Kirk Cousins has triumphant return as Vikings sack Jordan Love 8 times in 30-10 win over Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw two touchdown passes to start his second stint with Minnesota and Levi Drake Rodriguez had two of the Vikings’ eight sacks in a 30-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Cousins went 21 of 31 for 207 yards just five days after rejoining the Vikings, who acquired him from the Las Vegas Raiders at Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The last time Cousins had played at Lambeau Field or suited up for the Vikings, he tore his Achilles tendon in a 24-10 Minnesota victory on Oct. 29, 2023. Cousins missed the rest of that season and then played for Atlanta from 2024-25 and Las Vegas the first half of this year.

Cousins rejuvenated an offense that had stalled under quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, scoring 16 points or fewer in each of its last three games. He helped the Vikings snap a two-game skid as they beat the Packers for the fifth time in six meetings. And he reestablished his connection with top receiver Justin Jefferson, who had season highs in catches (nine) and targets (13) while finishing with 74 yards.

Minnesota (7-2) had scored 49 straight points against Green Bay (6-4) before Jordan Love’s 32-yard touchdown pass to J. Michael Sturdivant in the third quarter cut the Vikings’ lead to 20-7. The Vikings scored the final 29 points of a 39-22 season-opening victory.

Myles Price and Gavin Bartholomew each had their first career touchdown catches for Minnesota. Cousins threw a 38-yarder to Price in the first period and a 20-yarder to Bartholomew in the fourth.

Each of Minnesota's three touchdown drives included a third-and-long completion from Cousins.

Minnesota faced third-and-23 when Price caught a pass around the Green Bay 13, bounced off cornerback Brandon Cisse and ran into the end zone. Cisse injured his rib on the play and missed the rest of the game.

Cousins completed a 24-yard pass on third-and-15 to set up an Aaron Jones 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Bartholomew's touchdown followed a 16-yard pass to Jefferson on third-and-12.

Love went 17 of 27 for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception while facing constant pressure as the Packers lost for the second time in their last seven games. Love hadn’t been sacked more than five times in any of his 56 previous starts, but the Vikings got their sixth sack Sunday on the first play of the second half.

Minnesota finished with its most sacks in a game since it had nine in a victory over Miami in 2018. The Packers hadn’t allowed that many sacks since giving up nine in a loss to Arizona in 2015.

Virtually nothing went right for Green Bay.

The Packers entered the game with a plus-8 turnover margin that ranked second in the NFL, but they lost three fumbles — each leading to a Minnesota field goal — and Love was intercepted in the end zone by Harrison Smith.

An apparent Cousins interception got overturned after replays showed his knee was down before he threw the ball, and the Vikings scored a touchdown two plays later. Cousins was later picked off by Xavier McKinney, the safety's sixth of the season.

Vikings: OLB Bo Richter left with a foot injury in the first quarter. WR Jeshaun Jones hurt his shoulder in the third.

Packers: CB Brandon Cisse (rib), WR/KR Skyy Moore (ankle) and WR Bo Melton (thight) left in the first half. Moore had been activated from injured reserve Saturday after missing four games with an ankle issue.

Vikings: At San Francisco next Sunday night.

Packers: At the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 25.

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