Vikings go into Lambeau and beat Packers for NFC North title

So, while Green Bay P-A-N-I-C-S before the playoffs, the rest of the NFC North can celebrate.

The Minnesota Vikings used a strong defensive effort to beat the struggling Packers 20-13 Sunday night at Lambeau Field to capture the division title.

The Vikings and Packers were headed in opposite directions entering their winner-takes-all – or at least the NFC North – game Sunday night.

Detroit (7-9) avoided a last-place finish in the NFC North with its sixth win in eight games.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers helped Green Bay rally from a 20-3 deficit to pull within seven points with 5:35 remaining in regulation.

Completions of 17 yards to Randall Cobb, 37 to James Jones and 13 to John Kuhn gave the offense a first and goal from the 10. The touchdown, which made the score 13-3, was set up by a 26-yard run by Thielen on an end-around. After the Packers burned their second timeout, Rodgers’ end-zone pass to Jones was intercepted by Xavier Rhodes. But the defense stifled Green Bay’s dysfunctional offense at almost every turn until the frantic fourth quarter. They combined to gain 247 total yards and went 2-of-13 on third downs. On that scoring play, Rodgers had to labor through a route in which he had to run around five yards up field, then stop, and then he had to drag route (a crossing pattern in the receiver route tree) across the field in order to catch Aaron Rodgers’ pass. Finally, he had to fight through a couple Viking defenders just to get into the end zone. He gave the Vikings a scare after leaving midway through the third quarter with a lower back injury before returning late in the fourth quarter.

GREEN BAY-Unofficially, the playoffs start tonight for the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

On third-and-two from the three, Peterson appeared to be jammed up at the line of scrimmage but kept churning to get to the goal line for a 13-3 lead.

Things didn’t change for the Packers early in the second half as the Vikings began pulling away. And that was exactly what Bridgewater did. Instead, he threw the ball right into the hands of Green Bay’s Micah Hyde for an interception at the Minnesota 43.

It didn’t matter, though.

After the Packers put together a 15-play drive in the first quarter to tie the game at 3-3, the Vikings defense was stifling.

Hard as it is to believe, that’s where the Packers were two and a half months ago. The Vikings would be No. 6.

That’s no way for a team to go into the playoffs – no matter who it plays.

On the first drive of the game, the Vikings got bogged down on their own 38-yard line and were forced to punt. But there are major differences between the two seasons for Green Bay.

The Redskins and Packers have met 34 times in their series history, with Green Bay holding a 19-14-1 advantage.

The defenses settled in from there, with both teams punting twice and getting one first down apiece, before the Vikings took the lead on Walsh’s 32-yarder with 2:55 left in the half. After several decent runs by his replacement Jerick McKinnon, Peterson returned and made a huge recovery of a botched handoff by Bridgewater.

Minnesota now faces Seattle at home, while Green Bay has to travel to Washington. Cornerback Sam Shields has been ruled out for the Packers matchup against the Cardinals. The Pro Bowl guard had not played left tackle since high school. DT Linval Joseph (foot) was inactive for the Vikings…. Its the first time since 1968 the Packers have been swept at home by their division.

The Panthers could earn a top seed by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, January 3rd. 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 here’s the rub: It resulted in only a field goal.