Right before everyone welcomed in the New Year, they witnessed the Minnesota Vikings (7-9) put on a pathetic showing against the Green Bay Packers (8-8) in a 33-10 loss on Sunday Night Football. For the Packers, it ended up being not only a win but a profitable one at that, placing them in the 7th seed in the AFC playoff picture, in part thanks to the Seattle Seahawks losing.
For the Vikings, they are just barely alive still for a postseason berth, holding the 10th seed, needing a miracle of sorts to happen for them to earn one of the Wild Card seeds. Going into the game, they controlled their own destiny, needing the win over the Packers in Week 17 followed by one over the Detroit Lions the next week.
For the Vikings now to get into the postseason, they still need to beat Detroit in Week 18, but after that, it gets complicated. Being in the early window, the Atlanta Falcons need to beat the New Orleans Saints and/or the Carolina Panthers need to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, it's down to the Chicago Bears beating the Packers and the Arizona Cardinals beating the Seahawks.
But even if this Vikings team did somehow receive a miracle and find their way in as a Wild Card, the game against the Packers made it clear this is nowhere near a playoff-caliber team. It was Minnesota's third consecutive loss and their fifth in their last six games. And that's mainly due to inconsistent quarterback play, which hasn't been the same since Kirk Cousins went down with an Achilles injury in Week 8.
Suffice to say, let's start there for who's to blame in the Vikings Week 17 loss to the Packers.
Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens aren't the answer at quarterback
Jaren Hall only lasted a half before he was taken out and replaced with Nick Mullens, who had started only the last few weeks. Hall only completed 5-of-10 passes for a measly 67 yards and an interception. Hall also lost a fumble on a strip-sack by the Packers' Preston Smith before he was taken out. Both turnovers resulted in later touchdowns for Green Bay, with the fumble coming with just 26 seconds left before halftime that put the Packers up 23-3 after Jordan Love found Jayden Reed three plays later on a 25-yard reception.
When Mullens took over in the second half, it was the fifth time the Vikings have switched quarterbacks this season since Cousin's went down with his season-ending injury, according to ESPN. Oddly enough, Cousins' injury game was the last time the Vikings played the Packers in a 24-10 win. Hall filled in for Cousins that day, not Mullens. But it didn't matter.
Mullens may not have suffered a turnover, but he got nothing going for the Vikings offensively. In just four offensive drives in the second half, Mullens and the Vikings were able to score their one and only touchdown, while the other three drives were two turnovers on downs and a punt. Mullens went 13-for-22 for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Vikings defense gives up 33 points, 470 yards of total yards to the Packers
This was now the second week in a row the Vikings have given up 30 points-plus. Before that, they had only one game all season in which they did that, which was back in Week 2 in a 34-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikings defense made Jordan Love look like an easy replacement for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Love threw 24-for-33 for 256 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions, with a rushing touchdown as well. Granted, Love has been coming into his own over the last month and a half, but the Minnesota defense wasn't able to sack him once, and only made three quarterback hits total. Plus, the Vikings tacklers were only able to amass one tackle for a loss all evening.
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