The Minnesota Vikings sent a clear message to the rest of the NFC North with a 39-22 home win over the Green Bay Packers that caused a wide range of reactions afterward, including from tight end Tucker Kraft. The Packers tight end finished third on his team among pass catchers with three catches for 65 yards on a day when Christian Watson outgained him in a single play.
Afterward, Packers coach Matt LaFleur did not sugarcoat the loss, andÃÂ Kraft also took on a leadership role, calling out the team in a postgame interview. Green Bay led 19-10 at halftime but was buried by a 22-point fourth-quarter effort from fill-in QB Carson Wentz and the Vikings.
âÂÂWe need to realize that it's us versus us all the time,â Kraft said to ESPN's Rob Demovsky. âÂÂTeams can't beat us as long as we're locked down and you saw that, that momentum swing was due to our own fault. We allowed that to happen.âÂÂ
Kraft later doubled down on his comments, positioning his team as responsible for the loss more than anything the Vikings did.
Article Continues BelowâÂÂThe only people who can beat us are us. That's it. We're the best team in the NFL, but if we don't go out there and play like it, no one's going to believe us.âÂÂ
The Packers outgained the Vikings by a final total of 419 yards to 239 yards, but 12 turnovers and two penalties were among the mistakes that ultimately led to their shocking 17-point loss. Jordan Love nearly threw for 400 yards, including 147 to Watson, but was sacked often (four times), adding to the momentum-killing plays from the game.
The Packers are now the only winless team in the NFC North after Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago all won their openers. Week 2's road game against the New York Jets offers a chance at the team's first win of the season, but they can't beat themselves and expect to win, as Kraft said.

