It was late November when the Minnesota Vikings had to rely on multiple dropped interceptions by the Green Bay Packers to escape US Bank Stadium with a 34-31 win. The Vikings moved to 5-5 as the Packers “dropped” to 8-3. Fast forward to Week 17 and Green Bay hammered home the final nail in Minnesota’s coffin at Lambeau Field, sending them into an offseason filled with uncertainty.
Sunday night was flat-out sad to the point that Packers fans weren’t even enjoying it (all that much). Green Bay dominated every statistical category as Sean Mannion did his best Christian Ponder impersonation. Yes, the Vikings were without Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen, but they still had Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson. It was hard to find them at times, though, because the Vikings went with a strategy of feeding the ever-elusive duo of Tyler Conklin and C.J. Ham on their opening drive. It was a bold move indeed, Cotton, and it did not pay off. It made the remaining pity-fest all the more tough to watch.
The Vikings’ offense was invisible, and the defense looked as interested in playing as anyone who doesn’t live in Minnesota would be looking at an overrated hotdish. They were lethargic, going through the motions, and for some reason refused to even attempt to stop Davante Adams. Aaron Rodgers wisely went back to that well repeatedly to the tune of 11 receptions and 136 yards for the superstar wide receiver. There was a nifty pass breakup by Patrick Peterson that perhaps the Vikings can celebrate on film this week. Outside of that, the whole scenario warranted crime scene tape around the outskirts of the field.
The win on Sunday night was a dagger in two respects. For Green Bay, it’s a second-straight season that the NFC will go through Lambeau Field as they clinched the top seed and the lone bye. For the Vikings, it’s the third time in four seasons that they will have to sit back and complain that the Packers get all the calls and hope that Rodgers isn’t hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. The loss eliminated this eyesore of a team from postseason contention, and thank goodness it did. Nobody should be subjected to watching them in a primetime slot in the postseason. Thankfully, the Packers put any chance of that to rest.
Green Bay should be praised by Vikings fans for putting them out of their misery, but this is a fanbase that has too much empty pride to do so. Personally, I’d rather watch endless replays of the Winter Classic with St. Louis skating circles around another Minnesota team than to have watched Kirk Cousins and Mike Zimmer get wrecked on wild card weekend.
In all sincerity, though, in some ways the real season begins now for the Vikings. There wasn’t a shot in hell this team was going to win the Super Bowl this year. But their rival can. Now is the time for Minnesota fans to bond, to come together and really invest in cheering against the Packers while their own front office slams their heads together carving out a plan moving forward to take out Green Bay. Rooting against the Packers is just as enjoyable for many Vikings fans as it is to root for their own team. It’s a harsh reality, but when you aren’t playing past the regular season more times than not, it’s all you can lean on. And lean into it they shall because they have nothing else until the Green Bay’s season ends, one way or another.
Perhaps the most challenging part of witnessing all of this is that it’s a repeat cycle for Vikings fans that won’t go away soon. Last year it was praying that Rodgers wouldn’t return to the Packers. This offseason, it will be much of the same while they map out their own future with what might be new leadership.
Fans will talk about getting that next franchise quarterback with their first-round pick, and lord knows they’ll have a pick high enough to take one after this silent but deadly fart of a season. They’ll rely on Rodgers leaving and their own franchise figuring it out. Neither will happen, but they’ll buy in anyways because, truth be told, they have no other options. Sunday night at Lambeau Field wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of another lap around the sun for the Vikings in a never-ending quest to obtain what they never will: dominance, relevance, and a Super Bowl title. They can find solace in that win on Nov. 21, though, that got them back to .500 on the season. What a time to be alive it was on that day.
What Green Bay did Sunday night wasn’t very respectful, and to do it on national television made it that much worse. They yet again took on the role of the bully. They pushed Minnesota all around the field and eliminated them from the playoffs in the process. Here we are getting ready for Week 18 and the Vikings will welcome in another mess of a team, the Chicago Bears, for a meaningless game. Meanwhile, the Packers will be pondering whether or not to rest or play their starters before their first-round bye.
Thanks for coming out, Minnesota. You were as predictable as ever in 2021. See you in the offseason and please give Mike Zimmer and Kirk Cousins extensions.
