Justin Jefferson comes through in a big way to highlight Vikings studs and duds vs. Packers

The Minnesota Vikings looked like they were going to cruise to a blowout victory over the Green Bay Packers after going up 28-0 in the first half but had to hold firm to get a 31-29 victory at Lambeau Field.

The Packers made it very interesting by getting a gift touchdown at the end of the first half and ended up scoring 22 consecutive points to put pressure on the Vikings. They didn't give up and ended up holding on for the victory.

The game had obvious studs and duds, especially after a rough middle portion of the game.

Studs: Vikings OL

Depending on who you ask, you'll get opinions all over the place. They have great tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill but an interior that is for lack of a better term inconsistent. In the running game, they have been moving players but the passing game has exposed some warts.

On Sunday against the Packers, they were excellent. The entire offensive line gave Darnold a clean pocket all game and the time that allowed him to attack down the field. With Kevin O'Connell's offense, the Vikings were trying to attack down the field, resulting in 28 first-half points. Great step by the offensive line in pass protection.

Dud: WR Jalen Nailor

On the first drive of the game, Darnold found Jalen Nailor on a crossing route for 31 yards on third down. The next play saw Darnold find Jordan Addison for a touchdown on a stutter and go up 7-0 after that was arguably the biggest blunder of the game.

At the end of the first half with less than a minute to go, the Vikings forced a Packers punt. With Brandon Powell having just come off the field with an injury (he later returned), Nailor was tasked with fielding a punt. Well, he misjudged the punt with a very bright sun in his face and that led to the first Packers touchdown. Instead of going into the half with a shutout, it gave the Packers a glimmer of hope.

Stud: WR Justin Jefferson

The best wide receiver in the National Football League needed to play like one on Sunday afternoon. With Jaire Alexander out with a quad injury, the door was open for Jefferson to have a monster game. He even caught one of the more impressive touchdowns of the season.

When the Vikings needed him the most, Jefferson made big catches after the Packers got within six points on the ensuing drive that resulted in a Will Reichard field goal to get the Vikings up two scores. When you need a big play, call on Jefferson.

Dud: Vikings pass rush

Early on in the game, the Vikings were doing a really good job getting into the backfield and pressuring Jordan Love. They made him feel very uncomfortable early and often and ended up getting a sack on him in the first half.

The second half was a different story. They struggled to get to Love and couldn't with any form of consistency. That ended up being a major factor as to why the Vikings allowed the Packers to come back and make this a game. There were many factors why the Vikings couldn't get home. The Packers going tempo and controlling the ball for a large portion of the second half were major factors but getting pressure is still paramount for this scheme and they didn't get it done.

Stud: CB Byron Murphy Jr.

The Vikings' defense had a massively up-and-down game. They were dominant in the first half in stressing out Jordan Love with a lot of pressure but that cooled significantly in the second half with the Packers focusing more on running tempo and improving their blocking.

With the Packers scoring 22 consecutive points, the Vikings needed big plays to come from somewhere. That's where Byron Murphy Jr. came up big for the Vikings. He got an interception on a Harrison Smith blitz and then punched the ball out of Tucker Kraft's hands right after the Vikings went up two scores. Pair that with his fourth-down pass breakup in the first half and Murphy was a big reason why they got the win on Sunday.