The Vikings and Packers Enter Week 18 With A Shared Regret

When the schedule first came out, the Week 18 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers looked like it could have profound playoff implications. At worst, a postseason spot would be on the line. At best, a battle for the NFC North crown and possible home-field advantage would be at stake in the season finale for the second straight year.

But, with the game only a few days away, it couldn’t mean less for either team.

The reasons differ for each squad. The Chicago Bears eliminated Minnesota from playoff contention before its Week 15 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, Green Bay is locked into the NFC’s No. 7 seed following its 41-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.

The Bears clinched the division with Green Bay’s loss. That adds sting to a season where the Packers signaled they were “all-in,” trading for Micah Parsons just days before Week 1.

Minnesota’s poor quarterback play was the most significant factor in their falling short of their 14-3 record from 2024. Injuries forced constant reshuffling along the offensive line, while absences from Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman led to early-season struggles against the run.

That collectively contributed to Minnesota’s 3-4 start. A win over the Detroit Lions coming out of the bye week got them back to .500 and felt like the type of victory that could get the season back on track.

But a painful 27-19 loss to the Ravens raised questions about J.J. McCarthy’s ability to stay healthy and play consistently.

The inconsistency carried over into the following week when the Vikings hosted the Bears. McCarthy recovered from a poor first 57 minutes of play to lead a go-ahead touchdown drive to give Minnesota a 17-16 lead with 50 seconds remaining.

Unfortunately, any momentum gained from the lead was immediately lost on the ensuing kickoff. Several members of the Vikings’ coverage got out of their lanes, allowing Devin Duvernay to return the kick 56 yards to Minnesota’s 40-yard line.

Four plays later, Cairo Santos kicked a 48-yard field goal to give Chicago the win.

That dropped the Vikings to 4-6, with road trips to Green Bay and Seattle looming. The Bears improved to 7-3, distancing themselves from Minnesota and putting themselves in position to battle for the division title.

The Vikings lost both games, falling to 4-8 and effectively ending their season. Chicago won four of their next five.

Green Bay once appeared to be in contention for the No. 1 seed, sitting at 9-3-1 after beating the Bears in Week 14. But they followed that up with three straight losses, blowing double-digit leads to the Denver Broncos and Chicago in back-to-back weeks.

The losing streak can be partially attributed to the injuries the Packers have suffered. Parsons tore his ACL against the Broncos, and Jordan Love left the Bears game with a concussion that kept him out of the loss to the Ravens also kept him out.

That sets up the season-finale between the 8-8 Vikings and the 9-6-1 Packers. Interestingly, Minnesota – not Green Bay – has momentum right now. The Vikings’ defense has been elite since November, allowing only one passing touchdown over the past seven games.

There was already little reason for the Packers to play starters in Week 18 because their playoff positioning couldn’t change. Unfortunately, with injuries piling up, they are planning to play many of their backups, Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning.

Even backup quarterback Malik Willis had to leave Saturday’s game early with a shoulder injury sustained in the loss to the Bears. That might force Green Bay to start third-stringer Clayton Tune, giving the game preseason vibes.

The primary reason for Vikings fans to watch is to see if Justin Jefferson can reach 1,000 yards for the season. He’s 57 yards shy of 1,000, a number that he has only reached twice over the past nine games.

However, the Packers likely will play their backups, and there is little reason to implement an aggressive, complex game plan. Not only would it be asking a lot of their backups, but they also won’t want to put anything on tape for future postseason opponents.

One win separates the two teams. Although their postseason plans are different, they share disappointment. Each team can point to losses to the Bears, where they let wins slip between their fingers.

Had the Packers beaten the Bears in Week 16, they would have been battling for the NFC North.

If the Vikings had held on to their Week 11 lead over Chicago, they would have been 5-5, trailing the Bears by one game. Had everything else this season remained the same, the Vikings would be 9-7 going into Week 18, not only battling for a playoff spot, but also a win over the Packers could have given them a chance to win the division.

That sets up one of the least impactful border battles in recent memory. And, when both teams look back on how they arrived here, they have no one to blame but themselves.