Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings Match Player Stats On Oct 23, 2011

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 23, 2011

Aaron Rodgers threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns and the visiting Green Bay Packers recorded a franchise-record 13th straight win by holding off the Minnesota Vikings 33-27 on Sunday.

Mason Crosby kicked three field goals – including a career-long 58-yarder – for the defending Super Bowl champions, who surpassed the previous franchise record of 12 consecutive wins set during the 1961-62 seasons.

The last unbeaten team in the NFL, Green Bay took command with 20 unanswered points after halftime to improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1962.

Rodgers was nearly perfect. He began the game with a career-best 13 straight completions and finished 24 of 30.

Adrian Peterson ran for a season-high 175 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (1-6), who are off to their worst start since 1990.

Minnesota, however, has to feel good about the future after rookie Christian Ponder impressed in his first career start.

Ponder, who got the start in place of an ineffective Donovan McNabb, jump-started the Vikings’ 31st-ranked passing attack. His 24-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins capped a 93-yard drive and cut the Packers’ lead to 33-27 with 7:51 remaining.

Minnesota forced a three-and-out on the next series, but Tim Masthay’s 64-yard punt pinned the Vikings at their own 2-yard line. The Vikings were forced to punt and Green Bay was able to run out the clock behind James Starks, who rushed five straight times for 52 yards.

Minnesota carried a 17-13 lead into halftime but, much like the Vikings’ other leads this season, it quickly evaporated. Minnesota has led at halftime in four of its seven games.

Rodgers began the comeback by throwing a 79-yard touchdown to Greg Jennings on the second play of the third quarter and later hit Jermichael Finley for a 2-yard score early in the fourth.