Packers vs. Vikings Preview: A 'Must Win' For Both Teams

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Sunday night's NFL matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings figured to be a battle between two NFC North contenders.

As the season has played out, it has turned out to be the "battle of the blob:" two teams with mediocre records in a logjam for the NFC's two wild-card playoff spots.

Almost nobody likes the Packers in this one. Two ESPN experts, Courtney Cronin and Rob Demovsky, are among many who are handing Sunday night's game to the Vikings. Cronin: "Against a banged-up Packers team, they might finally establish a screen game. Vikings 24, Packers 19." Rob Demovsky: "After three straight "almosts" on the road, this one could be ugly. Vikings 28, Packers 17."

Coming in to Sunday night's game, the Vikings have the inside track on the final NFC Wild Card playoff berth, with the Packers mired in a group of four teams on the outside looking in. Both teams trail the Chicago Bears by multiple games for the division lead in the NFC North.

Sports talk show host Dan Bernstein, AM670 The Score, sums up the blob as follows:

"The Blob is the mass of teams each year that are about as good as every other. There will be a few that are dynamic enough to escape the gravity exerted by the Blob for brief periods, even able to reach the outer orbits of playoffs or a Super Bowl before their arcs degrade and they are sucked back in. Some others fall closer to the molten core, after which the coach gets fired and a quarterback gets drafted."

NFL analysts know that the Packers season is looking like it might go completely off the rails. A loss to the Vikings on Sunday night means Packer fans are certain to have a few openings on their weekend schedule come January.

"They’re fresh off an embarrassing road loss on national television that left their fans questioning some of the pieces that have been most responsible for their success in recent years. The entire regime is being taken to task, from the Head Coach to the front office to the star quarterback," according to the Daily Norseman.

And yet ... a victory by Green Bay on Sunday moves the Packers ahead of Minnesota in the standings and puts them back in the playoff picture.

NFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders
Saints 10-1-0
Rams 10-1-0
Bears 8-3-0
Cowboys 6-5-0

Wild Card
Panthers 6-4-0
Vikings 5-4-1

Outside Looking In
Washington 6-5-0
Seahawks 5-5-0
Packers 4-5-1
Eagles 4-6-0

According to 538.com, the Vikings are positioned much better than the Packers to make the playoffs. 538 has Minnesota with a 52 percent chance to make the playoffs. The Packers? Well ... Aaron Rodgers and company have about a 16 percent chance of making the postseason.

Sunday's Game:

Matchup: Green Bay (4-5-1) at Minnesota (5-4-1)

Broadcast: Sunday, 7:20 p.m. CDT, NBC

Opening Line: Vikings by 4

Last Meeting: Vikings and Packers tied 29-29, Sept. 16

Last Week: Packers lost to Seahawks 27-24; Vikings lost to Bears 25-20

Five Things To Watch

Packers

1) The secondary is banged up and may have to start at least three rookies to get by. Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson (who are good) would have to get paired up with, Tony Brown, and Will Redmond (who aren't so good).

2) The biggest ally the Vikings have on the opposite side of the field very well may be Packer Head Coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy is on the hot seat in Green Bay, and even the fans are calling for his head. Fans are quick to point out that McCarthy's inexplicable play calling against Seattle as yet another exhibit in their case.

3) Running back Aaron Jones hasn't been used a ton in Green Bay, but his 6.4 yards-per-carry average is among the league's best, and gives the Packers a legitimate home run threat on the ground.

4) Wide receiver Davante Adams has gone nuts. He had 166 yards receiving in Week 11, and has collected more than 130 receiving yards in 4 of the last 6 games.

5) Packers Defensive End Kyler Fackrell has been a "sack machine" as of late. Under Mike Pettine's scheme, Fackrell had three sacks last week, the second time he's done that this season. He's got 8 so far this year, after notching 5 in his first two seasons combined.

Vikings

1) Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin had this to say about Kirk Cousins, "The high-priced free agent’s $84 million price tag for Kirk Cousins led some to believe that he would be the immediate answer in taking Minnesota to the next level. Will they get the quarterback who put up 31 points against Green Bay, or the one that's led the NFL with 13 turnovers - or both?

2) According to the Daily Norseman, the Vikings running game has been struggling due to iffy line play, "The Vikings rank dead last in adjusted line yards in the run game and their runners are hit behind the line of scrimmage more often than any other team."

3) Wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs form the Vikings dangerous duo. Thielen has been the more consistent threat, notching more than 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns this year. All Diggs has done is tally two 100-yard games against the Bears and Saints. Not too shabby.

4) The Vikings’ defense against the run has been very good this year, ranking fourth in yards allowed per game at 94.8.

5) Minnesota's home-field advantage coupled with Green Bay's road woes this season seem like a deal-breaker for the Green-and-gold. The Packers haven't won in Minnesota since 2013.

Photo Credit: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings catches a first down pass over Jaire Alexander #23 of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on September 16, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings and the Packers tied 29-29 after overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)