Packers not downtrodden after falling to wild card in NFC

Minnesota has won 19 playoff games. That’s because, Zimmer believes, the Vikings seem to have realized how hard, and well, they have to play to win.

The Vikings and Packers had already qualified for the playoffs, but the NFC North division championship was still up for grabs Sunday, and Minnesota walked away the victor…though there was no shortage of drama.

“Most people who play my position would love to have the numbers I have this year, but because of the way I’ve played this season, compared to the other seasons and even last year as MVP, obviously, it was a subpar year statistically”, said Rodgers, who finished 15th in the National Football League in passer rating, tied for 10th in touchdown passes and 17th in passing yards. Jamison Crowder had a big game as well, totaling 109 yards and a TD on five receptions.

Six weeks later, Minnesota had a chance once again to claim the NFC North. But on 3rd and 8 from the GB 9, Packers outside/inside linebacker CLAY MATTHEWS JR.

Cousins also has backed up his words on the field.

The Vikings insist they will be a different team than the one that meekly succumbed to the Seahawks a month ago. That was the third-fewest yards and tied for the fourth-fewest carries of his career.

The Packers got the ball back one more time, but Rodgers’ pass into the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.

With the Vikings near midfield, but not in field-goal range and the final seconds of the clock running out, Zimmer called a time out on fourth-and-short. Mike Zimmer dialed up a blitz, but defensive end Everson Griffen was the one to speed around Josh Sitton and poke the ball out of Rodgers’ hand as he attempted a pass. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn scooped up the fumble and made a 55-yard return for a touchdown to give the Vikings a 20-3 lead in the third quarter. Since losing to the Seahawks, the Vikings are 3-1. The Seahawks have played only 20 games in freezing temperatures and are 6-14 in them. Adrian Peterson scored the lone offensive touchdown.

The Vikings got the sterling defensive effort needed on the road to win their first game at Lambeau Field since 2009. Instead the Packers ended the regular season with a 20-13 loss to the Vikings, and must now begin the playoffs on the road at Washington next Sunday. “As soon as the play before was over … they took off and went back to the end zone”. Teddy Bridgewater trying to avoid a sack by throwing left-handed and getting acrobatically picked off. Cordarelle Patterson getting stripped by the kicker after a long kickoff return.

Griffen has 40 sacks this decade (he was drafted by the Vikings in 2010 out USC), which is the second most sacks by a Vikings defender in this decade behind former Vikings pass-rushing star JARED ALLEN who had 56.5 sacks from 2010-2013. The Packers lost to the Vikings, Bears and Detroit Lions at home this year for the first time since 1991. Rodgers found James Jones for 37 yards, setting the Packers up for the game-tying score.