With Packers having won 3 straight, Sunday’s Vikings game suddenly has playoff feel

Sep 21, 2023

EAGAN, Minn. -- Suddenly, the latest installment in the Minnesota-Green Bay rivalry will have a playoff feel.

It didn't look for a while as if that would be the case, especially when Green Bay was 4-8 a month ago. But the Packers (7-8) have reeled off three straight wins, and Sunday's game at Lambeau Field now has plenty of meaning.

"They’re playing good football,’’ Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday. "They’re playing complimentary football right now, and there's a reason why they’re winning and trending upward. … (I’m) expecting a heck of an environment there and a football team that's playing really, really well."

The Vikings (12-3) have clinched the NFC North and stand now as the No. 2 seed in the conference, but they still have plenty on the line. They have an outside chance at catching Philadelphia (13-2) for the No. 1 seed and are trying to stave off San Francisco (11-4), which would hold a possible tiebreaker, to remain No. 2.

Had the Packers not suddenly gotten hot, they might now be in a position to use more backups, including possibly Jordan Love at quarterback. But obviously Aaron Rodgers now again will get the nod in the 3:25 p.m. game at Lambeau.

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"Definitely better than three weeks ago, four with the bye,’’ Rodgers said Sunday after Green Bay's latest win, 26-20 at Miami. "Definitely haven't had a lot of believers outside the locker room, so maybe this will give us a couple on the bandwagon."

The Packers were 4-8 and trailed Chicago 19-10 entering the fourth quarter on Dec. 4. But they came back to win that game 28-19 and then defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-12 before the win over the Dolphins.

If the Packers win their final two games, they would make the playoffs if No. 7 Washington (7-7-1) loses one of its final two or the No. 6 New York Giants (8-6-1) lose their remaining two. Green Bay closes the season against Detroit at home.

"This is playoff football at this point,’’ said Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.

It's not out of the question that the Packers could finish as the No. 7 seed and face a No. 2 Minnesota to open the playoffs at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings won the first meeting this season between the teams, 23-7 at home in the Sept. 11 opener.

The Packers have been established as a three-point favorite and will try, as they often do, to use the late-season weather at Lambeau to their advantage. But it won't be exceedingly cold. The forecast Sunday calls for a high of 35 degrees and a low of 30, with the possibility of some rain or snow.

Temperatures later this week in the Twin Cities are expected to be in the mid-30s, and O’Connell said "it's very important" for the Vikings to practice some outside. They haven't had an outdoor practice since Nov. 10, three days before their last outdoor road game, Nov. 13 at Buffalo.

"It looks like the weather's going to cooperate, at least to give us pseudo-similar conditions to what we’ll see at Lambeau Field this weekend. So we’ll get outside to get our guys acclimated," O’Connell said. "We can be inside for some things, get out for some throwing and catching and team periods, get our guys accustomed to the surface."

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The Vikings also will be outside when they close the season the following weekend at Chicago. For that game to have no possible bearing on playoff seeding, Minnesota would have to beat the Packers, the Eagles on Sunday defeat New Orleans and the 49ers lose at Las Vegas.

"It's very important,’’ linebacker Jordan Hicks said of the Vikings trying to maintain at least the No. 2 seed. "This is playoff football right now. That's how we’re approaching it. Every win counts. Every win matters, and we’ve got to hold onto it."

Still, O’Connell said he will continue to look to reduce the snaps for some players on Sunday. He said there is a "balance" between wanting to win games but also keep players fresh for the playoffs.

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