With every game scheduled for Sunday in Week 17, this week marks the final Monday Night Football of 2019.
Aptly, the penultimate primetime game of the NFL regular season promises to be one to remember, as the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers in a divisional rivalry with potentially major implications for the playoff race.
The 11-3 Packers arrive in Minneapolis on the back of a three-game winning streak and can win the NFC North with a win on Monday night.
As this graphic provided by Statista shows, the Vikings have already secured a playoff berth thanks to the Los Angeles Rams' defeat in San Francisco on Saturday night, which eliminated the reigning NFC champions from playoff contention.
While the Vikings have secured a playoff berth, winning the division is far more complicated and FiveThirtyEight's statistical projections give them just a 10 percent chance of topping the NFC North.
To win the division for the second time in three seasons, the Vikings must defeat the Packers on Monday night and then win at home against the Bears in Week 17, while hoping Green Bay loses in Detroit as the Packers currently hold the tiebreaker.
The first part of the equation is not far-fetched as Minnesota is 6-0 at home this season, but the second part appears far more unlikely.
The Packers have tasted success away from Lambeau Field four times already this season, after having to wait until Week 16 to register their first road win a year ago.
It is a remarkable improvement and it speaks volume for how swiftly Matt LaFleur has cured the travel malaise that afflicted Green Bay last year.
The 40-year-old is the first Packers coach to lead the franchise to the playoffs in his first season in Wisconsin, something not even the great Vince Lombardi managed.
LaFleur has already won two more games than the franchise record for a coach in his first season in Green Bay—Mike Sherman and Mike Holmgren both won nine.
The Michigan native, who served as the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator in the last two years, however, suggested he was not inclined to rest on his laurels.
"I'm learning every day about our guys, myself, our staff," LaFleur told NBC's ProFootballTalk this week. "There's a lot more out there for us."
Green Bay ranks just 21st in total offense and 23rd in total defense, but has found a way of winning tight games as their 47-point differential testifies.
The Packers have come a long way in a season, but the Vikings enter Monday night on a roll. Minnesota ranks fifth in scoring offense and tenth in total offense thanks to a rushing game that ranks as the fourth-best in the NFL.
The Vikings, however, will be without star running back Dalvin Cook, the team's leading rusher with 1,135 yards.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that the 24-year-old injured his shoulder in the third quarter of Sunday's 39-10 road win against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Here's all you need to know ahead of Monday.
When and where is the game?
The Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday, December 23.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
TV coverage
The game will be broadcast nationally by ESPN.
Live stream
A live stream will be available via ESPN's digital platforms, WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
Form
The Vikings arrive into Week 16 on a two-game winning streak after defeating the Chargers 39-10 in Los Angeles last week. The Packers, meanwhile, made it three wins in a row after defeating the Chicago Bears 21-13 in Week 15.
Series record
The Packers lead the all-time series with 60 wins in 116 meetings to the Vikings' 53.
Green Bay prevailed 21-16 in Week 2, but Minnesota has won three of the last five meetings between the two teams and defeated the Packers 24-17 when Green Bay last visited U.S. Bank Stadium in November last year.
Odds
According to BetOnline, the Vikings are a 5.5-point favorite and are 22/25 to cover the spread, while the Packers are 2/1 underdogs.
The over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 46.5.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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