A key NFC North matchup will commence in this week's edition of Sunday Night Football as the Green Bay Packers host the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Can the Packers extend their winning streak against the Vikings, or will Minnesota complete a season sweep against Green Bay? Here's a breakdown of the Vikings vs Packers clash.
Minnesota Vikings installed as +6.5 underdogs
The Minnesota Vikings had their two-game winning streak snapped in Week 16 with a gut-wrenching 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a costly result for the Vikings, who dropped out of the playoff picture with the defeat. They are currently in ninth place in the NFC standings with a 7-8 record.
The good news for the Vikings is that they are just one game behind the teams holding the final two wild card spots in the NFC. The San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles head into Week 17 with similar 8-7 records.
For Minnesota to return to the win column against Green Bay, the Vikings need to get a much-improved showing from their offense. Only one of Minnesota's first nine possessions went longer than 15 yards against Los Angeles. They failed to take advantage of Matthew Stafford's poor performance as a result, with the Rams quarterback throwing three interceptions for the first time since September 10, 2018.
The onus is on Kirk Cousins to execute much better against Green Bay. He threw for 315 yards in Week 16 but only recorded one passing touchdown against the Rams. In their first meeting this season, Cousins torched the Packers, passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota's 34-31 win.
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Green Bay Packers enter Week 17 as -6.5 favorites
On Christmas Day, Green Bay extended its winning streak to four games with a thrilling 24-22 victory over the Cleveland Browns. It was an important win for the Packers, who remained on top of the NFC standings with a 12-3 record. They hold a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and the Dallas Cowboys heading into Week 17.
Aaron Rodgers starred in the Week 16 win, completing 24 of 34 passes for 202 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Rodgers made history with that performance, breaking Brett Favre's franchise record of 442 career touchdowns. He now has 445 touchdowns in his career with Green Bay.
The win did not come easy for the Packers, though, as the Browns staged a furious fightback in the second half. Cleveland scored 10 unanswered points to slice the deficit to just two with 4:31 left. Fortunately for the Packers, their defense stood tall in the closing minutes, preventing the Browns from reaching field goal range.
Rasul Douglas made the play of the game, picking off Baker Mayfield's pass intended for Donovan Peoples-Jones at the 40 that sealed the win for Green Bay. The Packers made Mayfield's life a living hell in this contest, sacking him five times and intercepting four of his passes.
Writer's Prediction
Green Bay wins and covers the spread.
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