MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — With playoff seeding at stake, U.S. Bank Stadium is the site of a Week 17 border battle between the Green Bay Packers (11-4) and the Minnesota Vikings (13-2).
Both teams have already clinched spots in the postseason, but Sunday's outcome will affect seeding in the NFC Playoffs.
The NFC playoff picture is heating up heading into Week 17 👀 pic.twitter.com/wZbzYlW2iF
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) December 24, 2024
If Minnesota can win their final two games of the regular season (vs. Packers, at Detroit), the Vikings will clinch both the NFC North and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
If the Packers win out (at Minnesota, vs. Chicago), Green Bay can earn as high as the five seed.
"We're still trying to win games," Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon told reporters after Monday's 34-0 shutout over the Saints. "We don't want to just end the season now that we made a playoff spot. I don't think nobody wants to be the seven seed, so we're coming to play these last two division games for sure."
With a shut out victory over the Saints on Monday Night Football, the Packers are officially postseason bound.
— Ashley Washburn (@ashleyjwashburn) December 24, 2024
However, the job is far from over. Now comes the fight for seeding.
A recap from Lambeau ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/URInnGqI3R
While the fight for seeding is more than enough motivation for Sunday's divisional game against Minnesota, it's a rematch the Packers have been looking forward to since September's Week Four meeting.
Despite trailing by as much as 28 points in the first half against Minnesota, the Packers nearly pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback at Lambeau Field. Green Bay scored 22 points in the final frame, but two costly turnovers in the final seven minutes kept the Vikings ahead to win by two points, 31-29.
“I just remember the whole game we beat ourselves," Packers tight end Tucker Kraft recalled. "We went out there — each drive — and we'd put a drive together, and then we would just shoot ourselves in the foot. We didn't have great security with the ball — myself included, fumbled on a critical drive. We were marching. We were going to go down. We were going to score. We were going to win the game.”
Kraft's fumble with 4:27 left in regulation was one of four Packers turnovers that game. Jordan Love also threw three interceptions, his first return to action since injuring his knee in Week One against the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paolo, Brazil.
The Vikings' defense has built an identity around turnovers this year ranking second in the NFL with 30 (22 interceptions, eight fumbles).
Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. leads Minnesota with six interceptions this year, but it all starts up front for Minnesota.
“Whether it's getting sacks on the quarterback, getting hits on the quarterback, getting pressures, forcing the quarterbacks to make bad decisions," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said about the Vikings defense. "Like I mentioned — the takeaways already — they could be out there in one personnel grouping and line up five different ways."
According to TruMedia, the Vikings rank first in the league with a blitz rate of 40.5%.
“They throw a lot of different looks at you, a lot of different personnel and a lot of different pressures," Packers quarterback Jordan Love explained. "They make it hard for offenses — make you kind of have to study everything and be prepared for whatever they might throw at you.”
Packers versus Vikings kicks off at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday.
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