Playoffs Clinched, Minnesota Vikings Now Eyeing NFC North Title

Green Bay is at home and still has Aaron Rodgers, reasons why the Pack enter the week favored by a field goal. Russell Wilson completed 25 of 41 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns against one interception, and added 39 yards in six attempts on the ground.

Green Bay then lost right tackle Bryan Bulaga to a reinjured ankle in the third quarter.

“Well, I should be, based on production”.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a good time to get those guys”, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. “I don’t want to change any way we prepare”. Although they’ve trailed the Packers in the standings all season, they have all the momentum going into this Week 17 matchup. If Seattle loses, the Seahawks are locked into the No. 6 seed, meaning they’ll visit the NFC North victor in the first round of the playoffs. Next, the core of the Packers has been in similar spots over the previous four years – and won the division each season.

Injuries at receiver and offensive line, along with an inconsistent running game, have contributed to the decline. Rodgers, for whatever reason, hasn’t looked his sharpest.

If the season ended after 16 weeks, Rodgers’ 93.7 passer rating would be his lowest since taking over as the starter in 2008 (93.6).

“Look at the guys that were playing on the line”, Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson.

Forgetting about Arizona quickly might be the way to move forward for a team that failed the test in a 38-8 loss in the desert. “He’s played really well the last couple of weeks”. “We haven’t had the same type of stats that we’ve had in years past, but we’ve rattled off 10 wins, another playoff berth – that’s seven in a row, I believe – [and] we’ve accomplished a lot”. It’s the Packers’ most impressive performance since after the bye week in October.

“We just don’t have that element to our offense”.

Johnson had two sacks against the Giants, helped by the return of nose tackle Linval Joseph, the team’s best run stopper, who had missed three games with a foot injury. Reserves Lane Taylor and Josh Walker had to step up at the guard positions, while backup center J.C. Tretter was called upon to fill in at right tackle at one point in the game. One of Jones’ strength is making tough catches on back-shoulder throws. Offensively, Seattle has to be able to absorb the pressures from Arizona’s defense and take advantage of one-on-one matchups in the passing game.

This time, the game means even more than it did on November 22, when the Packers brought their three-game losing streak, uncharacteristic struggles on offense and second-place status to Minnesota.

Three games later, coach Mike McCarthy took back play-calling responsibility from associate head coach Tom Clements. “I just hit it and got some space, and just tried to run as fast as I can to the touchdown”.

“AJ McCarron can get Cincinnati to the playoffs but the Bengals are going to need Andy Dalton when they get there if they have any hope of extending their season into February”, said Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News. The Vikings haven’t been a legitimate challenger to them until now and, as the defense sees it, it’s time to take the blueprint the Cardinals provided them and expand upon it.