When terms like “lacking energy” are being used after a loss in what was a massive game for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, channeling feelings of anger is only natural. The Vikings are now 7-8, and a loss to the Green Bay Packers would be the final dagger in any postseason dreams they may have. A win not only keeps them in the hunt but will also temporarily dissolve a lot of the frustrations that exist.
Minnesota can get the two-for-one special on Sunday night at Lambeau Field. Currently, FiveThirtyEight gives the Vikings an 11% chance to make the playoffs. That number skyrockets to 44% with a win in Green Bay. However, a loss drops those odds to 2%. It’s fair to say the Vikings are playing for their season on Sunday night. They could also play the role of spoiler.
Green Bay currently leads the race for the only playoff bye and the top seed in the NFC. If they beat the Vikings and the Detroit Lions, the playoffs go through Lambeau Field for a second year in a row. A loss and the door opens up wide for the Dallas Cowboys to jump into the driver’s seat. Sure, Dallas is always overhyped, and it’s incredibly annoying, but they are the lesser of two evils in this situation. Beating the Packers at Lambeau Field and potentially ruining their chances of home-field advantage is a dream scenario for Minnesota. They’ll have to be much better than they were this past Sunday and supply the energy themselves, unlike the scenario Anthony Barr described after Sunday’s fiasco.
“It felt like it was a little dead inside of here today,” Anthony Barr said. “Usually we’ve got a nice buzz and for whatever reason, it was not there. Christmas hangover, I don’t know. I don’t what y’all did last night, too much fun I guess.”
Call it crazy, but the fans not cheering or not bringing enough energy might directly coincide with how the Vikings are playing. Maybe execute better in the red zone. Don’t lose a game after picking off Matthew Stafford three times. Maybe don’t look sluggish yourselves in what was as close to a must-win game as the Vikings have had all year. Thankfully for Minnesota, playing the Packers supplies its own energy, and the Vikings have made use of it lately.
The Vikings have won two straight over Green Bay, including a 34-31 thriller at US Bank Stadium earlier this season. Kirk Cousins torched the Packers’ secondary in that game, and Justin Jefferson was damn near unstoppable. In their last matchup at Lambeau a year ago, a 1-5 Minnesota team that looked like a ship lost at sea pulled off a stunner by winning 28-22. They leaned on Dalvin Cook, who ran for 163 yards. As great as Jefferson has been all year and as good as Cousins has been, it’s the run game that could be the deciding factor Sunday night.
Temperatures are expected to be near 10 degrees at kickoff. While the cold doesn’t make it impossible to pass the ball, it certainly adds a wrinkle. The weather, coupled with what Green Bay just displayed — or didn’t display — against the Cleveland Browns, could mean a heavy workload for the Vikings’ backfield.
On Christmas Day, Nick Chubb did whatever he wanted against the Packers, finishing with 126 yards on only 17 carries. D’Ernest Johnson chipped in with 58 yards on an eye-popping 14.5 yards per carry. Green Bay’s run defense has slowly started to cave in. If Green Bay doesn’t figure it out quickly, the Vikings could be the tipping point for a defense that has lost a lot of its zest from the beginning of the season.
Minnesota has the talent to match up with Green Bay. Now, they’ll be playing with their season hanging in the balance. Some have already pronounced the Vikings’ season dead, but a win against the Packers could inject some life back into that party while making the Packers’ playoff path that much more difficult. It’s a win-win for Minnesota if there ever was one.
Don’t be fooled by the records, either. Green Bay has shown vulnerabilities recently. The Packers have had serious trouble closing out games in the last month. They’re riding a four-game winning streak, but a two-point conversion and a dropped Baker Mayfield interception could have meant two consecutive losses for the Green and Gold. The Vikings have been the kings of playing in one-possession games.
Fans are pissed after Sunday’s loss, and it’s impossible to blame them. Likewise, the players and coaches are frustrated with the performance the Vikings put out onto the field. A win over the Packers on primetime television to salvage their season for another week while throwing a wrench into Green Bay’s home-field advantage plans would be one sweet slice of pie for the Vikings. And it would temporarily salve those hurt feelings.
