Who won the NFL game last night?
Week 17's Sunday slate of NFL games wrapped up with Sunday Night Football in a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers entered the game with the ability to lock up the top seed in the NFC, guaranteeing a bye and passage to the divisional round in addition to home-field advantage.
With a 37-10 victory over the Vikings, the team is assured that the road to the Super Bowl must travel through the frozen tundra of Lambeau field.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings entered the game hoping to keep their season alive. They defeated the Packers earlier in the season and were looking for a season sweep.
However, quarterback Kirk Cousins caught COVID-19 at the worst possible time and it was up to backup quarterback Sean Mannion to defeat Green Bay on one of the biggest stages in the NFL.
Here's how the game went.
NFL Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings
The game was relatively close in the first quarter, as most NFL games go. By halftime, however, the Vikings were down 20-3.
The offense wasn't scoring and the defense was on pace to give up 40 points. If the game kept going at its current pace, the Vikings would lose 40-6.
To come back and win the game, they'd need Mannion to explode along with their running game. The defense would also need to shut down Aaron Rodgers.
The Packers will now become the first team in NFL history to win at least 13 games in 3 straight seasons.
Instead, the deficit grew. Green Bay continued to move the ball with ease and, despite the Vikings finally finding the endzone in the third quarter, it was far from enough.
The Packers' lead grew as the Vikings lost 37-10.
The Packers are now 39-9 with Matt LaFleur as their coach, as LaFleur has *more* wins than any head coach in his first three seasons in NFL history.
And for the "but he has Aaron Rodgers!" crowd...
The Packers were 24-23-1 in Rodgers' last 48 starts prior to LaFleur's arrival.
With the loss, the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention and the Green Bay Packers locked up the top spot in the NFC.
With a game to spare, the Packers may consider how much they want to use Aaron Rodgers as they want him to be healthy (but not rusty) when the NFL playoffs come around.
Meanwhile, the Vikings should be considering whether to give Kellen Mond a start to see how the rookie's development is coming along. The Packers are thinking about right now while the Vikings are now focused on 2022.
Final score: Minnesota Vikings 10-37 Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings' top performers:
- QB: Sean Mannion (22/36, 189 yards, 1 TD)
- RB: Dalvin Cook (9 carries, 13 yards)
- WR: Justin Jefferson (6 catches, 58 yards)
Green Bay Packers' top performers:
- QB: Aaron Rodgers (29/38, 288 yards, 2 TDs)
- RB: AJ Dillon (14 carries, 63 yards, 2 TDs)
- WR: Davante Adams (11 catches, 136 yards, 1 TD)