MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Bank Stadium is an architectural marvel. Natural light pokes through the windows, adding a trademark freshness to an indoor coliseum. The jagged edges of the lower bowl almost spotlight the playing field like center stage.But perhaps the building’s most stunning trait? The way it harnesses energy.Especially on afternoons like Sunday, when the Minnesota Vikings turn a clunker of a performance into an unforgettable 39-22 comeback against the Green Bay Packers, the momentum shifts feel communal.“The demeanor of everyone is infectious,” safety Harrison Smith said.Vikings rally late to beat PackersIf you could bottle up this emotion, Smith might have stayed at home on his couch.Fortunately, you can’t. Replicating this type of juice takes this place and these moments.It takes a failed Jordan Love quarterback sneak attempt on a critical fourth-down attempt. It takes superstar receiver Justin Jefferson diving for the pylon to extend a two-score lead that seemed preposterous based on what came before it. It takes a gutty four-quarter effort, giving coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings a chance to make critical week-over-week adjustments without feeling the weight of expectation.“There are just some games that will stick with you for a long time,” O’Connell said. “Today will be a special one.”For this victory to be remembered as such, the Vikings must ensure Sunday’s winning formula is not one they continue to follow.Defensively, they allowed too many explosive plays. Offensively, they were not as efficient running the football as they wanted to be. On a crucial fourth-quarter drive, they cannot rely on three separate Packers penalties to assist their efforts.“I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” quarterback Carson Wentz, who replaced injured starter Kyler Murray, said. “We had a couple of flags that kept our drive alive. I threw one to their safety (Evan Williams) right in the chest, and it was a flag. So, praise God.”Maybe most importantly, the more the Vikings have to rely on Wentz early in this season, the more they risk delaying Murray’s acclimation to the offense.All of these layers matter if the Vikings want to reach their ceiling this season.However, at a bare minimum, they proved Sunday they won’t be easy to play for four quarters. As long as Jefferson is healthy, and as long as defensive coordinator Brian Flores can adjust his pressure packages midgame to affect opposing offenses, Minnesota can cause headaches.“When we can get a lead,” linebacker Blake Cashman said, “I don’t think there’s a scarier defense to go against. Especially with the group we have that understands what we’re trying to accomplish.”Continuity offers the Vikings a way to assess the opponent’s game plan in real time, then adapt. Specifically, Cashman said, Flores and company identified some of Green Bay’s protection answers versus pressure in the first half. Plucking at those holes helped the Vikings bounce back from allowing 19 points in the first half to just 3 in the second.It also prevented the conversation from centering on explosive plays allowed. The Packers generated seven plays of 20 yards or more Sunday, the second most in a game against Flores’ Vikings since he took over in 2023. Love threw for 387 yards. Give up explosive plays at a similar rate, and the Vikings aren’t likely to be close enough to ignite the energy that came pouring out in the fourth quarter.By the end of the game, Cashman burst unblocked through the A-gap. Once, he corralled Love, who was stripped of the ball by Vikings edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel. Another time, Cashman deflected a Love pass that was intercepted by cornerback James Pierre.These turnovers sent the Vikings sideline into a frenzy. Flores high-stepped. O’Connell fist-pumped. These turnovers also set up touchdowns, alleviating the pent-up stress of the first half.After months of focus on a revamped rushing attack, the Packers held Vikings running backs to minimal first-quarter gains. Offensive line leakage left Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason with little room.“Even though we committed to the run,” O’Connell said, “it was not pretty.”The Vikings averaged 3.6 yards per carry on designed runs, posting one of the lowest rushing-success rates in a game since the beginning of last season.“They were blitzing from all edges,” right tackle Brian O’Neill said. “It slows you down a little bit, affects running off the ball and combo blocks. We were still worried about if they’re going to move (before and after the snap) because they did move so much on first and second down.”The ineffective ground game forced the Vikings into suboptimal dropback passing situations.That’s how, on a third-and-7 in the first quarter, Murray found himself scrambling outside the pocket.As he scooted toward the first-down marker, Packers defenders Javon Bullard and Lukas Van Ness collided with him as he slid to the ground. His helmet popped off. The Vikings quickly ruled him out with a concussion.Injuries, poor play: Which QBs will and won't start in Week 2?Wentz initially struggled in Murray’s stead, but the seal broke with two minutes remaining until halftime. O’Connell thought the Vikings could catch the Packers unprepared with a cadence adjustment, and he was correct. The adjustment made Van Ness leap across the line of scrimmage before the snap.Wentz called for the ball, then with the benefit of a free play, he hurled a deep pass to Jefferson down the left sideline. No. 18 toe-tapped the catch in the end zone. It was his first home touchdown since Week 15 of 2024.“He’s unbelievable,” Wentz said. “The guy is so good. He’s the best in the world at what he does, and sometimes you’ve just got to give him a chance.”Even after Wentz connected with tight end T.J. Hockenson for a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter, the Packers still led by a score. Their choice to rescind a successful field goal and try a Love sneak backfired. On the Vikings’ next drive, three separate Packers penalties — all committed on third downs — gave Minnesota’s offense life.The Vikings spotted an opening and barged through. They cranked up the defensive pressure and made it harder for Love to find open receivers downfield. The O-line sprang Mason for a 28-yard run.They did the things consistent, good teams do, stirring a hungry crowd that had been waiting for months to pop.