EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings are 7-7 as they head to Lambeau Field for a noon (CT) Saturday matchup against Green Bay.
Minnesota has struggled of late and has lost three of four games, but the Vikings are still in the chase for the postseason. The Vikings need to win out and get some help over the final two weeks of the season.
Green Bay has four won straight, including last weekend's 30-27 victory over the Bears in which Mason Crosby kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired.
Minnesota has won two straight over Green Bay, including a Week 2 win at U.S. Bank Stadium this season.
On the airwaves: The game will be broadcast by FOX (KMSP FOX 9 in the Twin Cities). Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews will be on the call. The game also will be broadcast on KFAN 100.3-FM and across the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network by the team of Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Ben Leber and Greg Coleman. There is also a national radio broadcast on Westwood One Sports with Kevin Lee and Al Groh calling the game.
Three things to watch:
Bouncing back— Eric Smith
It doesn't take much to be fired up against the Packers but expect the Vikings to be extra juiced after last weekend's dismal performance.
The Vikings are coming off their worst loss of the season, a 34-6 defeat at the hands on the Colts in which not much went right.
Minnesota's defense gave up 411 total yards, including three drives of 88-plus yards. The Vikings offense didn't find the end zone, only scoring on a pair of field goals.
The Vikings are a prideful group and will be looking to get the bitter taste of last Sunday's loss out of their mouths quickly.
"I know we're excited to go out there and play against the Packers," said Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks. "It's a huge game for us."
Look for an amped up Vikings team to try and quiet the Packers faithful early and stay alive in the postseason race.
Extending drives, playing keep-away— Lindsey Young
Against the Colts last week, the Vikings had possession for less than seven minutes in the first half.
Heading into Green Bay for a Christmas Eve matchup, Minnesota's offense will focus on equaling out the time of possession and extending drives as long as possible. Interim Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur told Twin Cities media Wednesday that the early three-and-out series against the Colts were detrimental to the Vikings for a number of reasons.
"When you don't stay on the field, then all the things you plan to do you don't get to most of them. So the challenge for us is obviously to extend drives," Shurmur said. "We certainly want to create some explosive plays if we can, but if we have to march the ball down the field, I think it's important that we get first downs and stay on the field."
Maintaining possession will be important not only to keep Minnesota's defense fresh but also to keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hands. The veteran quarterback is dangerous to defenses even with a calf injury he's been nursing.
Over the four consecutive games the Packers have won, Rodgers is averaging 255 passing yards per game with an average passer rating of 115.9. Also over that period of time, he's thrown for seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
The less time Green Bay has possession offensively, the better.
Still alive for playoffs?— Craig Peters
Many counted the Vikings out or as having little chance during Minnesota's last trip to Lambeau when the Vikings claimed the 2015 NFC North title with a 20-13 victory.
A fake punt on the opening series from the Minnesota 38 produced a 41-yard run by Adam Thielen, set up a field goal and showed the Vikings weren't afraid to take chances.
Captain Munnerlyn returned a fumble by Rodgers that Everson Griffen forced 55 yards for a touchdown to put the Vikings up 20-3, and the defense held on down the stretch.
This time, however, the Vikings can't win the division, but they can avoid a loss that would eliminate them from the postseason. Minnesota must win, and New Orleans must defeat Tampa Bay to keep the Vikings chances going for Week 17.
The NFL flexed the Tampa Bay-New Orleans game to 3:25 p.m. (CT), so the Vikings can focus on what they can control.
After limiting Green Bay to 13 points in Week 17 last season and to 14 in Week 2 this season, this could be the first time the Packers have been limited to 20 or fewer points in three straight Border Battles since 2004-05. The Vikings held the Packers to 17 or fewer in five straight meetings from 1992-94.
Substantial Stats
—Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford leads the NFL with a completion percentage of 71.6. He has completed 336 of 469 passes for 3,254 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
—The Packers have won the turnover battle in a big way of late, claiming a plus-10 turnover ratio in their past two games.
—The Vikings had four players selected to the Pro Bowl: cornerback Xavier Rhodes, safety Harrison Smith, defensive end Everson Griffen and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.
—Minnesota's defense is one of two units that is yet to allow a 300-yard passer this season (Houston). The last time the Vikings didn't allow a 300-yard passer for an entire season was 1993.
Quotable
"You could throw the records out the window when you play this game. It's fun because it's two teams that have rich tradition, great history, it's bordering states. You can go down the line of what makes it special, but at the end of the day, when you get in between those white lines, it's just a different feel to the game." — Vikings defensive end Brian Robison on the rivalry with Green Bay.
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