Packers loss to Vikings sends them on the playoff road

Thielen also had a second long run, and excluding him, the rest of the Vikings rushed for just 84 yards on 25 carries.

“It sounds like a great story line; I wish I could feed to it”, McCarthy said, a day after his team blew a chance to win a fifth straight NFC North title with a 20-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.

During their 4-6 stretch the Packers lost all three home games to division foes for the first time since 1968.

National Football League schedules consist of six divisional games, eight games against two other divisions – in Seattle’s case next season, the NFC South and AFC East – and two games against teams that finished in the same place in their respective divisions. Furthermore, favorable match-ups are an overlooked ingredient of success and – relatively speaking – Washington is arguably the weakest playoff team in the NFC (it’s either them or the Packers).

Conspiracy theorists believe the Packers preferred a road game against the Washington Redskins (9-7) on Sunday rather than hosting the Seattle Seahawks (10-6).

“I hope this is just a step honestly”, he said. The Vikings finished the year on a high note as well by beating the Packers in Lambeau to win the NFC North, so they’ll look to ride that wave of confidence into the playoffs. If there’s one thing that can be gleaned from what Mike McCarthy has said over the years, it’s that he cares a lot about two things: Winning at home and winning the division.

The Redskins simply need to keep doing what they did en route to winning the division and not get scared of the spotlight.

The upstart Vikings survived despite a shaky finish in hostile territory.

The Packers opened in a two-back, two-tight end formation for the first time this season. It just speaks volumes of what coach Zimmer is doing around here in just two years.

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”. “I don’t know, maybe”. In Oakland they scored 30 points, but 21 of them were set up by defense or special teams.

The Vikings’ defense beat Aaron Rodgers to win the NFC North championship.

Vikings returner Cordarrelle Patterson then broke into the clear on the ensuing kickoff but kicker Mason Crosby stripped the ball around the Green Bay 30 and Packers safety Micah Hyde recovered at the 23. After the Packers burned their second timeout, Rodgers’ end-zone pass to Jones was intercepted by Xavier Rhodes. Zimmer smiled and raised both arms after Rodgers’ final pass fell incomplete.

“I didn’t see him any different last night”, Larrivee says, “he was trying to marshall the rest the Packers”.

“Playoff season is here”.

VIKINGS BLUEPRINT: The offense was rather ho-hum.

The 10 runs gained 38 yards.

-PASSING OFFENSE: D. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a 45.7 passer rating, only 10 completions for 99 yards and one seriously bone-headed turnover that he was lucky enough to get away with. But the defense snuffed out Green Bay’s dysfunctional offense at almost every turn until the frantic fourth quarter.

“It wasn’t fun, to be honest with you”.

Zimmer said the video will be examined when the team returns to practice today.

-Running back Adrian Peterson, who won his third rushing title before the game even started, left the game briefly in the second half because of back spasms, but returned. GB, A.Rodgers 28-44-1-291.

Particularly puzzling are the persistent struggles of an offense quarterbacked by reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who hasn’t played up to his own standards. They relied on supersized running back Eddie Lacy and the running game on that drive.

Rhodes also knocked down Rodgers’ late hail mary to deny the Packers one last time.