Vikings at Packers
After absorbing big hits to their NFC North title hopes last week, the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers square off in a crucial game for their playoff prospects Sunday at Lambeau Field. Green Bay is coming off a 38-10 prime-time loss to the New York Giants and has fallen a game behind the division-leading Chicago Bears, who thumped the Vikings 28-10. Minnesota is two games back in the division and in a three-way tie for the final wild card.
It's the first of two meetings over the next five weeks; the teams will wrap up the regular season against one another in Minnesota. The Packers have won four straight meetings and nine of the past 12 against the Vikings, and they've won nine straight against division rivals.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Packers -8, O/U 46.5
ABOUT THE VIKINGS (6-5): Minnesota is one of the more surprising playoff contenders thanks to running back Adrian Peterson's speedy recovery from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Peterson leads the league with 1,236 rushing yards and has recorded five straight 100-yard games. Quarterback Christian Ponder has been less consistent. After a solid start to the season, he has thrown nine interceptions in the past seven games and he has averaged just 150.4 passing yards over the past four. The Vikings have gone 1-3 during that stretch.
ABOUT THE PACKERS (7-4): Green Bay's five-game winning streak came to a crashing halt Sunday night against the Giants, as the Packers were dominated on both sides of the ball. The division title is still very much in play, though, with four of Green Bay's five remaining games against division opponents, including a trip to Chicago in Week 15. Aaron Rodgers has the highest quarterback rating in the league (105.6), but he has been held under 300 yards in four consecutive games. The passing game could get a bit of a boost this week, as receiver Greg Jennings will make his return after missing seven games because of abdominal surgery.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Rodgers has thrown a touchdown pass in 35 consecutive home games, including the postseason.
2. Peterson has five career 100-yard rushing games against the Packers, and he has scored a rushing touchdown in seven of his past eight games against Green Bay, including four straight at Lambeau Field.
3. Jennings has caught at least one touchdown pass in his past five games against the Vikings and has seven TDs during that span.