Packers Progress
The Green Bay Packers had a chance to secure a first round bye last week when they traveled to Minnesota to play the Vikings in the final week of the season in fantasy football leagues. While the San Francisco 49ers had the same number of losses as the Packers and technically would have held the tie breaker between the two teams, a tie against the St. Louis Rams back in week 10 meant that all that the Packers had to do was defeat the Vikings and they would’ve had the week off and a first round bye in postseason fantasy football leagues.
However, the feisty Vikings, led by a record book-bound Adrian Peterson and a surprisingly effective performance by quarterback Christian Ponder in fantasy football leagues took that first round bye right out of their hands when rookie Pro Bowl kicker Blair Walsh kicked a last second field goal to secure a playoff berth for the Vikings who had finished 3-13 with a top three pick in the draft last season.
So instead of having the week off, the Packers had to play the Vikings for a second consecutive week. The Packers prevailed at home over the Vikings who were without Ponder who got hurt the week before. What hurts the most for the Packers is knowing that they would be playing next week’s game at home where they have won 8 out of 9 games including last week’s win, but instead, they will be traveling to San Francisco for the divisional round next week. It may not be a bad thing though. When the Packers hosted the New York Giants last season in the divisional round they got blown out. When the Packers went on the road in the divisional round two seasons ago in Atlanta they got a win and everyone remembers how that season ended for the Packers… all they did was win the Super Bowl.