The Vikings escape Green Bay with a 31-29 win and a 4-0 record

Their confidence was justified in the first half Sunday and remained dicey in the second half, even as the Packers’ pass rush began to break through the Vikings’ offensive line and Love landed enough shots to pull Green Bay within two yards despite cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. both intercepted a throw from Dontayvion Wicks in the end zone and then knocked the ball out of Kraft’s hands for a fumble on the Packers’ next possession.

“Before anyone talked about us and gave us a chance, we believed in ourselves and we’re just going to keep doing that,” said Jones, who hit 93 on 22 attempts in a Green Bay home game that began with the running back circling He wore the apron to greet Packers fans and ended by hugging Packers staff before meeting a group of Vikings fans for a postgame Lambeau jump. “The reason we can do this is because of the work we put in.”

The Vikings’ 51st trip to Lambeau gave them a longer to-do list than it appeared in the first half. Thanks to a start that they emphasized was no surprise to them, they are confident they will enter the bye week with at least some of the lead in the NFC North.

“In the first half we dominated in all three phases,” Jefferson said. “We just have a lot of energy. I feel like we had a lot of energy in the second half; It’s just that the points at the end of the second (quarter) game gave them a little more momentum. But it happens. … Once we’re all healthy, I think we’ll be fine.”