Kevin O’Connell has emphasized a “1-0” mindset this season, urging the team to focus solely on the next game and avoid looking ahead. This week will be a true test of the team’s focus, with the Green Bay Packers visiting, while a potential Week 18 clash with the Detroit Lions for the NFC’s top seed looms.
The Vikings should not assume an easy win against the Packers. Green Bay is 11-4, with their losses coming at the hands of the 13-2 Lions, the 13-2 Vikings, and the 12-3 Eagles. Minnesota must defeat the Packers to ensure that their Week 18 game with the Lions will determine the NFC North.
This type of opportunity has often slipped away from previous Vikings teams. Since their last Super Bowl appearance in January 1977, they’ve made the playoffs 23 times but have only secured home-field advantage once, despite numerous chances to do so.
In 2000, the Vikings had a chance to claim the NFC’s top seed with an 11-2 record, two games ahead of the New York Giants. They only needed to defeat the Rams, who were on a three-game losing streak, or the Packers, who were 6-7 going into December. Instead, Minnesota’s defense crumbled. They lost 40-29 to the Rams, allowing 508 yards, then fell 33-28 to the Packers, surrendering 400 yards. With home-field advantage gone, the Vikings rested their starters in a Week 17 loss to the Colts. They then traveled to New York for the NFC Championship, where they were famously shut out 41-0.
Nine years later, with Brett Favre added to the roster, the Vikings hoped for a Super Bowl run. They were chasing the undefeated New Orleans Saints and were 10-1 heading into December. But after a 13-0 start, the Saints lost to the Cowboys, offering the Vikings a chance to gain ground. However, Minnesota lost to the 5-8 Panthers, and later lost again to the Bears, allowing the Saints to secure home-field advantage. Despite dominating the Cowboys 34-3 in the playoffs, the Vikings lost 31-28 in overtime in the NFC Championship in New Orleans. Would the result have been different if it had been played at home?
The Vikings have also stumbled in smaller games. In 2004, they faced the Packers in a must-win game for the NFC North title. Despite a back-and-forth game, the Packers scored 10 points in the final 3:34 to win the division. The Vikings complicated matters further by losing to the 5-10 Redskins the following week. They only made the playoffs after the Saints beat the Panthers, and although they won their first road game in Green Bay, their season ended with a loss in Philadelphia.
These teams had their own struggles. The 2000 team’s defense was one of the worst in the league, and there was tension between Brett Favre and coach Brad Childress. The 2004 season marked the end of the Randy Moss era, with his influence causing locker room issues.
The 2024 Vikings, however, are different. The team’s strengths—whether offensive or defensive—are harder to pinpoint, but O’Connell has fostered a positive relationship with everyone, and Justin Jefferson brings no drama, unlike Moss. With the team playing well and no major internal issues, the Vikings have a real chance to beat the Packers and set up one of the most significant regular-season games in franchise history. Green Bay is capable of winning even if Minnesota plays well, but if the Vikings want to make a statement and make the NFC playoffs run through Minnesota for the first time since 1998, this is the game they need to win. Having already beaten the Packers 31-29 earlier in the season, a mature team would finish the job at home.
