Purple Reign again: Vikings beat Packers, take NFC North

No. 6 Seattle Seahawks at No. 3 Minnesota Vikings: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks start the road to another Super Bowl against the Vikings in a NFC Wild Card game at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Minnesota Vikings’ Marcus Sherels loses the ball as he is hit by Green Bay Packers’ Jeff Janis on a punt return during the first half an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. The ball went out of bounds.

Green Bay did get one last shot as the clock expired, but there would be no miracle throw to Richard Rodgers in the endzone as the clock expired. After Adrian Peterson scored the game’s first touchdown on a 3-yard rush early in the third, Vikings corner Captain Munnerlyn snatched a fumble recovery and returned it 55 yards to give Minnesota a 20-3 lead.

Houston will host Kansas City next weekend in the a wild-card game. “Like I said, it should be a fun ride”.

The visitors never trailed in a game that got frantically interesting in the 4th quarter but two drives to possibly tie the game ended with an end zone interception and a hail mary on the final play that wasn’t answered like it was in Detroit.

“You got one of the greatest quarterbacks in the world and I think if he can figure it out, with everybody else, I think everybody will be alright, I like our chances going into Washington, I think we need to be optimistic”, says Jeremy Hendrickson from Minnesota. It is Peterson’s third rushing crown and, at age 30, he is the second-oldest rushing champion behind Curtis Martin, who was 31 when he won it for the Jets in 2004.

But familiar problems with the sluggish offense plagued coach Mike McCarthy’s squad again.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the notable players and stats from this game so we can figure out why things happened the way they did.

Minnesota hung on despite a shaky finish.

Asked if a more free-wheeling style clicks better for the Packers, receiver Randall Cobb said: “I don’t know, man. I don’t know what clicks for us”. “That drought is over”.

That meant the only playoff seeds in play for the Packers are No. 3 or No. 5. “We’ve played really well knowing that we have to do this to get into the playoffs and move our way through it. I’m really fired up about that because these guys are confident that we can to wherever we’ve got to go”.

“I’m proud of this football team”, said coach Mike Zimmer. “I don’t know, maybe”.

Yet the Vikings still won in spite of a so-so day for the offense and some harrowing moments late for the defense. But the fourth quarter was a riot, with Aaron Rodgers and the Pack coming back and the Vikings straining as hard as humanly possible not to shit their trousers. After a defensive stop, Green Bay drove to the 18 but a third down sack of Rodgers brought on Crosby for a 43 yard field goal that made it a one score game with 5:35 to play. Zimmer smiled and raised both arms after Rodgers’ final pass fell incomplete. Unfortunately the Packers are nowhere near as good as those division-winning squads, a fact painfully on display during Sunday night’s 20-13 loss. Like I told them last night, it’s not a surprise that we are where we’re at. Green Bay got in, but it would take quite the leap of faith to presume the Packers are in a spot in which they can get hot right now. But all things considered, Dom Capers’ group has had a good season and put together another strong performance against Minnesota.

The Packers offense was back in business at the Vikings 39 yard line.

Running man: Entering Week 17, Peterson had a 64-yard edge on Tampa’s Doug Martin for the league rushing lead. Teddy Bridgewater was just 10-of-19 for 99 yards and an interception as the Vikings won despite a lack luster offensive performance.