If you tuned into the Green Bay Minnesota game on January 4, 2026, hoping for a high-octane regular-season finale, you probably ended up checking your phone by the second quarter. Honestly, it wasn't the "Border Battle" classic we're used to. The Vikings walked away with a 16-3 win at U.S. Bank Stadium, but the final score is easily the least interesting thing about what happened on that turf.
The Packers showed up with a "B-team" roster that looked more like a preseason game than a division rivalry. With a playoff spot already locked in as the No. 7 seed, Matt LaFleur made the executive decision to bubble-wrap his stars. Jordan Love spent the afternoon wearing a headset as the backup, while Clayton Tune took the snaps.
Minnesota, on the other hand, played it relatively straight. They needed to see what they had in rookie J.J. McCarthy, and their defense—which has been a nightmare for quarterbacks all year—didn't take the day off just because the guys across from them were backups.
What Actually Happened in Minneapolis
The game was a defensive slog, plain and simple. Green Bay’s offense struggled to move the chains at all. At one point, they had only eight first downs heading into their final possession. Clayton Tune finished with a stat line that's hard to look at: 34 passing yards.
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Key Moments You Might Have Missed
- The Zero-Yard Sacks: Rookie Barryn Sorrell was one of the few bright spots for the Packers' defense. He and Brenton Cox Jr. teamed up to terrorize the Vikings' second-half quarterback, Max Brosmer. Sorrell actually recovered a fumble and ended the day with eight tackles.
- The Trevon Diggs Debut: The Packers claimed Diggs off waivers just days before the game. Seeing him in a Green Bay jersey was jarring, but he actually saw significant snaps. LaFleur hinted afterward that Diggs might even start in the playoffs.
- Emanuel Wilson’s Rough Day: Just a few weeks after a career-best performance against the Vikings in November, Wilson had a nightmare play where he lost 18 yards on a single carry. He kept trying to bounce it outside to avoid the pursuit, but the Vikings' defense just kept pushing him back.
The Vikings' lone touchdown came from a 1-yard fullback dive by C.J. Ham. It wasn't flashy, but it was effective. Justin Jefferson still did Justin Jefferson things, hauling in 8 catches for 101 yards, mostly against Green Bay’s reserve corners.
Why the November Matchup Was the Real Story
To understand why this Green Bay Minnesota game felt so different, you have to look back at Week 12. On November 23, 2025, the script was flipped. The Packers dismantled the Vikings 23-6 at Lambeau Field.
That game was the peak of the 2025 Packers' defense. They held Minnesota to a measly 145 total yards. J.J. McCarthy looked like a rookie that day, finishing with a 34.2 passer rating and getting sacked five times. Micah Parsons, who has been a revelation for Green Bay's pass rush, had two sacks in that contest alone.
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The offense in November was powered by Emanuel Wilson, who was filling in for an injured Josh Jacobs. He put up 107 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. It was "complementary football" at its finest—something the Packers lacked in the Week 18 rematch.
The Rivalry by the Numbers
It’s easy to get caught up in the recency bias of 2025, but this rivalry is remarkably even. Heading into the 2026 postseason, the all-time series stands at 67–61–3 in favor of Green Bay.
Historically, the Vikings have actually had the upper hand in terms of streaks, including a seven-game run in the late 70s. But since the Brett Favre era began in 1992, Green Bay has managed to maintain a roughly 50% win rate against Minnesota, which is much higher than their dominance over the Bears or Lions.
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| Statistic | Record |
|---|---|
| All-Time Series | Packers lead 67-61-3 |
| Recent Trend | Vikings won both 2024 games; Split 2025 |
| 2025 Week 12 Score | Packers 23, Vikings 6 |
| 2025 Week 18 Score | Vikings 16, Packers 3 |
What’s Next for Both Teams?
For Green Bay, the focus shifts immediately to the NFC Wild Card round. They finished the season 9-7-1, a record that feels a bit hollow after a four-game losing streak to end the year. However, having a healthy Jordan Love and a rested Josh Jacobs is more important than a meaningless Week 18 win.
Minnesota heads into the offseason with some optimism but plenty of questions. J.J. McCarthy showed flashes of why he was a high draft pick, but the inconsistency is real. Their defense is top-tier, yet the offense hasn't quite found its rhythm since the departure of veteran stalwarts.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the Injury Report: Keep a close eye on the status of Bo Melton and Javon Bullard. Both left the Week 18 game with knee injuries, and their availability for the playoffs is a major question mark for the Packers' depth.
- Re-watch the Week 12 Highlights: If you want to see how the Packers actually intend to play in the postseason, don't watch the January 4th tape. Go back to the November 23rd game to see the Parsons-led defense at its best.
- Monitor Trevon Diggs: His integration into the defense will be the biggest X-factor for Green Bay’s secondary heading into the first round of the playoffs.
The regular season is over. The "real" football starts now, and while the latest Green Bay Minnesota game wasn't a thriller, it set the stage for a high-stakes January.