The Vikings completely dominated the Packers through three quarters. They were up 20-3 early in the third quarter and 27-10 entering the fourth quarter. The Vikings had gained nearly 300 more yards than the Packers. With the very one-sided game, it was more than a little nerve-wrecking to see them forced to hang on at the end. I guess it wouldn’t be a Vikings game without a tense ending. The first Packers game was no different. The Vikings bolted to a 28-0 lead and held on for a 31-29 win. That game was way back in Week 4. This game felt different. It felt bigger.
Home game. Final home game of the regular season. The Vikings entered the big matchup with a 13-2 record. With two games to play, the Packers were two games back at 11-4. This game had a playoff feel. Too often recently, the final Vikings-Packers game of the season meant little. This game meant a lot. Pretty much from the start, the Vikings met the moment.
Well, more accurately, the Vikings edged into the big game. The defense forced and recovered a fumble on the Packers game-opening possession. That’s a nice start. Punting after five plays, the offense didn’t do much with their initial opportunity. Will Reichard doinked a long field goal off the cross bar on their second opportunity. The Packers were the first to score points with a field goal late in the first quarter. The Vikings responded with a touchdown early in the second quarter. From there, they were rolling. Their following possessions were field goal, field goal, touchdown, and a 20-3 third quarter lead. Other than the early field goal, the Packers were three punts, a fumble, and a turnover on downs. The Vikings defense dominated the Packers offense. Matt LaFluer, Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, and the boys managed a single field goal and just over 100 yards through the first three quarters. The fourth quarter was a bit different.
Up 20-3 in the middle of the third, the Vikings were in complete control. The one thing they could not do was gift the Packers an opportunity. What did the Vikings do? They gifted the Packers an opportunity. Sam Darnold made his lone bad decision and throw of the game. He heaved the ball into a crowd and Packers corner Carrington Valentine came out with the ball. With the return, the Packers had their big break. They also had the ball at the Vikings 16-yard line. Four plays later, the Packers scored a touchdown and cut the Vikings 17-point lead to ten.
The Vikings response to the Packers sudden score was perhaps the moment of the game. They crisply drove the field, 70 yards on eight plays. The first six plays were positive gains. They never saw a third down. Those first six plays had the Vikings offense at the Packers seven-yard line. The seventh play lost two yards. On the eighth play, Darnold threw to Cam Akers for the touchdown. The late third quarter score boosted the Vikings lead back to 17 points, 27-10. They needed nearly all of those 17 points.
It was probably inevitable, the Packers offense came to life late in the fourth quarter. Two quick touchdowns flipped the comfortable game into one with a tense ending. The Vikings offense has often had trouble closing out games. After the Packers second touchdown, the Vikings offense had to run the final 2:18 off the clock. The Packers had all three timeouts and the two-minute warning. The Vikings offense could not give the ball back to the Packers offense. They had to get a couple first downs. What did they do? They got a couple first downs. They kept the ball for seven plays and gained 24 yards. The Packers didn’t see the ball again. Game over.
As zero talking heads expected when the 2024 NFL Schedule was released, the Vikings Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions will be for the NFC North title and the NFC’s #1 seed. The Vikings are 14-2. The Lions are 13-2 and face the San Francisco 49ers tonight. It doesn’t matter whether the Lions win or lose tonight. There’s a lot riding on next Sunday night’s game. This Packers game felt like a playoff game. The Lions game is a playoff game.
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