There’s no avoiding it now: Lions-Packers will decide NFC North

Despite the sluggish and mildly depressed (if completely expected) way I was feeling about the 38-25 loss to Green Bay Saturday, that was still my plan. Jerick McKinnon dominated the ground game with 11 carries for 50 yards. He carried 16 times for 162 yards and a touchdown in last Sunday’s 30-27 win at Chicago. After a 5-0 start, the Vikings have struggled mightily behind a shaky offensive line. Zimmer apparently ironed things out at halftime, and the defense switched back to its original game plan – Nelson only caught two more balls for nine yards after the break, but the damage had already been done as Green Bay cruised to its fifth-straight victory. If the Vikings lose, or if Tampa Bay wins at New Orleans, they’ll be eliminated from the playoff race.

The Packers struck first, with Rodgers throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordy Nelson. The Packers quarterback eclipsed 4,000 passing yards on the season, the sixth time he has accomplished that feat and again setting another franchise record.

Mike Zimmer’s once-mighty defense, which was no longer stuck in the snow at the Appleton airport even if it might have seemed that way, got shredded at Lambeau Field by the Packers and their MVP-caliber quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who was responsible for four touchdowns in the first half.

Running back Adrian Peterson did not look good in his return to action last week and is out of this one (knee, groin).

The Vikings travel to the Packers, knowing that a defeat will end their playoff hopes for this year.

The Packers literally put the Vikings out of their misery. Peterson also fumbled the ball. On third down, Clay Matthews came free – of all the defenders to leave unaccounted – to knock down a receiver screen designed for Cordarrelle Patterson as it came out of Bradford’s hand. With the margin of error where it is for the Vikings, he has to be more aggressive.

Rodgers is obviously the catalyst of Green Bay’s offense, and his improved play has coincided with their win streak.

“You know, I’m just taking one day at a time, resting up”. But disregarding a game plan without having everyone on board is a quick way to sink a team and to send a team spiraling into disarray. Maccagnan has remained in constant contact with Bowles, who wants to coach the game but will need to be cleared by doctors. “To be able to go out and try to help my team get a W, I think that was good enough for everyone to see my heart and my desire to get back out there and help my team”.