The Packers Officially Cannot Catch the Vikings
Josh Frey
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The Green Bay Packers may have found a way to win on Sunday against the Chicago Bears for the eighth consecutive time, but they could not escape elimination. With the Vikings victory in Week 13, the Packers are out of the race for the NFC North title in 2022.
Sitting at 5-8 on the season, the Green Bay Packers officially cannot catch the Vikings after Minnesota won its 10th game of the 2022 season. Technically, the Packers can still become a wild card team this year, but they currently sit in 10th in the NFC and need some serious help to make that a reality.
This elimination from NFC North contention ends a three-year run of dominance by the Packers. From 2019-2021, Green Bay won three-straight division titles, made two conference title games, and they went a combined 39-10, including 15-3 against NFC North opponents.
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If Green Bay misses the playoffs entirely, it would be the first time since 2018, and just the fourth occurrence since 2008 when Aaron Rodgers took over as the starting QB.
As for the Vikings, they weren’t quite able to clinch the NFC North this weekend after the Detroit Lions blew out the Jaguars, 40-14. Minnesota needed a win and a Detroit loss in order to get it done this weekend.
However, they can go take any hope away from the Lions next week in Detroit. The two teams are scheduled to face off at 12 PM CST as part of the Week 14 slate at Ford Field. If the Vikings are able to win that game, their 11th win would seal their first NFC North crown since 2017 and just their fourth since 2001.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.