It was not the prettiest game of the season on Sunday afternoon
https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/David-Bakhtiari-Jersey , but the Green Bay Packers (6-8-1) found a way to knock off the New York Jets, 44-38, to avoid a standings.Behind Aaron Rodgers¡¯ 442-yard passing day and two rushing touchdowns, the Packers were able to escape New York with an overtime win despite improbable chances early in the fourth quarter. Green Bay will finish up its schedule with an NFC North tilt against the Detroit Lions next week.Perhaps the more intriguing divisional matchup in Week 17 is Minnesota¡¯s home matchup with Chicago. After the Bears¡¯ ugly win in San Francisco and some Christmas luck for the Vikings in Detroit, each team has its eyes set on the playoffs. While the Bears are locked in and can improve their playoff position next week, the Vikings¡¯ season hinges on their ability to get a win or get help from a down-and-out Arizona squad.Some updates on those scenarios and what¡¯s next for the Lions in today¡¯s rundown.Minnesota Vikings (8-6-1)Won 27-9 at Detroit; Next vs. ChicagoReady or not, Vikings¡¯ playoff fate comes down to final gameWin and they¡¯re in. Minnesota can also clinch a postseason spot if it loses
Jason Spriggs Jersey , but could also still earn the fifth spot. Those scenarios can be found in this article.5 Takeaways from the Vikings Win Over the LionsA ¡°Hail Merry Christmas!¡± worked to perfection for Minnesota, but penalties did not. Those were two observations from Sunday¡¯s game.Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell inactive for Lions gameIn what appeared to be a healthy scratch, the former first round pick Treadwell was inactive once again for the Vikings. The third-year pro would seemingly be on thin ice in Minnesota.Detroit Lions (5-10)Lost 27-9 vs. Minnesota; Next at Green BayLions assured of last-place finish after loss to VikingsDetroit will officially finish at the bottom of the division for the first time since 2012, thanks in part to finishing on the other end of a converted Hail Mary once again.Detroit Lions stock watch: DeShawn Shead struggles; Zach Zenner doesn¡¯tOne corner looked promising while another was...not so much. Matthew Stafford and the Lions¡¯ wide receivers also struggled as Detroit averaged just 3.6 yards per passing play.Buckle up. The Lions are headed for even more turnover.The Lions were not supposed to be a project when Matt Patricia took over as head coach and recent player comments suggest that not all have bought in to the new regime. More offseason changes look to be around the corner to improve the roster.Chicago Bears (11-4)Won 14-9 at San Francisco; Next at MinnesotaNFL shifts Bears-Vikings start to 3:25 p.m. because of playoff implicationsFive games with playoff implications will be played simultaneously in the later afternoon game next Sunday and the Bears-Vikings matchup will be one of them.Bears need Rams loss in Week 17 to earn first-round playoff byeChicago has minimally secured the NFC¡¯s third seed and will play for a chance to tout a first round bye next Sunday with a win and an LA Rams loss.Bears-49ers postgame: Bears win ugly in 14-9 nail biterA mini brawl and ¡°cute¡± offensive tricks were two of the quick-hitters from Sunday¡¯s close game. Vegas likes the Green Bay Packers to win this week. The Green and Gold host the Atlanta Falcons in the first game since Mark Murphy fired head coach Mike McCarthy. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is now in charge for the final four weeks of the season, and if you know what kind of team the Packers will field on Sunday, please tell us.Despite a five-point spread in Green Bay¡¯s favor, we at Acme Packing Company don¡¯t know what to expect from the Packers this week. Maybe McCarthy¡¯s firing will turn out to be the galvanizing moment that Aaron Rodgers has been searching for. Could it stir up some emotion and urgency among the players and lead to a victory? Alternately
Mike Daniels Color Rush Jersey , fans may just as easily be treated to more of the same from the Packers. Will the offense continue to hit on a handful of big plays while failing to convert on third downs? Will the defense keep giving up big plays of their own as they try to force opponents into difficult down-and-distance situations? The Falcons certainly have a talented receiving corps that could make it a long afternoon for the Packers¡¯ banged-up secondary, so Mike Pettine will have his work cut out for him.In this week¡¯s picks, we see APC¡¯s writers pretty split on the result of the game. We still favor the Packers by a 8-5 margin, but the fact that there are that many votes for the Falcons shows a lingering doubt over this team after it lost to the hapless Cardinals last Sunday.Here are our picks for week 14.Week 14 PicksGameTexJasonPeterKrisBobJon MJordanMatubMikePaulShawnWendiZachAPC PickGameTexJasonPeterKrisBobJon MJordanMatubMikePaulShawnWendiZachAPC Pick