Expect Vikings to play it safe
The final Monday Night Football game of the 2019 NFL season ostensibly is a battle for the NFC North division.
But not really.
When the first-place Green Bay Packers (11-3) visit the second-place Minnesota Vikings (10-4), all the Packers needs to do to clinch their first NFC North title since 2016 is win or tie.
The Vikings, however, not only need to win this game to capture the NFC North crown, but defeat Chicago at home and have Green Bay lose at Detroit Dec. 29. Yeah, that’s probably not happening.
The thing is, Minnesota was gifted Saturday with a playoff berth when the Los Angeles Rams were eliminated from post-season contention by losing 34-31 to San Francisco.
In all likelihood, the Vikings will land the second of two NFC wild cards — then probably play at either Green Bay or New Orleans Jan. 4 or 5.
Given that likelihood, speculation is that the Vikings won’t take any chances Monday night by playing anyone whose health is uncertain.
Where that probably affects this game the most is at running back. Minnesota’s top performer there is Dalvin Cook, the league’s seventh-leading rusher. He has 1,135 rushing yards this season, but is out with a shoulder injury, which might be more serious than the team has let on.
Don’t expect Cook’s backup Alexander Mattison to play either. He has rushed for 462 yards on 100 carries, but is questionable with an ankle injury.
If the division title were truly up for grabs, Mattison might play. Don’t expect him to now. That would leave third-stringer Mike Boone to take the majority of carries for Minnesota against Green Bay. On the season, Boone has gained 97 yards on 21 carries for two touchdowns.
“Mike’s a good runner,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Saturday. “He’s got good acceleration, runs physical. He’s tough.”
In any event, if the Vikings are intent on winning this game, more of the offensive load would fall on quarterback Kirk Cousins, who after a rough first month has elevated his game to an elite level — commensurate with the fully guaranteed $28 million he is earning in 2019.
Cousins ranks fourth in the NFL with a 111.1 passer rating. Against division opponents the last two seasons, Cousins has thrown 20 touchdowns against just six picks.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, has won his last five Monday games.