Packers can clinch NFC North with win over Vikings in crucial week 16 showdown
The 11-3 Green Bay Packers will be taking on the 10-4 Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Vikings are coming off of a 39-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, with that victory came a sacrifice though, as star RB Dalvin Cook ended up hurting his shoulder in the game, he has now been ruled out for this game, per Adam Shefter. The Packers come into this game leading the division by 1 game at 11-3, having already clinched a playoff spot by defeating the Chicago Bears in week fifteen 21-13 and by Dallas beating the Los Angeles Rams. This game has a lot riding on it for both teams. With a win, Green Bay would clinch the NFC North for the 6th time in the last 9 seasons. A win for Minnesota would open the door for them to end up winning the division as well. They would need to win out and have Green Bay lose to Detroit in week 17.
The most intriguing stories heading into this game are that the Packers are 0-3 all-time at US Bank Stadium, while Viking QB Kirk Cousins is 0-8 all-time on Monday Night Football. Something has to give. One streak will end up broken, it’s just a matter of which. Despite the media undermining Green Bay heading into this game (Minnesota is 5.5 point favorite and most mass media outlets have Minnesota winning), I think Green Bay has a much better shot than people give them credit for. Dalvin Cook’s injury will play a big role in this game, Minnesota’s offense runs through him (both literally and figuratively), without him, I think Green Bay’s defense will control Cousins and keep him in the pocket when throwing. They’re going to need to play balanced on defense, only blitzing two or three, while leaving the rest in coverage. Offensively, Green Bay needs to continue to get RB Aaron Jones involved in the offense using both the run and passing game.
More specifically, the offense as a whole runs so much better when Jones becomes an intricate part of it. We saw it against the Cowboys and Chiefs early in the season. He is the 2nd best offensive player on Green Bay. This game could be his coming out party, especially in primetime with the world watching. WR Davante Adams also will end up getting his catches too. After a seven-catch, 103-yard performance against Chicago last Sunday, I see him getting more action on Monday night.
This offense has shown it has the ability to explode and score points. I see it coming into fruition. We haven’t really seen a game from Green Bay this year where both the offense and defense were clicking simultaneously. This might be the game where we finally see it. Green Bay knows exactly what it has to do: just win. I see them doing just that on Monday night by a score of 27-17. It’s time to finish strong and prove the doubters wrong.
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