Recap: How the 5-0 Vikings beat the Jets 23-17 in London

This is the live report of the Vikings’ game against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. To read Ben Goessling’s analysis of the game, go here.

LONDON – In 16 years facing Aaron Rodgers, the Vikings had never intercepted the future Hall of Fame quarterback three times in a game. They got their first one Sunday, on what might be the last pass Rodgers ever throws against them.

The Vikings built a 17-0 lead, facilitated a Jets comeback attempt with plenty of their own mistakes and remained undefeated for the season with a 23-17 win over New York at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Stephon Gilmore picked off Rodgers’ underthrown pass for Mike Williams on the Jets’ final offensive play, as the quarterback threw his hands up with incredulity.

Minnesota managed just two field goals by Will Reichard in the second half, and the Jets drove into scoring range in the final minute, but the Vikings got the play they needed to get to 5-0 and remain undefeated in London.

Why it happened: The Vikings got their worst day of the season from Sam Darnold, who completed only 14 of his 31 passes, and they kept the Jets alive with a number of key special teams mistakes. Their running game also stalled when Aaron Jones left with a hip injury, and though they got steady pressure on Rodgers throughout the day, the quarterback started to find success with short throws that allowed him to keep drives alive. But the Vikings never gave him time to push the ball downfield, and Rodgers’ frustration showed up at various points through the game.

What it means: The Vikings remain the NFC’s only unbeaten team and will head into their bye week at least a game up on the rest of the NFC North. Jones’ injury is a concern, as is Darnold’s lack of accuracy in the second half when coach Kevin O’Connell continued to be aggressive with his play-calling. But they’ll have two weeks to recover before a big home game against the Lions.

Play of the game: The Vikings called a zone blitz in the first quarter, with Andrew Van Ginkel simulating a pressure before dropping back into coverage. The edge rusher picked off Rodgers’ pass, returning it 63 yards down the Jets’ sideline for a touchdown that put the Vikings up 10-0.

Turning point: The Vikings continued to push the ball downfield with a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, when Sam Darnold missed Jordan Addison on a third-and-15 throw. Jets cornerback Brandin Echols intercepted it, and the turnover set up a score that pulled the Jets to within a field goal.

Up next: After their bye next Sunday, the Vikings will take on Detroit in an NFC North showdown Oct. 20 (noon, U.S. Bank Stadium). — BEN GOESSLING

Here’s how the game played out:

The Vikings are 5-0 heading into their bye week after beating the Jets 23-17. Jets QB Aaron Rodgers had his team driving for the winning TD when Stephon Gilmore got the Vikings’ third interception of the day at the 9-yard line with 44 seconds left.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has bounced back well from mistakes this season, and he brought that to London. After throwing an interception on the previous drive, leading to a Jets touchdown, Darnold threw downfield strikes for 20 and 25 yards to tight end Johnny Mundt and receiver Justin Jefferson. Those passes brought the Vikings into field-goal range, where kicker Will Reichard made his 26th consecutive kick to begin his NFL career. His 41-yard field goal gives the Vikings a 23-17 lead with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter. — ANDREW KRAMMER

Coach Kevin O’Connell has said he’ll remain aggressive with quarterback Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ talented passing game. But he made a head-scratching decision to have Darnold — who has struggled today — drop back and fire a deep pass on third-and-15 while leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter. Darnold’s throw sailed over wide receiver Jordan Addison and was intercepted by the Jets, setting up Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for an 8-play, 42-yard touchdown drive. The Vikings lead 20-17 with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter. Rodgers completed four straight passes to end the drive, including an 18-yard strike to Jets receiver Mike Williams over the middle on third down and the 1-yard touchdown to Jets receiver Garrett Wilson. — ANDREW KRAMMER

Rookie kicker Will Reichard remains perfect to begin his NFL career, sinking his 25th consecutive kick with a 53-yard boot that gives the Vikings a two-score lead, 20-10, with 12:07 remaining. Quarterback Sam Darnold couldn’t get anything going, but the Vikings were still able to capitalize on an underwhelming 39-yard punt by Jets punter Thomas Morstead from his own end zone. Running back Myles Gaskin had the only gain — 2 yards — on the three-and-out drive. — ANDREW KRAMMER

LONDON — The Vikings ran just three offensive plays in the final half of the third quarter, after Ivan Pace Jr’s. roughing penalty on Thomas Morstead helped the Jets continue a drive that lasted 16 plays. The Vikings lead 17-10 through three quarters and could use an answer to start the fourth quarter.

They’ll begin the final quarter in Jets territory after another penalty — this one a pass interference flag for 24 yards against D.J. Reed — for the Jets’ physical coverage of Justin Jefferson. For the third quarter, the Vikings ran just 10 plays for 41 yards, other than the penalty. They’ve continued to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, who appeared to take exception with a Blake Cashman hit to his ankles after the quarterback’s surgically repaired Achilles tendon. Rodgers was slow to get up after he got twisted up between Jihad Ward and Patrick Jones on a hit before the roughing penalty helped the Jets continue their drive.

We’ll see if the Vikings can get a stop with the Jets beginning their first drive of the fourth quarter deep in their own territory, and set up a score that might put this one away. — BEN GOESSLING

Another special teams blunder — this time, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was flagged for roughing Jets punter Thomas Morstead —came back to hurt the Vikings. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein’s 32-yard field goal, cutting the Vikings’ lead to 17-10 in the third quarter, capped a 17-play, 68-yard drive that appeared over after five plays. But Pace’s penalty on the punt kept the Jets offense on the field. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared to injure his left leg when he was bent awkwardly in a pile under Vikings defensive linemen Pat Jones II and Jihad Ward. But Rodgers returned when the Jets offense was awarded a first down, and he threw for three first downs to position the Jets for a score. — ANDREW KRAMMER

Vikings starting running back Aaron Jones has been ruled out for the rest of the game because of a hip injury.

LONDON — The Vikings controlled things for most of the first half, but a field-position flip got the Jets in it right before halftime: Jay Ward’s block in the back on a punt return meant the Vikings started their drive from their own 4, putting them in a dangerous position for Xavier Gipson’s punt return before halftime.

The short field set the Jets up for a vintage Aaron Rodgers throw, stepping up in the pocket to find Allen Lazard for the TD. The Vikings will get the second-half kickoff, but things are a little closer after two quarters than they appeared they would be.

The other thing to keep an eye on for the Vikings is the health of running back Aaron Jones, who left with an injury to his right hip and has been on the sideline with a wrap on his leg. Ty Chandler and Myles Gaskin have done most of the work in his place, and C.J. Ham scored on his short handoff, but as important as Jones has been to the Vikings — and as much as he has struggled with injuries in his career — it’s worth watching how the Vikings handle him here. They might decide to be cautious with him and let him rest heading into their bye week. We’ll see what they do when they start with the ball in the second half.

For the first half, the Vikings outgained the Jets 155-99. New York has just four first downs, and Harrison Smith became the seventh player in NFL history with 35 interceptions and 20 sacks after he took Rodgers down on a zero blitz (which he celebrated by mimicking the championship belt move that made Rodgers millions of dollars in State Farm commercials). The Jets held the ball for just 11:47 in the first half.

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor last year, blew the Gjallarhorn before the game and was honored at halftime as part of the NFL’s first-ever London Ring of Honour ceremony. Allen had 2½ sacks in the Vikings’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Wembley Stadium in 2013. — BEN GOESSLING

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 40 years old, but he can still show flashes of his NFL MVP-caliber form. Rodgers came to life just before halftime, capitalizing on a 30-yard punt return with a 14-yard touchdown toss to Jets receiver Allen Lazard. Facing a third-and-10 play in the red zone, Rodgers escaped the Vikings’ pass rush, climbed the pocket, and threw a dart to Lazard in the back of the end zone. That pass finally put the Jets on the board, making it a 17-7 Vikings lead. It’s the second straight week in which a special teams blunder led to an opponent score just before halftime. Last week, receiver Jalen Nailor botched a punt return, leading to a Packers recovery near the Vikings’ end zone. This week, Jets punt returner Xavier Gipson avoided Vikings gunners Akayleb Evans and Jay Ward before escaping for 30 yards. — ANDREW KRAMMER

Opponents are often physical with Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, and the Jets have been no different through the first half Sunday. But that style bit them in the second quarter, when Jets cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed were flagged three times for defensive pass interference and defensive holding. All three penalties were on plays targeting Jefferson, including the last one on Gardner that set up the Vikings at the Jets 2-yard line. Fullback C.J. Ham capped the drive with a touchdown run, giving the Vikings a 17-0 lead with 3:58 left before halftime. It’s Ham’s first touchdown since the 2022 season.

Running back Aaron Jones is questionable to return. He watched the drive from the sideline while dealing with a right hip injury, according to the NFL Network broadcast. Jones, who had eight touches for 53 yards before exiting, was evaluated in the medical tent on the sideline. Running back Ty Chandler stepped in and took three carries for 14 yards. Chandler, who had a botched exchange with Sam Darnold in the first quarter, had a 32-yard run wiped out by an illegal shift penalty on Jefferson. — ANDREW KRAMMER

LONDON — Though they fumbled twice and lost the ball on a Sam Darnold fumble when Ty Chandler couldn’t handle his toss on a third down, they are again ahead in the turnover margin that’s been so important to their success under coach Kevin O’Connell. They did it by taking one quarter to do something against Aaron Rodgers they hadn’t done in 14 years.

The Vikings picked Rodgers off twice for the first time since Oct. 24, 2010, when the Green Bay Packers won despite the turnovers in Brett Favre’s last game at Lambeau Field. Today, the Vikings followed Andrew Van Ginkel’s pick-6 with a Cam Bynum interception on a ball Rodgers overthrew for Allen Lazard. They lead 10-0 after the first quarter.

Rodgers has appeared visibly frustrated already, turning back to look at the officials after a Jonathan Greenard shove and flashing agitated glances toward offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett while signaling for him to get plays in quicker. The Jets don’t have a first down through the first quarter of the game.

The Vikings have now outscored opponents 48-3 in the first quarter this season. — BEN GOESSLING

Another touchdown from outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, an interception off Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a 63-yard return, gives the Vikings a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. It’s Van Ginkel’s second touchdown of the season and the fifth touchdown of his NFL career. “What’s crazy is I was telling these boys, ‘Man, Gink is going to score a touchdown this year — maybe two,” safety Bobby McCain said after Van Ginkel’s first score in the Sept. 8 win over the New York Giants.

Van Ginkel is the first Vikings defender to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same season since Harrison Smith in 2012.

The Vikings defense has forced 11 takeaways this season, trailing only the Packers’ 12 entering Week 5. The score came after a Vikings turnover, a fumble charged to Sam Darnold when Ty Chandler couldn’t handle the pitch. The Jets’ Quincy Williams recovered it and returned it to the Vikings 42. — ANDREW KRAMMER

A fitting opening score on the soccer pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — a 54-yard field goal by kicker Will Reichard — gives the Vikings an early 3-0 lead after one possession apiece. Quarterback Sam Darnold started hot, converting a pair of third downs through the air to Justin Jefferson and Johnny Mundt. But he was sacked by Jets edge rusher Will McDonald on third down and 2 at the Jets’ 24-yard line, leading to the field goal.

Reichard, a sixth-round pick out of Alabama, has now made his first 21 kicks in the NFL. That was his second 50-yard field goal, including a 58 yarder in the Week 3 win over the Houston Texans. — ANDREW KRAMMER

Sam Darnold leads the NFL with 11 touchdown passes in four starts. He has the undefeated Vikings atop the league standings. His name is being tossed around by oddsmakers as an early candidate for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award behind perennial favorites like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen.

He must be itching to get back at Sunday’s opponent, the New York Jets, who drafted him No. 3 overall and traded away after three forgettable seasons, right?

“I’m not really thinking about that to be honest,” Darnold said Wednesday. “A lot of new faces over there. Still know a few players over there, but I’m sure maybe before the game or after the game, seeing some of the people that I’ve built really good relationships ― that’s always the fun part.” — ANDREW KRAMMER

Read more about Darnold’s approach to this game.

The Vikings (4-0) will try to remain undefeated, both for the 2024 season and in their history of games in London, when they take on the Jets on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In their fourth trip to London since 2013, the Vikings will see a familiar face: Aaron Rodgers, who’ll face Minnesota for the 31st and perhaps final time in his illustrious career. — BEN GOESSLING

LONDON — Hello from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the Vikings will try to head into their bye with a pair of undefeated records: a 5-0 mark for the season, and a 4-0 record in London. Here are their inactives for today’s game against the Jets:

• WR Trishton Jackson

• CB Fabian Moreau

• CB Dwight McGlothern

• DL Levi Drake Rodriguez

• DL Jalen Redmond

• OL Walter Rouse

• QB Brett Rypien (emergency 3rd QB)

The Vikings elevated running back Myles Gaskin and safety Bobby McCain from the practice squad for the game. Only tight end T.J. Hockenson (out), who is nearing his return from a offseason knee surgery, carried an injury designation into the game. Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, returns to the lineup today.

The Jets’ inactives are:

— BEN GOESSLING

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