The Inexperienced Bay Packers are accountable for their playoff destiny because of a formidable 33-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night time.
All of the Packers need to do is win subsequent week towards the Chicago Bears and they’re in. The Vikings will not be mathematically eradicated, however are going to wish loads of assist after Sunday’s defeat.
Listed below are three takeaways from the Packers’ massive win.
1. Jordan Love appears to be like legit for the Packers
It appears to be like just like the Packers have discovered one other one. After hitting dwelling runs with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as franchise quarterbacks, Love appears to be like like he is able to proceed that run of success as he continues to mild it up down the stretch for the Packers offense.
He accomplished 24-of-33 passes for 256 yard and three touchdowns as he placed on a masterclass efficiency towards the Vikings’ protection. Over the Packers’ previous seven video games (the place they’ve gone 5-2) Love has thrown 16 landing passes to just one interception.
That’s not solely playoff soccer, that’s championship caliber soccer.
2. Packers have an opportunity to make up for final 12 months’s season-ending clunker
The Packers are getting a Week 18 mulligan. They went into their common season finale final season at dwelling needing solely to beat a Detroit Lions workforce that had nothing to play for to clinch a playoff spot. They didn’t win.
With Sunday’s win towards the Vikings, they’re getting an opportunity to right that this season with one other dwelling recreation towards an NFC North rival. This time it’s the Bears.
That matchup ought to truly terrify the Packers. Not solely as a result of it’s a rivalry recreation the place the Bears would nearly definitely like to spoil the Packers’ season, however as a result of the Bears are enjoying some excellent soccer down the stretch.
They’re 5-2 of their previous seven video games and quarterback Justin Fields has been nice. He’s additionally able to taking on a recreation.
The Packers merely needing a win in Week 18, at dwelling, towards an on-the-rise divisional rival with nothing to play for? Packers followers have seen this film earlier than. They didn’t just like the ending.
3. Vikings quarterback scenario was a no-win scenario
The season-ending damage to beginning quarterback Kirk Cousins put an enormous dent within the Vikings season, and that has been on show in latest weeks.
As soon as Joshua Dobbs’ Cinderella story struck midnight, the Vikings turned to veteran Nick Mullens final week. After he threw 4 interceptions, head coach Kevin O’Connell determined to start out rookie Jaren Corridor in what was basically a must-win recreation and it couldn’t have gone worse.
Corridor and the Vikings offense was overwhelmed all night time towards a Packers protection that has struggled all season. After throwing an interception, shedding a fumble, and finishing simply 5-of-10 passes for 67 yards the Vikings benched at halftime to return to Mullens.
It didn’t make a distinction.
The Vikings are actually 7-9 and have misplaced 5 of six video games down the stretch. They’re nonetheless not but mathematically eradicated from playoff rivalry, however will want a win on Sunday and loads of assist to get in.