packers.com editor
GREEN BAY – It is not a do-or-die sport subsequent Sunday at Minnesota, nevertheless it’s lots vital.
Shortly earlier than Inexperienced Bay dispatched New Orleans in a 34-0 shutout on Monday Evening Soccer, the second Packers-Vikings conflict of 2024 was moved to a 3:25 p.m. CT kickoff at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Packers, at 11-4, can now not win the NFC North, however they’ll actually assist their wild-card positioning by beating the 13-2 Vikings. Extra vital, the group is absolutely cognizant of what such a late-season win would imply.
“It is a very massive sport,” QB Jordan Love mentioned after Monday evening’s victory at Lambeau Discipline. “You understand, division sport, after which clearly we misplaced to them earlier this season so it is certainly one of these video games we have to get again.
“We talked about it earlier, we have got to have the ability to beat these good groups. The Vikings are an excellent group and we have got to have the ability to go into their place and deal with enterprise.”
When all of the playoff mud settles, the Packers as one of many convention’s three wild playing cards can be seeded anyplace from fifth to seventh within the NFC subject.
The best option to break down the ramifications of subsequent week’s sport is as follows:
How Washington (10-5) fares over these final two weeks of the common season will consider, too, together with the results of the Minnesota-Detroit showdown in Week 18.
However that huge NFC North battle within the finale solely issues to the Packers in the event that they beat the Vikings in Week 17.
“We have an enormous take a look at subsequent week,” Head Coach Matt LaFleur mentioned. “To go on the highway on a brief week with a vacation isn’t simple, particularly going to Minnesota.
“So we have got to flip the script right here actually shortly and get on to the Vikings.”
LaFleur added that a number of assistant coaches used all of the down time Sunday and Monday main as much as the evening sport to overview some Minnesota movie, which is able to enable for Tuesday’s game-planning course of to be full velocity forward immediately within the morning. Love mentioned he’d be reviewing sport movie as quickly as he can, too.
The Packers additionally rested some gamers, notably workhorse working again Josh Jacobs, as soon as they’d the Saints sport effectively in hand, understanding the fast turnaround earlier than an enormous sport was coming.
Phrases like “measuring stick” and “litmus take a look at” can be tossed round between now and Sunday, and so they’re correct labels.
However the Packers additionally keep in mind how, again in Week 4, they bought off to an terrible begin in opposition to the Vikings, falling behind 28-0 within the first half earlier than a livid rally fell quick, 31-29.
That small margin, influenced partly by a kicker who’s now not right here lacking two subject objectives and a beginning quarterback who had missed the earlier two video games and wasn’t absolutely wholesome, is the distinction between the groups’ present positions, or each being tied at 12-3 proper now.
The Packers have a big problem to prepare in a condensed week, however prepared they are going to be.
“We positively owe these guys,” Love mentioned, “and we’ll be motivated to go play them.”
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