Predicting Packers-Vikings Winner, Plus Final Record, Playoffs and More

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will renew their border war against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Lambeau Field. It’s a critical game for both teams. The Packers remain in last place in the NFC North, even while winning five of their last six games. The Vikings have lost two consecutive games following a 6-0 start.

Who will win the game? And, with this being the halfway point of the season, who will lead the team in rushing, receiving and sacks? And, ultimately, what will be the team’s final record and playoff fate?

Here are our Packers-Vikings picks and midseason predictions.

Bill Huber’s Packers-Vikings Prediction

The Vikings acquired Kirk Cousins this week. It’s a huge move for the Vikings, who somehow are 6-2 despite their quarterbacks’ inability to get the ball to Justin Jefferson.

Cousins has faced the Packers 10 times while with the Vikings. He topped a 110 passer rating in seven of those games. OK, but what about this season? With the Raiders, Cousins ranked fifth in passing yards, second in touchdown passes and 11th in passer rating. Plain and simple, he remains a quality starting quarterback.

Maybe I’m guilty of overvaluing Cousins. Maybe I’m undervaluing Jordan Love’s ability to consistently make plays against a Vikings defense that has won every matchup this season.

Ultimately, I think Cousins will make one more big play, Love will be forced into one more big mistake and the special teams will get in the way.

Score: Vikings 20, Packers 17

Bill’s Record: 7-2.

Jacob Westendorf’s Packers-Vikings Prediction

Yes, Kirk Cousins is back, but Green Bay's defense is for real until proven otherwise. The Packers had some answers for Brian Flores' group in Week 1 until Jordan Love was snowed under by Minnesota's pressure.

This time, Lambeau Field will be the X-factor as the offensive line will be able to hear Love manipulate the line of scrimmage, which will help him make one more play than Cousins, as the Packers score a big win heading into their bye week.

Score: Packers 21, Vikings 17.

Jacob’s Record: 6-3.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) waits for the snap against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Will Be Packers’ Final Record?

Bill: 11-6 (Losses at home to the Vikings and Bills and at the Bears).

Jacob: 12-5 (Losses at home against Buffalo and at Chicago).

Where Will Packers Finish in NFC North?

Bill: Last (with the same record as the Vikings but by losing the tiebreaker).

Jacob: Second (Chicago wins the NFC North thanks to a win on Christmas Day at Soldier Field).

Who Will Lead Packers in Sacks?

Bill: Lukas Van Ness. I came up with this question in light of Micah Parsons’ presumptive return for the game against the Rams. Tucker Kraft has had a quiet season following last year’s torn ACL. It’s just part of coming off a major injury. So, while I thought about going with Parsons here, Van Ness will maintain the team lead and finish with eight sacks.

Jacob: Lukas Van Ness. Van Ness has 4.5 sacks, which leads the team. His job should get a little easier with Micah Parsons' return to the lineup as he'll see less double teams. Parsons is a good bet here, as well, but has noted it may take him a while to look like himself again. The goal for the Packers is going to be to have him at his best in the postseason.

Who Will Lead Packers in Rushing?

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson (26) rushes the ball against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bill: Kaleb Johson leads the team with 172 rushing yards, just ahead of MarShawn Lloyd (149) and about double Josh Jacobs (80). Jacobs might only miss two games with his broken finger, meaning he’ll have five or six games to surge to the front.

Jacob: Kaleb Johnson leads the team in rushing, which is incredible considering how his season has gone to date. The guess here is that he's out of Matt LaFleur's doghouse and going to be a more focal point of Green Bay's offense in Josh Jacobs' absence. That will continue even when Jacobs returns to the lineup.

Who Will Lead Packers in Receiving Yards?

Bill: Christian Watson has 879 receiving yards, putting him on pace to blow past 1,650 yards. Matthew Golden has 783 receiving yards, putting him on pace to push for 1,500 yards.

I’ll take Golden to surge to the lead, though. He has five consecutive games of six-plus catches and four consecutive games with 10-plus targets. The sheer volume of passes going to Golden will push him past the explosive play off Watson, especially if last week’s game signals that his drops are behind him.

The big question: Can they set the combined yardage record?

Jacob: Christian Watson. This might be one of the most intriguing storylines down the stretch. Watson and Golden are neck and neck in this category now, with Watson holding a slight advantage.

Watson is used to playing this late in the season and has made some big plays in big games. Golden has, as well, so this will be really close as the season comes to a close, but give us Watson to go over 1,200 yards for the season and earn the team's receiving title.

Will Jordan Love Lead NFL in Passing Yards?

Bill: Entering Sunday, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow leads the NFL with 298.3 passing yards per game. Jordan Love is hot on his heels with a 290.9-yard average. That’s less than a first down per game. Playing five consecutive cold-weather games down the stretch isn’t going to help Love in his pursuit.

Jacob: Yes, the only way the Packers can move the ball is on the right arm of Jordan Love. There's little reason to believe that's going to change, even when the elements start turning colder. Add in some games that could be potential shootouts, like a home game against Buffalo or a road game against Chicago. That could cause Love to pile up some big numbers.

How Will the Season End?

Bill: With the entire NFC North earning their way into the playoff field, the last-place Packers will squeak into the postseason as the No. 7 seed. It’s obviously a familiar place for the Packers.

And it’s a death sentence. The No. 7 seed has to play at the No. 2 seed. If the No. 7 pulls off an upset, it will have to play at the No. 1 seed. So, let’s roll with the Packers upsetting the rival Bears in the wild-card round but meeting their maker against the playoff-rival 49ers in the divisional round.

Jacob: The Packers will earn the NFC's fifth seed and have a date with the NFC South-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs. A big game from Jordan Love and Christian Watson, coupled with a suffocating defensive performance in which Micah Parsons will collect three sacks and a forced fumble against Baker Mayfield, will give the team its first playoff win since 2023.

They will follow that by avenging last year's loss in the playoffs to the Chicago Bears by knocking them out at Soldier Field in the divisional round on a game-winning field goal from Trey Smack.

That sends them to San Francisco, a house of horrors, for the NFC Championship Game, where the season ultimately will end with Brock Purdy leading a late touchdown drive to send the Packers into an offseason short of the Super Bowl.

No team has ever blitzed as much as this year's Vikings, and they have blitzed Packers QB Jordan Love with even greater frequency.

How can the Packers survive the world of chaos from which the Vikings thrive? ⬇️https://t.co/LJbnZ5pJd9 pic.twitter.com/62IrmGGXfR
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 13, 2026

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