In a holiday twist that few saw coming, Green Bay Packers fans found themselves cheering-however begrudgingly-for the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day. And for good reason: the Vikings’ win over the Detroit Lions didn’t just shake up the NFC North standings-it punched Green Bay’s ticket to the playoffs.
Yes, you read that right. With Minnesota’s victory, the Packers officially clinched a postseason berth, sparing their fanbase the heartbreak of a late-season collapse. It’s not often Packers Nation tips its cap to the Vikings, but in this case, the result was a gift wrapped in purple and gold.
But before anyone in Green Bay starts printing Super Bowl merch, let’s pump the brakes. While the Vikings may have helped the Packers get in, they also may have made the road ahead significantly tougher.
Here’s why: Detroit’s loss eliminated them from playoff contention. That means the Lions have no reason to go full throttle in their Week 18 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
With nothing on the line, Detroit is widely expected to rest key starters-think Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and others-to avoid any unnecessary injuries in what’s now a meaningless game for them.
That’s bad news for the Packers.
Green Bay still has a shot at the NFC North title, but the path is narrow. They need to win out over their final two games, and they need the Bears to lose both of theirs.
That starts this weekend, when Chicago travels to face the San Francisco 49ers as a three-point underdog. Meanwhile, the Packers are 4.5-point favorites in their own matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
If Green Bay takes care of business and the Bears stumble in Santa Clara, the division crown will come down to Week 18. The Packers would then need to beat the Vikings on the road and hope the Bears fall to the Lions.
But here’s the kicker: with Detroit likely resting starters, Chicago suddenly has a much easier path to a win. And if the Bears take care of business, that effectively slams the door shut on Green Bay’s hopes of winning the division.
Translation? Unless a few dominoes fall in their favor, the Packers are staring down a wild-card berth and a postseason run that starts away from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
So yes, the Vikings helped. But in doing so, they may have also ensured that the Packers’ playoff journey begins on the road-and quite possibly ends there too.
Funny how that works.