Vikings blow chance, still in good spot
First place in the NFC North was up for grabs on Sunday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Green Bay Packers woke up just in the nick of time. Green Bay, losers of three straight coming into Sunday, rose up and trounced the Vikings, 30-13, to recapture the top spot in the division.
The Packers and Vikings are both 7-3, but this game makes one feel like Green Bay had it all the way. The Packers are now even with Minnesota and have a win at their place, with the rematch coming in Week 17 at Lambeau Field. It seems unlikely that Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater could go to Lambeau and engineer that type of an upset, especially with all the marbles on the line.
The game played out like many expected. Despite the recent losing streak, the Packers came onto the field with an experienced leader and champion at quarterback who appeared as though he knew he would win. The Vikings hit the turf with a young signal-caller who hoped he could find a win to topple the enemy, only to fall short.
In the final analysis, Aaron Rodgers threw for only 212 yards and did not even complete 50 percent of his throws (16-of-34) but he hit on two touchdowns. Most importantly, Rodgers made the big plays at the big moments despite his offensive line occasionally crashing down around him. To be fair, Bridgewater made his share of plays, throwing for 296 yards on 37 attempts with a touchdown. The difference was Bridgewater missing on a few deep balls when his man had a step. It was the difference in punting or putting up six.
The good news for Minnesota is it remains in great shape heading into Week 12. It appears the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will win the NFC South and West divisions respectively. Nobody else from those two divisions is ahead of the Vikings, who hold a one-game lead on the Atlanta Falcons and a two-game cushion on the Seattle Seahawks. Nobody else in the NFC North will challenge for a playoff spot, and the NFC East is almost certainly a one-team division.
If Minnesota can find its way into the postseason, by any avenue, it would be a tremendous accomplishment for Bridgewater and second-year head coach Mike Zimmer. However, it looks like the Packers will find a way to stay atop the heap in the NFC North, rolling to another division crown.
The Vikings must have a short memory and move on from the defeat as soon as possible. The schedule does them no favors, with a trip to Atlanta coming up followed by the Seahawks coming to town, and another road trip to Arizona. By the end of that stretch, we will know exactly who these Vikings are.
