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GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers already know they’re in the playoffs, but they’ll be trying to snap the Vikings’ eight-game winning streak Sunday at 3:25 p.m. in Minnesota.
The Packers will be looking to do what they did last season against the Vikings: earn a series split with the road team winning both games.
Here are three things to watch.
Minnesota won the first meeting this season, 31-29 at Lambeau Field on Sept. 29.
The Vikings jumped out to a big lead and then hung on. It was the first game back for Packers quarterback Jordan Love after he suffered a knee injury in the season opener.
Very few saw the Vikings’ success coming, especially after the injury to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy from Michigan.
But Sam Darnold has been spectacular, throwing 32 touchdown passes, including three against the Packers. Darnold played on a one-year deal with the Vikings. He figures to cash in during the offseason, even if it’s through the franchise tag.
Fairly or not, Sunday’s game will be seen as a referendum of sorts on the Packers’ decision to go with running back Josh Jacobs over Aaron Jones, who ended up with the Vikings.
Neither scored a touchdown in the game at Lambeau. Both have worked out well for their new team this season. Jacobs has better numbers. He has rushed for 1,216 yards and 13 touchdowns, with at least one in the last six games. That’s just one off the Packers record set by Paul Hornung in 1960. Jones has rushed for 1,046 yards and five touchdowns for the Vikings.
One of the reasons the Minnesota defense has played well is the work of former Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
