The late Sunday window belonged to Minnesota.
Green Bay led 22-10 late in the third quarter and had outgained the Vikings by a wide margin, but the game flipped completely over the final 18 minutes. Minnesota scored the last 29 points, Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes after replacing an injured Kyler Murray, and the Vikings stunned the Packers 39-22 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Philadelphia survived a late Washington rally in another divisional fight, while Las Vegas controlled Miami and Arizona opened Mike LaFleur’s tenure by beating the Chargers on the road.
Vikings 39, Packers 22
Minnesota’s opener looked close to lost when Green Bay went ahead 22-10 on a 26-yard Trey Smack field goal with 5:12 left in the third quarter. The Packers had already produced an 81-yard touchdown from Jordan Love to Christian Watson and entered the second half with a 19-10 lead.
Then the Vikings took over. Wentz, who had replaced Murray after the starter left in the first quarter with a concussion, found T.J. Hockenson for a 16-yard touchdown late in the third. Aaron Jones scored from three yards out in the fourth, and a Wentz pass to Justin Jefferson on the two-point conversion gave Minnesota its first lead at 25-22.
Green Bay’s next two possessions ended in turnovers. Love lost a fumble on a strip-sack, and Jordan Mason scored from one yard out. Love then threw an interception, allowing Wentz to find Jefferson for a nine-yard touchdown that completed a 29-point run and a remarkable 39-22 final.
| Notable box score | Line |
|---|---|
| Carson Wentz, MIN | 12/19, 133 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT |
| Justin Jefferson, MIN | 8 catches, 92 yards, 2 TD |
| Jordan Love, GB | 21/42, 387 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Christian Watson, GB | 6 catches, 147 yards, 2 TD |
The strangest part of the final was the yardage. Green Bay finished with 419 total yards to Minnesota’s 239, but the Packers committed 12 penalties for 98 yards and turned the ball over twice. Minnesota committed only three penalties for 15 yards and cashed in when Green Bay cracked late.
Eagles 24, Commanders 22
Philadelphia never found a comfortable rhythm, but Jalen Hurts was efficient enough to keep the Eagles in front. Hurts completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns, then used a 22-yard fourth-quarter scramble to extend a drive that ended with Dallas Goedert’s 43-yard touchdown catch.
That score made it 24-16 with 6:12 left. Jayden Daniels answered by driving Washington back down the field and hitting rookie Antonio Williams for a one-yard touchdown with 1:05 remaining. The touchdown survived replay review, but Washington’s two-point conversion failed when Philadelphia stopped an inside shovel pass at the line of scrimmage. DeVonta Smith recovered the onside kick, and the Eagles were able to kneel out a 24-22 win.
| Notable box score | Line |
|---|---|
| Jalen Hurts, PHI | 14/25, 203 yards, 3 TD; 46 rush yards |
| Dallas Goedert, PHI | 4 catches, 77 yards, 2 TD |
| Jayden Daniels, WAS | 18/34, 164 yards, 2 TD; 31 rush yards |
| Antonio Williams, WAS | 4 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD |
Raiders 27, Dolphins 13
Kirk Cousins’ Las Vegas debut was not spotless, but the Raiders controlled the game around him. Cousins threw three touchdown passes, two to Ashton Jeanty, while Las Vegas held the ball for 34:53 and ran 37 times in Klint Kubiak’s first game as head coach.
Jeanty was the center of the offense. He carried 23 times for 102 yards and caught six passes for 45 more, with both of his receiving scores coming from 13 yards out. Miami pulled within 17-13 on Malik Willis’ 14-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, but Cousins answered with another Jeanty touchdown and the Dolphins never scored again.
| Notable box score | Line |
|---|---|
| Kirk Cousins, LV | 21/30, 160 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Ashton Jeanty, LV | 23 carries, 102 yards; 6 catches, 45 yards, 2 TD |
| Malik Willis, MIA | 15/27, 220 yards, 1 INT; 39 rush yards, 1 TD |
| Caleb Douglas, MIA | 5 catches, 94 yards |
Miami finished with 259 total yards and converted only two of 10 third downs. Willis was sacked five times, and a late fumble ended the Dolphins’ last serious attempt to get back into the game.
Cardinals 26, Chargers 14
Arizona gave Mike LaFleur a win in his first game as head coach by controlling possession and avoiding the mistakes that buried Los Angeles. Jacoby Brissett completed 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown, and Trey McBride caught nine passes for 95 yards and the score.
Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love scored a five-yard touchdown on Arizona’s opening drive, while Chad Ryland supplied four field goals. The Cardinals took command in the fourth quarter after Simi Fehoko blocked a punt and Arizona took over at the Chargers’ 3. Two plays later, Brissett hit McBride for the touchdown that made it 23-14.
Justin Herbert threw for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Ladd McConkey caught five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the third quarter with a chest injury. Arizona finished with a 393-268 edge in total yards and held the ball for 37:31.
| Notable box score | Line |
|---|---|
| Jacoby Brissett, ARI | 27/37, 277 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT |
| Trey McBride, ARI | 9 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD |
| Justin Herbert, LAC | 17/27, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Ladd McConkey, LAC | 5 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD |
The late window produced very different kinds of wins. Minnesota needed a full-scale comeback, Philadelphia needed one final defensive stop, and the Raiders and Cardinals were able to play from in front. By the end of the afternoon, all four winners had opened 1-0, but the Vikings had authored the result nobody saw coming when they trailed by 12 late in the third quarter.
