That bad man has done it once again. Against all the odds and logic of football, Aaron Rodgers and his Packers won their 5th straight game by beating the NFC North division winner Vikings 41-17, setting up a winner-take-all playoff berth match against the Lions.
It’s crazy how the Packers have not only broken out of their slump but have also turned into one of the most dominate teams in the NFL during the final stretch of the season. This team shouldn’t be anywhere near a playoff spot given how badly they started the season, and nor should it be in a position to win one game against their archrivals Detroit Lions to clinch a 4th straight playoff berth.
But, as we all should have known, you never count out Aaron Rodgers, regardless of what the Packers standings or the roster’s injury list looks like.
In one of the most dominating displays seen from the Packers under Matt LaFleur, Green Bay came out flying and took the game out of the Vikings hands. Literally.
The Packers not only had a105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from the extremely explosive Keisean Nixon to open GB’s scoring, but they also got a 50-yard Pick 6 returned Darnell Savage to put Green Bay up 14-3 to start off the 4th Quarter.
The Packers defense and special team units really came to play today as they backed up all their pre-game talk about Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins, and the Vikings offense by holding them to just 346 total yards (most of those yards in garbage time) and 18 First Downs.
I said this after the Vikings miraculous comeback against the Colts that if a really bad team can post nearly 40 points against Minnesota, then how are they going to be able to stop good teams come the playoffs? Well, obviously they weren’t as Kirk Cousins looked like he was seeing stars and ghosts out there with only 18/31 completions for 205 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INTs.
Justin Jefferson, the league’s leading receiver with 1,756 yards, also had a torrid game as Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos, Rasul Douglas, Darnelle Savage, and the rest of the Packers secondary locked him up tighter than a prisoner on Alcatraz Island. Though, that may not be the best analogy as there were three inmates that infamously escaped…but Justin Jefferson certainly wasn’t one of those guys today.
He was held to just 1 catch for 15 yards as the Packers defense racked up 63 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 10 PD, 8 QB hits, 1 FF and FR, 3 INTs, and a Pick 6.
Every part of the Packers defense played lights out as the defensive front of Kenny Clark (4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 FF, 1 FR), T.J. Slayton (4 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PD), and Devonte Wyatt (1 tackle) held the Vikings running game to 102 yards, the linebacker core of Preston Smith (3 tackles 1 QB hit), De’Vondre Cambell (8 tackles), and Quay Walker (8 tackles, 1 PD) kept the Vikings from gaining yards after catch, while we all know what the secondary did to the Vikings pass game.
The Vikings offense just simply never got started and were playing catch up from the get-go.
And, just like how it was against the Dallas Cowboys, the Vikings have once again proven that if they come up against a decent (let alone destructive) team, they will fold more often than not. Oh, before any Vikings fans go on and on about the Bills win, that was pure luck Jefferson made that one-handed snag, Josh Allen fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line, and Allen threw a redzone interception in OT.
That won’t happen against the best teams in the playoffs.
Reversely, the Green Bay offense was overly impressive either…well, the passing game wasn’t.
Aaron Rodgers had one of his “worst” performances of the season as he only had to complete 15/24 passes for 159 yards and 1 TD. Now, that would normally be horrible stats for the great #12, but he didn’t have to be anything more than a good game manager as the Packers running game exploded for a total of 163 scrimmage rushing yards.
A.J. Dillon (12 CAR, 41 yards, 1 TD) and Aaron Jones (14 CAR, 111 yards) played their two best games of the year as the Vikings linebacker core of Eric Kendricks (5 tackles), Za’Darius Smith (3 tackles), and Brian Asamoah II (5 tackles) were no match for the Packers rushers, with each player constantly run over for additional yards after contact by the running backs on their way to a Green Bay victory.
Simply put, the Packers offense was ruthless efficient against a mediocre defense, which will always give the offensive team an overwhelming chance to win.
Nonetheless, this win for the Packers (8-8) now brings them back to .500 for the first time since Week 6 and sets up a winner-take-all game against the Detroit Lions (also 8-8) for the 7th and final NFC playoff spot. Given how great the Packers have been playing and the man under center, I’m taking Green Bay to make the playoffs in one of the most incredible redemption comebacks in NFL history.
As for the Vikings (12-4), this loss now pushes them down to the 3rd seed in the NFC and a home playoff game against the New York Giants. Personally, I’m hoping the Vikings win next week, the 49ers (who are in 2nd place) lose, and the Packers win as that would set up a Vikings-Packers Wild Card matchup in Minneapolis to finally determine the best team in the NFC North.
Just one more week before all of the playoff seeding and standings are determined.
Images Source: Featured Image:
