(Photo courtesy: www.gamedaygold.com.)
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Despite Adrian Peterson rushing for 210 yards, the Packers topped the Vikings 23-14 Sundayat Lambeau Field.
James Starks’ third quarter 22-yard touchdown run gave Green Bay the lead for good, as the Vikings failed to score in the second half.
Christian Ponder, who was picked off twice by Green Bay’s Morgan Burnett while the Vikings were driving, had just 36 passing yards heading into the fourth quarter. He finished with 119 yards, completing 12 of 25 passes.
“It’s on me. It starts and ends on me,” Ponder said in his post game news conference. “It hurts. I have to get better. I have to move forward. I have to swallow it and learn from it and come back to work tomorrow.”
“We’ve got to be more effective,” Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said of the passing game. As for Ponder’s sub-par passing day: “He’ll bounce back. He’s a tough kid.”
Frazier also said he would stick with Ponder next weekas his starter when the Vikings face Chicago at Mall of America Field.
At the half, the Vikings led 14-10 on the strength of Adrian Peterson’s electric 82-yard touchdown run — the longest of his career.
The Vikings also scored on a Ponder to Kyle Rudolph 7-yard touchdown pass.
“We outplayed these guys,” Peterson said after the game.
The Packers took an early 10-0 lead as Aaron Rodgers tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to James Jones, and Mason Crosby booted a 30-yard field goal.
Crosby also added field goals of 31- and 47-yards to round out the Packers’ scoring.
With the loss, the Vikings drop to 6-6 on the year, as the Packers improve to 8-4.
