Week 17: Minnesota Vikings (9-6) vs Green Bay Packers (11-4) Dec 30 4:25 PM ET

[frenchtoast]

If this were at Green Bay, I'd be a little worried. With it being at the dome, with the atmosphere of a team that has to win to make the playoffs, I think we'll have our way with the packers.

[MinnesotaFtw]

Going to be an awesome game! CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cyber16]

Late games & Vikings don't mix well, albeit this is not an evening game.
Tampa did a number on the Vikings in our house, this year, they played like they were past their bedtime.
The Vikings history putting up back to back stellar defensive outings has been suspect as well including this season, this is a new young squad yet to be proven, yet a huge step on the road yesterday.
So long as they don't come out flat as i recall for so many big games years in the past, we need more than one leader to step up and keep the players motivated/heads in the game even if things don't go well early on as they could lose the 12th man home field noise advantage.
The vikings are capable in making a heck of a game out of this, or not even showing up.

Must be the first to gut punch the packers and get up on them, then they will have to risk some blitzes to place pressure on Rogers for errors.

Worse case would be trying to come back from a multiple score deficit depending on Ponder's passing game.

This game will likely need 300-400 total offense to win WITHOUT turnovers.

We cannot let Ponder lose this one for the team/fans

Special teams, especially kick coverage i believe will win this one
Keep Rogers looking at 60+ yards ahead of him

[KW93KB24]

Big big big big big big game. Unfortunately i think we lose. I dont know if ponder is ready for the biggest game of his life. We Lose in a close one.

[Luca68]

i cant wait for sundayyyy, good feeling to be playing in a meaningful game at the end of the year again .

[vikings4lifebro]

Big big big big big big game. Unfortunately i think we lose. I dont know if ponder is ready for the biggest game of his life. We Lose in a close one.

No we want KW. You will see

[pacofunk64]

This game is just as huge for the Packers. They win and they get a 1st Rd bye and at least 1 home game. The other thing is if the Vikes win they are in AND if the 49ers win that means the Packers and Vikes will play in the 1st rd of the playoffs in Lambeau...how about that for some motivation. Guarantee the Packers do not want anything to do with the Vikes because we have AP and anything can happen when you have AP.

[Coenthar]

If for some reason the Cardinals beat the 49ers, I hope the Pack start resting players esp on D. This game is all on Ponders shoulders the Win, The Rushing Record, and the Playoffs. AP will see 9 man fronts all game if Ponder doesn't play the way he has been playing the last couple of weeks.

[tripleplayer543]

merry christmas all and hopefully a play off spot and a win over the packers in our stockings tomarrow. so they lost a few more games than i predicted in the pre season but id be happy as hell at 10-6

[TearsOfPurple]

Home game? The dome is going to be ROCKING. The Packers have a tough time beating us at home even when we suck, I can see us having a big victory. I'm not afraid of Rodgers, our defense is actually running a Cover-2 to the t, no big plays happen against us. That's what the Packers feed off of. Don't forget we dominated them in their field...just lost because of some idiot named Christian Ponder.

[FrankieFreakout]

I just don't see the Vikings winning. I'd love to be wrong.

[jojo30]

Packers have owned us for the past few years. They want that 2 seed. They beat us. No doubt

[100%CHEESE FREE]

I just don't see the Vikings winning. I'd love to be wrong.

Packers have owned us for the past few years. They want that 2 seed. They beat us. No doubt

Wow, I'm overwhelmed by the optimism in here. We came very close to beating them at Lambeau and I have to say we have a better chance of winning this game than we did beating either the 9ers or the Texans.

[pacofunk64]

I know the Packers are playing real good football right now but I really like our chances in this game. Our D has played that Cover 2 just great. We can't expect Peterson to get 200 yards again so this game will depend on Ponder and whether or not he can be efficient. We just need him to be like the Houston game.

[Mauer.400]

I know the Packers are playing real good football right now but I really like our chances in this game. Our D has played that Cover 2 just great. We can't expect Peterson to get 200 yards again so this game will depend on Ponder and whether or not he can be efficient. We just need him to be like the Houston game.

I really liked the confidence we gave Ponder in that Houston game by allowing him to run a play action pass down on the goal line which ended up in a TD pass. I think with Ponder there has to be the right balance of us showing confidence in him with the play calling to allow him to be successful.

On a side note I understand the importance of the game to the Packers since they really would like to get that 2nd seed but does anyone remember what we did to Chicago the first time we played them? We absolutely beat them up which is part of the reason they ended up collapsing this season. Yes we may have lost the battle but in the end our physical play won the war because we were able to catch up to and pass them in the standings.

I am not a fan of dirty play or intentionally hurting players so don't take this the wrong way, but make the Packers pay for playing their starters against us. It is a given fact we will be playing them in the opening round of the playoffs if we win so why not try to rough em' up a little bit.