Vikings Rivals Fall Out of the NFC Playoff Picture in Week 15
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings may have lost in Week 15 to the Cincinnati Bengals, but at least the loss didn’t cost them a spot in the current NFC playoff picture.
That cannot be said of one of the Vikings rivals, however. The Green Bay Packers played host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, and they lost to the NFC South leaders by a score of 34-20 at Lambeau Field in front of the home fans.
With the loss, the Packers move to 6-8 on the season, and they lost their spot at the No. 7 seed in the NFC. Instead, that position now belongs to the New Orleans Saints, who have moved to 7-7 with their victory over the New York Giants.
Vikings Rivals Fall Out of the NFC Playoff Picture in Week 15
Following Minnesota’s loss on Saturday, Green Bay had a chance to tie the Vikings at 7-7 for both the No. 6 seed in the conference as well as the second-place position in the NFC North. With a Week 17 game between the two teams looming, this could have set up a season-defining matchup.
Instead, Green Bay has dropped to 6-8, and from the No. 7 seed all the way to the 11th position in the NFC. This came about because, along with their loss to Tampa Bay, the Saints won while the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are yet to have their Week 15 fates determined.
Much of this Green Bay loss had to do with the Packers defense and their continued struggles. Baker Mayfield threw for a season-high 381 yards, and it was his first 300-yard passing game since Week 2 against the Chicago Bears. He completed 22 of his 28 passes and added 4 passing TDs to his stat line.
Chris Godwin absolutely torched the Packers secondary during this game by totaling 10 receptions for 155 yards while David Moore added a 52-yard TD reception in the second half to help solidify this victory.
In total, the Buccaneers had 452 yards of offense on Sunday, marking the fourth time in the past five weeks that Green Bay has allowed at least 360 yards of total offense. For reference, the Vikings have allowed that much offense just four times all season.
Somehow, the Vikings have managed to maintain the No. 6 seed in the NFC despite losing three of their past four games.
This loss from Green Bay ensured that the Vikings will remain ahead of the Packers in the standings going into Week 17. They are just one game ahead in the loss column, but a head-to-head tiebreaker goes the Vikings’ way because of their Week 8 win over Green Bay.
The two teams will renew the rivalry on New Year’s Eve, with kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium scheduled for 7:20 PM on Sunday, December 31st.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.