Packers and Vikings Clash Takes a Twist
The Minnesota Vikings are 13-2. Nothing is left of the pessimistic outlook folks had just four months ago when first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy tragically tore his meniscus, ruling him out for his entire rookie campaign.
Packers and Vikings Clash Takes a Twist
Instead, it’s Sam Darnold who’s driving the Vikings’ car, elevating his own play to unexpected levels with 31 passing touchdowns in only 15 games.
In Week 18, the Vikings can clinch a playoff-type contest when the operation travels to Detroit to face the Lions for (potentially) the NFC North crown.
Minnesota needs a win for that, barring a shocking Lions loss against the already-eliminated 49ers in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game. The problem? It’s not an easy task to beat the Green Bay Packers, a team that has been red-hot in the past couple of months with a 10-4 record, and the group’s only losses were against contenders Philadelphia, Detroit (twice), and Minnesota.
Because that contest is a big one, the NFL flexed it to the second window. The new kickoff is planned for 3:25 pm instead of the previous noon time.
The Vikings announced on their website: “The Border Battle is undisputedly one of the best rivalries in the NFL. The next edition — the 129th overall — is going national. The NFL on Monday announced the Week 17 game between Minnesota (13-2) and Green Bay (10-4 before that night’s game against New Orleans) is being flexed from noon to 3:25 p.m. (CT).”
The NFC matchup will get major attention: “The action from U.S. Bank Stadium will be featured as FOX’s ‘America’s Game of the Week’ and broadcast nationally,” Vikings writer Craig Peters wrote. “Another major rivalry game between Dallas (7-8) and Philadelphia (12-3) was initially scheduled for that time slot but has been moved to noon (CT).”
In the first game against the Packers, the Vikings came out hot, leading 28-0 late in the second quarter, before Jalen Nailor’s muffed punt gave the Packers some life. In the second half, Green Bay outscored the Vikings 22-3, but too little, too late to secure a massive comeback win.
Instead, the Vikings finished the game with a 31-29 road win, and, outside of the opening drive, Green Bay never had the ball with a chance to take the lead. It was a dominant performance despite the close result on the scoreboard.
The Packers are 10-4 leading up to the Monday contest against the Saints. Washington won against the Eagles on Sunday, and Green Bay needs to defeat New Orleans to avoid tiebreaker watching for the sixth seed.
Drawing the America’s Game of the Week label from FOX means Tom Brady will head to the Twin Cities and be present on all TV screens and speakers across the counties.
The Packers lead the all-time series 66-59-3. Kevin O’Connell hopes to clinch his first sweep over the Packers in his third season.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt