Daily Norseman
If you put together a football game between two teams that didn’t have a whole lot to play for in their final regular season contest, it would probably look a lot like what the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers did at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
J.J. McCarthy left after one second half play after reaggravating his hand injury, but the Green Bay offensive backups couldn’t generate enough points to make it matter, as the Vikings put together their second shutout of the 2025 season, defeating the Packers in their regular season finale by a score of 16-3.
The Vikings got on the scoreboard first, courtesy of their most consistent player. Will Reichard split the uprights on a 43-yard field goal attempt to put the Vikings on top, 3-0, a little less than five minutes into the contest after the Vikings got the football first. There wasn’t a whole lot of offense to be seen after that, but the Minnesota offense did do enough to get Justin Jefferson over 1,000 yards receiving for the sixth consecutive season, making him one of just three players in NFL history to begin his career with six consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards.
Minnesota added to their lead late in the first half, and it was Reichard again, as he connected on a 25-yard field goal to put themselves ahead 6-0 with just under three minutes left before halftime. After another Green Bay punt, the Vikings got an opportunity at a two-minute drive, and after a couple of nice throws from J.J. McCarthy to get the Vikings into a goal-to-go situation, Minnesota gave the ball to a guy who might be playing his last game for the Vikings, as C.J. Ham went in from one yard out for a touchdown to put the Vikings ahead, 13-0.
That’s how they went into the locker room at halftime, with the Green Bay offense having just 13 net yards on offense.
On the Vikings’ first possession of the second half, after completing a quick pass to Justin Jefferson, McCarthy came out of the game in favor of Max Brosmer, appearing to have aggravated the injury to his throwing hand that caused him to miss the Week 17 game against Detroit.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Vikings looked like they were in a position to score more points as they had a first-and-goal from the Packers’ 2-yard line. Then, Brosmer made what can only be described as another awful play as he tripped over his own lineman’s feet, then got blasted by a Green Bay defender and fumbled the ball away with the Packers recovering for a turnover.
The Vikings’ defense stopped the Packers again, however, and got the football back. Minnesota’s offense did just enough to get Will Reichard into position for another field goal for Will Reichard, as he connected on a 37-yard attempt with just over four minutes left in regulation to put the Vikings ahead, 16-0.
On their final offensive possession,...
