Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings have J.J. McCarthy back at quarterback for their final game after he missed last week with a hand injury. They host the division rival Green Bay Packers with no impact on the postseason. The Packers have the final wild-card spot in the NFC secured and will start Clayton Tune at quarterback with Jordan Love resting and Malik Willis questionable with injuries. The Vikings have won three of the past four games against the Packers in Minnesota. This is the first time the teams will meet in the final regular-season game since 2015.
Packers player to watch
WR/CB Bo Melton: With the Packers planning to rest several top players with their spot in the playoffs secure as the No. 7 seed in the NFC, the versatile Melton could have a significant role. The fourth-year wide receiver, who has taken 83 snaps on offense and 176 on special teams, has actually spent the majority of this season working at cornerback in practice though he hasn’t seen any game action on defense. Injuries have thinned the secondary depth so much that Melton might get playing time on both offense and defense.
Vikings player to watch
FS Harrison Smith. The 14th-year player, who is again undecided about whether to return next season, has been performing as if he’s still in his prime down the stretch. Making many of the calls on the field for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Smith won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award with three passes defensed, one sack and one interception last week against Detroit.
Key matchup
Flores against Packers QB Clayton Tune. With Jordan Love resting for the playoffs and backup Malik Willis dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries, Tune will get his second career NFL start. His first came as a rookie in 2023 with Arizona. One of the league’s best schemers of aggressive pass rushing and pre-snap disguises, Flores and his players will be a handful for Tune. The Vikings have 22 sacks and 12 takeaways over the past eight games, with just two passing touchdowns and an average of 143 passing yards per game allowed.
Key injuries
Packers: Love has cleared the concussion protocol and is available, but coach Matt LaFleur wants to hold him out. Willis was listed as questionable. … CB Kamal Hadden (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), DL Jordan Riley (Achilles tendon) and S Zayne Anderson (ankle) went on injured reserve after they were hurt against Baltimore. There are 10 other players on IR, including standouts DE Micah Parsons (knee), TE Tucker Kraft (knee) and C Elgton Jenkins (lower leg). … WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) is doubtful to play after he was injured against the Ravens. … RT Zach Tom (back/knee) didn’t play last week and is listed as questionable.
Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy (hand) will start after missing the previous game, and RT Brian O’Neill (heel) and RB Jordan Mason (ankle) will also return after being sidelined last week. … TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) will miss his second straight game, and RB Aaron Jones (hip) and KR/WR Myles Price (ankle) are also out this week. … Starters LT Christian Darrisaw (knee), C Ryan Kelly (concussion), OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder), S Josh Metellus (shoulder) have been shut down for the season.
Series notes
This is the first time since 2021 that Green Bay has finished the regular season on the road and the first time since 2021 that Minnesota has finished the schedule at home. The most recent time the division rivals met in the final game in Minnesota was 2012. The previous time they played in the final week was 2015. … The Vikings have beaten the Packers in three of their past four meetings in Minnesota.
Stats and stuff
The Packers have the No. 7 seed for the third straight year. Every other team in the NFC North has won a division title since their most recent one in 2021. … In Tune’s previous NFL start, he went 11 for 20 for 58 yards and two interceptions in a 27-0 loss to Cleveland. … Packers WR Christian Watson’s six TD catches are one short of his career high as a rookie in 2022. His 611 receiving yards are nine off the career high he set last year. Watson has played in only 10 games. … The 307 rushing yards the Packers allowed against Baltimore was the highest single-game total against them since Philadelphia (363) in 2022. Derrick Henry (216 rushing yards) had the most ever by a visiting player at Lambeau Field. … Green Bay has only one sack over this three-game losing streak. DL Rashan Gary had 7½ sacks in the first seven games but has none in nine games since. … The Vikings have won four straight games. This the largest spread with them as the favorite on the betting lines all season. … Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, whose 8,379 receiving yards are the most in NFL history over a player’s first six years, needs 53 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark this season. The only other players to do so in each of their first six seasons were Randy Moss and Mike Evans. … The Vikings have multiple sacks in 14 of 16 games this season. … Smith (202) has the third-most games started in Vikings history, behind Jim Marshall (270) and Mick Tingelhoff (240). … Vikings LB Blake Cashman is tied for ninth in the league with 137 tackles, despite missing four games early in the season with a hamstring strain. He has nine games with 10-plus tackles this season, the most by a Vikings player since 1987.
Fantasy tip
For any leagues still going through Week 18, kicker Brandon McManus is 12 of 12 on field-goal attempts in Green Bay’s past six games. Minnesota’s Will Reichard has hit six straight tries from 50-plus yards with no misses in the past nine games and only two failed field-goal attempts all season.
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