Kirk Cousins Wins His Vikings Return at Lambeau, 30-10 Over the Packers

Kirk Cousins won his first game back with Minnesota, throwing two touchdown passes in a 30-10 win over Green Bay at Lambeau Field, the stadium where he tore his Achilles in October 2023. Cousins went 21 of 31 for 207 yards five days after rejoining the Vikings in a trade, became the first passer since at least 1950 to start for two different teams in consecutive weeks, and the Vikings sacked Jordan Love eight times.

How did Cousins win the game on third down?

By doing the one thing Minnesota’s offence had stopped doing. The Vikings entered the game tied for 30th in third-down conversion rate at 33.33 percent, and had scored 16 points or fewer in each of their last three games under Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. On Sunday they converted eight of 16 tries, and on each of Minnesota’s three touchdown drives Cousins had a third-and-long completion. The biggest was the 38-yarder to Myles Price on third-and-23 in the first quarter, the longest third-down conversion in the NFL this season. Two drives later he lofted a 24-yard pass to Tai Felton on third-and-15 that set up Aaron Jones for a one-yard touchdown, and in the fourth quarter he hit Jefferson for 16 yards on third-and-12 before finding Gavin Bartholomew for a 20-yard touchdown. He went 8 for 8 on the 11-play, 75-yard drive that sealed the win.

What made the return so emotional?

The stadium, and what happened there three years ago. The last time Cousins had played at Lambeau Field or suited up for the Vikings, he tore his Achilles in a 24-10 Minnesota win on October 29, 2023, ending his season and his first stint with the team. He spent the next two and a half seasons with Atlanta, splitting time with Michael Penix Jr., and then with Las Vegas to start this year. Minnesota brought him back on Tuesday at the trade deadline in exchange for a third-round draft pick, and he arrived so late he did not know the code to get into the building on Wednesday. “It was emotional coming to the stadium. Three years ago, tearing my Achilles here,” he told ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, his voice breaking. “It’s been a tough three years. I was just grateful for the opportunity to play here today.”

How did the Vikings defence take over?

By sacking Love eight times and taking the ball away four times. Levi Drake Rodriguez had two of the sacks as Minnesota recorded its most in a game since nine against Miami in 2018, and the Packers had not allowed that many since giving up nine to Arizona in 2015. Green Bay entered the game with a plus-8 turnover margin that ranked second in the NFL, but lost three fumbles, each leading to a Minnesota field goal, and Love was intercepted in the end zone by Harrison Smith. The Packers managed 220 yards, including 56 on the ground, against a defence that entered Sunday allowing a league-low 14.5 points per game. After Green Bay cut the lead to 20-10 late in the third quarter, Minnesota answered with the long touchdown drive and then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to put the game away.

What did the win change for Minnesota?

It settled the quarterback question, at least for now, and it completed a season sweep. The Vikings improved to 7-2, snapped a two-game losing streak, and beat the Packers for the fifth time in six meetings after winning 39-22 in Week 1. Jefferson had season highs of nine catches and 13 targets for 74 yards, and Price and Bartholomew both caught their first career touchdowns with Addison and Hockenson out injured. “He just brought a certain amount of poise, leadership, execution, ran the show incredibly clean,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I just can’t say enough about him.” Packers coach Matt LaFleur was blunter about his own side: “This is a humbling league. And today we got humbled.”

What happens next?

Minnesota plays at San Francisco next Sunday night, and Green Bay plays at the Los Angeles Rams on November 25. The bigger question is whether the reunion lasts beyond this season: Ian Rapoport reported before the game that the Vikings are interested in having Cousins back for 2027. Cousins himself was looking further ahead than one win at Lambeau. “There’s so much football ahead,” he said. “This story is going to get written much later than now.”

It was a weekend of firsts and strange finishes across the league. Jalon Daniels called his mom onto the postgame desk after his first NFL win, the Commanders let the clock run out in overtime and tied the Giants 27-27 instead of kicking, and Dre Greenlaw was ejected for headbutting a helmetless Ernest Jones. Cousins’ return was the biggest of them, and the one that changes how a season feels.