The Packers are one of the best teams in the NFL this season.
Yet, the Vikings have remained a thorn in their side — handing Green Bay one of its three losses. The Packers host the Vikings on Sunday night but it’s not just about trying to avenge the Week 11 34-31 loss.
This is about maintaining perfection at home. The Packers are looking to go 8-0 at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2014.
The Vikings are currently the eighth seed in the NFC for a 7-team playoff field. Minneota is 7-8, but has lost four of those games by three points or less.
On the other hand, Green Bay is 12-3 and five of those wins have come by three points or less.
“That’s the bottom line in this league,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “I think as we get closer to the end of this thing, I think these games get tighter and tighter and tighter. And that’s typically how it goes in the playoffs as well.”
LaFleur makes a great point. Postseason games are generally really tight and the Packers have already played in plenty of those games this year.
It has also been a really even year. There has been a lot of parity throughout the league. Jacksonville beat Buffalo, Detroit beat Arizona and Houston beat the L.A. Chargers. Those three teams have a combined eight wins this season.
Which stresses how important home field is. If the Packers can get a winning nudge in a year that has seen plenty of even play, getting teams to come to Lambeau is definitely the ticket.
Have Kyler Murray and Arizona come to Green Bay and watch them breathe in the frigid January air. Welcome Tom Brady and Tampa Bay back to Green Bay, knowing that this unit has earned its stripes in nail biters. Matthew Stafford and the Rams didn’t fare well when they came to Green Bay Nov. 28. And Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will have more to deal with than Rashan Gary when they step foot inside 1265 Lombardi Ave.
You could make the argument that the Packers won Super Bowl XLV as Road Warriors and that home field doesn’t matter that much. Not this year. With COVID going around, this is the year that you want to be in a steady routine and playing at home.
“When we’re back in this building, we have to attack it on a daily basis, which I think our guys embrace, and they take that to heart,” said LaFleur in November.
Of all teams, Minnesota is relishing the opportunity to play spoiler. The Vikings haven’t won back-to-back years at Lambeau Field since 2004-05 after beating the Packers 28-22 on Nov. 1 last year. Wide receiver Adam Thielen is having season-ending ankle surgery and Kirk Cousins is 3-3-1 vs. Green Bay since joining the Vikings in 2018.
The Packers have 15 players on the COVID list combined with Aaron Rodgers, David Bakhtiari and Billy Turner not practicing.
Green Bay has had plenty of setbacks this season but the Vikings aren’t going to feel sorry for their division rival. If the Packers want home field advantage, they are going to have to go out and get it.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on “Clubhouse Live” and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn