Packers vs. Vikings: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

The Green Bay Packers bounced back from three straight losses in a huge NFC North showdown with the Minnesota Vikings, grinding out a 30-13 road victory on Sunday in one of Week 11's most highly anticipated games.

Green Bay bottled up Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson (13 carries, 45 yards) and leaned on a resurgent Eddie Lacy (100 yards on 22 rushes) for offensive balance lacking in recent defeats. It added up to a winning formula and a spot atop the division with the head-to-head tiebreaker in tow.

Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette observed how well the previously struggling Lacy has fared when fed the rock on a regular basis:   

NFL Network's Rich Eisen did well to spell out the implications of the Packers' triumph:

Thanks to their ability to stymie Peterson, whose critical fourth-quarter fumble halted a Minnesota comeback bid, the Packers were able to tee off on Teddy Bridgewater.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt illustrated the stark contrast between Green Bay's absent pass rush of recent weeks and what transpired at a most welcome time in Week 11:

A left-shoulder injury, per Fox's telecast, briefly knocked the Vikings signal-caller out of the game, but he returned—for further punishment. It was rather remarkable he emerged with the stat line he did (25-of-37 passing, 296 yards, one touchdown).

Superstar Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was facing a defense that ranked No. 2 in scoring entering Sunday. Overcoming chemistry issues with some receivers and a low completion percentage (16-of-34 passing for 212 yards), Rodgers did enough to get the "W."

Putting points on the board in five of the first six possessions allowed Green Bay to build a 19-6 lead. Most notable was a two-minute drill that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Randall Cobb. That came with only six seconds remaining in the opening half, giving the visitors a 16-6 edge at the break.

ESPN Stats & Info alluded to how rare it's been for Green Bay to have an upper hand at halftime of late:

But the Packers' inability to find paydirt otherwise did leave the door ajar for Minnesota to stay in striking distance.

The Vikings' big 47-yard touchdown from Bridgewater to Kyle Rudolph to seize a first-quarter advantage after Green Bay's opening field-goal drive was followed by a missed extra point by Blair Walsh. It was that kind of day for Minnesota, who was flagged for eight penalties and 110 yards.

Hope abounded in the third, when Peterson found the end zone with 2:37 left to cut the deficit to 19-13. Then Rodgers strung together the best drive of the game on the subsequent possession. He hit James Jones on a 3rd-and-6 for 37 yards and a 3rd-and-9 for a 27-yard TD.

Peterson's fumble at the Green Bay 22-yard line came at the 13:31 mark of the fourth. Unfortunately, Bridgewater's pass protection couldn't hold up well enough to inspire hope of a rally despite the Vikings defense's stops.

Chris Long of 1500ESPN tried to view the Peterson blunder in a positive light:

What also helped Green Bay's cause immensely and offset some of its inability to close out drives was Mason Crosby. The big-legged kicker matched a personal best with five field goals in as many attempts, including an icing 52-yarder with 4:19 left in the game to make it a three-possession affair.

Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated analyzed one of the big storylines that preceded Sunday's NFC North clash—and ultimately saw the four-time reigning division champions come out on top:

The Packers have a ton of momentum entering Week 12, yet it may be difficult to avoid a letdown against the Chicago Bears on a short week this Thanksgiving Thursday at Lambeau Field.

Chicago's 4-6 record is deceiving because the Bears are 4-3 in their past seven and have suffered those three defeats by a combined eight points. After losing to the Detroit Lions in their last home contest, the Packers have to prove Sunday's breakthrough wasn't an aberration.

It's almost as though the Vikings are playing with house money at this point. Although Minnesota does have a road trip on tap next Sunday, it faces a slumping Atlanta Falcons team that's lost four of five—all to opponents with current non-winning records.

Post-Game Reaction

The battered Bridgewater did his best to remain upbeat afterwards, saying, per the Vikings' official Twitter account, "We know that a game like this won't be good enough to compete in this division." Bridgewater added, "We control our own destiny. We face Green Bay again… We just have to learn from today."

Rodgers emphasized how critical the win was for the Packers' team unity.

"This was an important week for us. We really stuck together...Really proud of our effort. It was a great team win for us," said Rodgers, per the team's official Twitter feed. He also applauded the efforts of Lacy, as did head coach Mike McCarthy.

"I think Eddie Lacy played well. He's hitting his stride," said McCarthy, per the team. "Hopefully he can bounce back quickly for Thursday."

McCarthy's remark serves as a nice conclusion, because it will indeed be vital to have Lacy rolling for Thanksgiving. The Cowboys are far more adept with Romo under center, and Darren McFadden ran for 129 yards against the Miami Dolphins behind Dallas' brutish offensive line in Week 11.

If the contact Lacy absorbed lingers and he isn't able to run with the explosiveness and authority he did in Minnesota, the massive bounce-back the Packers just experienced may be short-lived.