Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) gets a first down reception against Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard (20) and linebacker Eric Wilson (45) in the second quarter during their football game Sunday, December 29, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
What an exciting game against the Pack! What a tremendous season (now an amazing 14-2)! And what a historic game on Sunday in Detroit, with the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed on the line.
The Vikings’ 27-25 win over the archrival Packers, which gave them a rare sweep (the first since 2017), was essentially a repeat of the Week 4 31-29 win in Lambeau. The Vikings jumped ahead and had Jordan Love lead a second-half rally before the Purple secured a pair of two-point wins.
It got closer and more exciting than it needed to be. Usually reliable, Will Reichard missed two field goals, which cost the Vikings six points. The pass defense that was so good in the first half (45 yards for Love) gave up 140 yards in the second half and too many easy catches in soft coverage.
Sam Darnold had a career day with 377 passing yards and three touchdowns, but he got greedy with a 20-3 third-quarter lead and threw into double coverage for an interception by Carrington Valentine. That led to a Josh Jacobs touchdown, pulling the Packers within 10 points. To his credit, Darnold responded by going 5 for 5 on an eight-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in Cam Akers’ 9-yard touchdown pass to restore the 17-point lead.
After the Packers scored two more TDs to make it 27-25, Darnold completed three passes on the final drive, including the 6-yarder to Akers on 3rd-and-2 with 1:49 left (who made an excellent catch on the low throw) to close it out.
Next up is the grand finale to the regular season on Sunday night as the prime-time Week 18 game at Detroit. As was the case with Green Bay, the Vikings will have the advantage of the Lions playing on a short week after their Monday night game in San Francisco.
The game will mark the first time in NFL history that two teams with 13 or more wins have met in the regular season. The 14 regular season wins going into the final game are the second-most regular season victories in Vikings franchise history (after the 15-win season in 1998 that this year’s team can tie).
Kevin O’Connell pointed out with pride that the team finished the regular season 7-1 at home, with the only loss being the close 31-29 defeat to the Lions in Week 7 (that the Vikings had ample chances to win). The loud home crowd would be a huge asset in the postseason (“major,” as Blake Cashman said postgame) if the Vikings can get the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage.
Here are my other reactions to the Vikings win over the Packers:
1. Darnold did a great job spreading it around: as Justin Jefferson drew double coverage, Darnold found his other excellent receivers. Jefferson had only two catches for 13 yards in the first half before finishing with eight catches for 92 yards. Jordan Addison caught six passes for 69 yards and a beauty of a stop-and-go route with a perfect throw from Darnold for the 18-yard TD on the second half’s opening drive to give the Vikings a 20-3 lead.
Jalen Nailor had a career-high five catches for 81 yards, including the 31-yard TD when Jefferson drew coverage, and Nailor was wide open deep in the end zone. T.J. Hockenson also was effective, with five catches for 68 yards. Aaron Jones and Akers made key catches out of the backfield.
The fact that Darnold is seeing the field well, going through his progressions and reads, and found eight different receivers against the Packers bodes well in facing the Lions’ defense that is missing so many starters due to injuries (including their two best defensive linemen and top sackers—Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill and their best corner Carlton Davis).
Hockenson did not play in the earlier Lions game as he was working his way back from his ACL injury, so he will be a valuable addition compared to last time.
2. The scene of Darnold being mobbed by his teammates and doused with water is something I haven’t seen in a postgame locker room (and I was in those settings for 28 years, including two conference championship victories to go to the Super Bowl).
It shows how popular Darnold is with his teammates, who obviously respect his journey from Jets bust to 14 wins (and counting) with a career-best in the following categories: passing yards-4,153, TD passes—35 after three more against the Pack and passer rating—106.4. He ranks third in yards and fourth in TDs and rating. He has 18 TD passes and only two picks in the last seven games. He also has 13 games of 100-plus passer rating to rank second all-time to Aaron Rodgers’ 14 in the 2020 regular season, and Darnold can tie him this Sunday night.
Another great record for Darnold is his 14 wins (or 15 after Sunday night), which are the most by a quarterback in his first year with a new team.
3. The Vikings have to finish games better in Detroit and in the playoffs. The Packers outscored the Vikings 15-0 in the fourth quarter to make it a game. Darnold also missed potential big plays in the second half on overthrows to Jefferson and Addison. Jefferson’s circus catch of 18 yards on 3rd-and-5 with 5:19 left was nullified by a holding penalty on Robinson, a drive-killer.
4. The Packers came into the game, allowing the second-fewest sacks, with 16, so the three by the Vikings’ pass rushers, eight quarterback hits, and many pressures on Love were impressive.
Cashman had a terrific game with a team-leading 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two QB hits and one TFL. He’s having a Pro Bowl-caliber season, and the Vikings are 14-0 with him in the lineup. He missed the losses to the Lions and Rams with a toe injury.
Having Cashman and Hockenson in the lineup will help the Vikings. This week, compared to the last Lions game, the only starter missing should be Christian Darrisaw. Cam Robinson has filled in well when he doesn’t get hit with penalties.
5. I thought it was a cheap shot by tight end Tucker Kraft with his low block on Pat Jones that injured his knee (O’Connell says it’s fortunately not a serious injury, and he can make it back this week). Jonathan Greenard agreed postgame by calling out Kraft for a “pathetic” hit.
6. The Vikings’ secondary played well in the first half but was too soft in coverage in the second half. They defended five passes in the game and held Packers’ leading receiver Jayden Reed to one catch for six yards. However, Romeo Doubs had seven catches for 58 yards, all but one in the second half, as the Packers mounted their attempted comeback. The Vikings played man coverage on 47% of the snaps, compared to only 11% in the September meeting.
Byron Murphy had an excellent game, allowing only one catch for five yards on five targets. He’s one of many pending free agents for the Vikings’ defense, and he’ll be a priority to re-sign.
Another big test awaits the Lions, with the accurate Jared Goff (third-ranked at 71.4%) throwing behind one of the league’s best offensive lines to a talented receiver group led by Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs out of the backfield.
7. The Vikings need better performances from Reichard going forward (as he’s done most of the season). Wright’s 43-yard missed field goal with 9:22 left could’ve opened up a bigger lead and forced the Packers to score a TD instead of a field goal for the win if Darnold and Akers hadn’t converted the key third down on the last drive.
Around the NFL Observations in Week 17 & a look ahead to Week 18:
1. Big games last week/weekend included the Ravens taking control of the AFC North by ripping the Texans 31-2 in Houston. Baltimore clinches the AFC North over the Steelers (29-10 losers at home to the 15-1 Chiefs) by beating the Browns on Sunday at home.
The Seahawks dealt the Bears their tenth straight defeat with a 6-3 win in Chicago, but the Rams clinched the NFC West over Seattle with their 13-9 win over the Cardinals.
Washington clinched a wildcard berth with an exciting 30-24 overtime triumph over Atlanta, which gave control of the NFC South to Tampa Bay, who can clinch with a home win over the lowly Saints. The Chargers wrapped up an AFC wildcard spot with a 40-7 win at New England. And the Bengals kept their remote playoff hopes alive by beating the Broncos 30-24 in overtime. They need to win at Pittsburgh on Saturday night and get help.
2. The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 NFC seed, which sets up a tough decision for coach Nick Sirianni regarding whether to play Saquon Barkley against the Giants in the regular-season finale. Barkley has topped the 2,000-yard rushing mark and is 101 yards from passing Eric Dickerson as the new single-season rushing record holder. Given Barkley’s injury history, I’d sit him rather than risk injury before the playoffs.
I’ll preview the massive Vikings at Lions game on Friday, the NFL’s feature game this week, with the Sunday night spot on NBC.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year after the Vikings’ 15-1 season in 1998. He now works for the NFL agent group IFA based in Minneapolis and does other sports consulting and media work along with college/corporate speaking. Follow him and direct message him on Twitter– @jeffdiamondnfl