Vikings Eliminated from NFC Playoffs

The Vikings best hope to win likely rested on a big game from Dalvin Cook, but the Vikings running back was bottled up by the Packers.

Cook ran the ball nine times for just 13 yards Sunday night, his lowest total of the season. Mannion tallied 14 rushing yards to lead Minnesota.

Justin Jefferson had six catches for 58 yards. The second-year wideout now has 103 catches on the season, making him the fifth player in team history to have at least 100 catches in a single season.

An odd stat: center Garrett Bradbury was credited with a 21-yard reception in the third quarter, which went down as the second-longest pass play of the night for Minnesota.

Kellen Mond made his NFL debut midway through the fourth quarter.

The third-round rookie completed two of his three passes for five yards in one series of action.

2. Early success for the red-zone defense

As mentioned above, the Vikings hung close for the first 20 or so minutes of Sunday night’s game.

Minnesota’s red-zone defense had a hand in that, as Zimmer’s unit kept the Packers out of the end zone on their first three trips inside the red zone.

The Vikings forced the Packers to kick a 35-yard field goal on their first possession, then clamped down and forced a turnover on downs on Green Bay’s second trip inside the 20-yard line.

The Packers settled for three more points in the second quarter on a 36-yard field goal to make it 6-0.

Green Bay eventually found success, however, scoring touchdowns on plays from 20, 11, 4 and 7 yards out to help open up a double-digit lead against Minnesota.

3. Few answers for Packers playmakers

Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers were once again a thorn in the Vikings side.

Adams caught 11 passes for 136 yards and a score against the Vikings, continuing his recent dominant stretch against them. In his past four games against Minnesota, Adams has 39 catches for 459 yards and a whopping eight scores.

Rodgers, meanwhile, helped make his MVP case on national television. He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. In his past six games, Rodgers has thrown 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Packers running back Aaron Jones also showed his versatility with 100-plus yards from scrimmage, including 76 rushing yards. Jones had a pair of 25-plus yard runs on the night.

AJ Dillon scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for Green Bay, who topped the 35-point mark for the fourth time this season.

4. Bright spots on special teams

On a night to forget, a pair of Vikings flashed on special teams.

Greg Joseph prevented a first-half shutout with a 51-yard field goal, which is the longest field goal made in a January game at Lambeau Field, according to the NBC broadcast.

Joseph continued to show his range (although this kick was even more impressive in the cold), as he now has the second-most field goals of 50-plus yards in a single season in franchise history.

Kene Nwangwu also had a solid game, totaling 86 yards on three kickoff returns. His longest return of the night went for 37 yards.