Packers top Vikings, claim NFC North title
MINNEAPOLIS – Aaron Jones rushed for 154 yards and two secondhalf touchdowns, Za’Darius Smith had five tackles for loss to lead a stifling performance by Green Bay’s defense, and the Packers became NFC North champions by beating the Minnesota Vikings 23-10 on Monday night.
The Packers (12-3) made Matt LaFleur the 10th rookie coach in NFL history to reach 12 victories, winning for the first time in four tries at Minnesota’s deafening U.S. Bank Stadium with a dominant finish after trailing 10-9 at halftime. Green Bay stayed in position for a first-round bye in the playoffs. The top seed and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl is still in sight.
The Packers stormed back from three first-half turnovers, including a rare interception by Aaron Rodgers, to silence the crowd and seal the Vikings (10-5) into the sixth playoff seed. The greenand-gold-clad fans in attendance squeezed some “Go, Pack, Go!” chants in during the ample down time as the Packers took control in the second half.
Kirk Cousins was sacked five times, with a whopping 31/2 by Smith, and he threw an interception in the third quarter that set up the first score by Jones.
The Vikings had only seven first downs and never netted a drive longer than 31 yards in this concerning regression. They wasted a fine effort by their defense, which has produced 10 turnovers in the last two games.
Minnesota’s frustration over a stalled offense that averaged nearly 30 points over the previous 10 games only increased in the second half. Stefon Diggs caught a 28-yard pass on thirdand-18 in the third quarter, but Cousins was intercepted later on the drive when Diggs was tangled up with Jaire Alexander and Kevin King made a leaping grab before a 39-yard return.
That set up the first score by Jones, who leads the league with 16 rushing touchdowns.