Vikings put their unbeaten record on the line as they visit the NFC North-rival Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings already have emerged as one of the NFL’s biggest surprises by winning their first three games after being a consensus pick to finish last in the NFC North.

They can make their biggest statement of the young season Sunday by winning at Green Bay in a divisional showdown.

“My challenge to the team is, once again, last Sunday means absolutely nothing,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “The first three games of the season mean absolutely nothing if we don’t start continuing to maintain our play style.

"Hopefully soon enough, we can start talking about it being the standard of how we play every week.”

The Vikings (3-0) have trailed for less than 3½ minutes so far this season while beating the New York Giants, defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans.

Now the Vikings open their NFC North schedule against the Packers (2-1), who have won two straight games without quarterback Jordan Love as he recovers from a knee injury. Love is practicing on a limited basis for a second straight week as he attempts to return for the Vikings game.

Whether Love plays or Malik Willis fills in for a third consecutive week, the Packers understand the challenge they’ll face from a Minnesota defense that has an NFL-leading 16 sacks.

“They’re coached up very well, and they all have a great idea of where they need to be,” Love said. “I think at the end of the day, it just comes down to being able to decipher what they’re doing and then at the snap of the ball, trying to figure out, ‘Are they bluffing? Are they coming?’ Things like that. They do so much stuff that it is hard to have an idea what they’re doing pre-snap, so a lot of that stuff, you’ve just got to feel it out.”

Aaron Jones spent his first seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers and became one of the team’s most popular players while rushing for 5,940 yards and 45 touchdowns.

After running for over 100 yards in each of his last five games with the Packers, Jones was asked to take a pay cut for a second straight year. Jones instead left Green Bay and signed with Minnesota.

Sunday marks his first game at Lambeau Field as a visiting player. Jones says he’s “definitely” taking a “Lambeau leap” into the stands if he scores a touchdown.

“Hopefully there’s a Vikings fan ... so I can jump up to them,” Jones said.

The Vikings have outscored their first three opponents 85-30. That represents the second-highest point margin through their first three games in franchise history, behind the 1975 team that outscored its first three opponents by 67 points.

That 1975 team went on to win its first 10 games and finished the regular season at 12-2 before losing to Dallas in the NFC divisional playoffs.

With Green Bay’s Brayden Narveson and Minnesota’s Will Reichard, the game could be decided by a rookie kicker.

Reichard, a sixth-round draft pick who became the all-time leading scorer in college football history over his career at Alabama, is perfect so far for the Vikings: 5 for 5 on field goals and 10 for 10 on extra points. He made a 58-yarder, the second-longest in Vikings history, last week against the Texans.

Narveson has 11 field-goal attempts already to tie Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell for the NFL lead. He has made nine of them, with the misses coming from 43 and 45 yards away.

The Packers have intercepted seven passes and have nine total takeaways to lead the NFL in both categories. They now face Minnesota’s Sam Darnold, who has rejuvenated his career by throwing eight touchdown passes with only two interceptions in Minnesota’s first two games.

“He’s been a really good quarterback,” said Packers safety Xavier McKinney, who has intercepted a pass in each of Green Bay’s three games. “He’s not making a lot of mistakes. He’s putting the ball on point for his guys to be able to make plays after the catch. He’s doing a lot of good things for his team, for that offense, and we’ve got to find ways to create opportunities for us to be successful and be able to get the ball back."

The Packers have an NFL-leading 204 yards rushing per game. Minnesota is allowing just 71.3 yards per game and is tied for second in the league in run defense.

Green Bay averages 5.5 yards per carry to rank second in the NFL, behind only the Baltimore Ravens. Minnesota allows just 3.6 yards per rush to rank third in the league.

AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Green Bay Packers' Christian Watson warms up before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Green Bay Packers' Lukas Van Ness celebrates his sack of Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Green Bay Packers' Jayden Reed tries to get past Tennessee Titans' Roger McCreary after a catch during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman did not travel with the team for Friday night's game at Angel City because of a back spasm that forced her to leave a match last weekend.

Spirit coach Jonatan Giraldez also said defender Casey Krueger (adductor) didn't make the trip to Los Angeles. Both Rodman and Krueger were on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Giraldez said Rodman’s back was not a “big injury” but there was no timeline for her return. He also said Krueger's injury was not serious.

The Spirit have already clinched a spot in the National Women's Soccer League playoffs with five games remaining in the regular season.

Rodman fell to the ground in the 75th minute of the Spirit's game against Kansas City last Friday after contact with Current forward Temwa Chawinga.

She tried to walk off the field but eventually went to the locker room in a wheelchair. The 22-year-old later returned to the bench. The Spirit lost 3-0 to the Current.

Rodman’s agent, Mike Senkowski, told The Washington Post that she had a “intense back spasm.” Rodman, who has eight goals for the Spirit, has a history of back spasms.

Krueger started the match against Kansas City but was subbed out at the half. It was not clear when she was injured.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - United States' Trinity Rodman fights for the ball with Germany's Felicitas Rauch during a women's semifinal soccer match between the United States and Germany at the 2024 Summer Olympics at Lyon Stadium in Decines, France, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File)