit Lions 31-30 New Orleans Saints |
| Cincinnati Bengals 33-27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Indianapolis Colts 23-41 Baltimore Ravens |
| Jacksonville Jaguars 34-10 Cleveland Browns |
| Tennessee Titans 10-23 New York Jets |
| Houston Texans 31-36 Buffalo Bills |
| Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13 Atlanta Falcons |
| Carolina Panthers 37-59 Chicago Bears |
| Minnesota Vikings 39-22 Green Bay Packers |
| Los Angeles Raiders 27-13 Miami Dolphins |
| Los Angeles Chargers 14-26 Arizona Cardinals |
| Philadelphia Eagles 24-22 Washington Commanders |
| New York Giants 28-20 Dallas Cowboys |
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