GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Well, at least it wasn't a loss at Lambeau Field.
But in a Vikings locker room that was filled with a variety of emotions Sunday afternoon, it wasn't a win either.
Nobody seemed to know what to think after the Vikings and Packers played to a 29-29 tie in Green Bay, adding another wild chapter to this historic rivalry.
"Ties don't feel good. I'll definitely tell you that," said Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. "It's not losing, but it's damn sure not winning."
Added Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer: "It's better than a loss, obviously, but I'm proud of the guys."
Yes, the 116th edition of the Border Battle seemed to have it all. But for only the third time in the longstanding tradition between the Vikings and Packers, nobody won.
On one hand, there was disappointment and rejection in the Vikings locker room. Minnesota had multiple opportunities to win, including on the final play of overtime, but couldn't grab the lead at any point in the game.
"It's tough," said Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. "In this league, you fight so hard and, especially in a game like that, you put so much on the line.
"It's tough not to come out with a victory," Thielen added. "But at the same time, it's Week 2 of the season. We've got a long way to go."
Added Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks: "We don't play for ties."
Vikings safety Harrison Smith said as much as he hates losing to the Packers, there was little solace in nobody losing.
"It doesn't matter who it is, you want to win," Smith said.
Yet on the other hand, there was pride in the locker room that the Vikings rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota clawed its way back by fighting until the very end as quarterback Kirk Cousins found wide receiver Adam Thielen for a 22-yard touchdown with 31 seconds left. Cousins' 2-point conversion pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs knotted the game at 29.
"It is a unique place to be, and I'm proud of the way the whole team and the coaching staff, the players, the support staff, the way everybody stayed in it and fought," Cousins said. "There were times when we felt we should have won it, and there were times when the Packers felt like they should have won it. It was a great game, and unfortunately we didn't win."
Added tight end Kyle Rudolph: "I'm proud of this team for never giving up and getting to overtime. I'm proud of all 53 guys that were out there today and the fight that they showed."
The Vikings are 52-59-3 all-time in the regular season against the Packers. Minnesota will get its chance to erase the weird taste out of its mouth in Week 12 at home against Green Bay on NBC's Sunday Night Football.
"To just get out of here with a tie, with as poorly as we played, it could essentially be a win for us," Rudolph said. "This could be big for us down the road as long as we take care of business and learn from this."
