MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 101 yards Sunday afternoon, clinching his sixth straight 1,000-yard season and joining elite company as only the third receiver in NFL history to reach that mark. The Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers match player stats reflected a game where one team chased history and respect, while the other preserved health for January football.
Minnesota beat Green Bay 16-3 at U.S. Bank Stadium to finish 9-8, riding a five-game winning streak into an offseason filled with uncertainty. The Packers sat nearly every starter, already locked into the NFC’s seventh seed with a playoff date against Chicago set for next Saturday.
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McCarthy’s Hand Becomes Offseason Storyline
J.J. McCarthy completed 14 of 23 passes for 182 yards before leaving early in the third quarter, his injured throwing hand forcing him out for the third consecutive week. The Vikings quarterback had returned from a hairline fracture but lasted just over two quarters before backup Max Brosmer took over.
Brosmer finished 7-for-8 for 57 yards, helping Minnesota salt away the victory. McCarthy watched the fourth quarter from the sideline wearing a backward baseball cap, his immediate future now the subject of intense speculation.
“The fact that our team was able to aim and focus through a time when quite honestly some other teams wouldn’t says a lot about our players,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Jefferson Reaches Historic Mark
The Vikings star receiver needed 53 yards entering Sunday to reach 1,000 for the season. He got there by halftime and kept going, posting his first 100-yard game in 13 weeks.
Vikings Receiving Leaders
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | 8 | 101 | 18 | 11 |
| Jalen Nailor | 3 | 49 | 26 | 3 |
| Josh Oliver | 2 | 29 | 22 | 2 |
| Ben Sims | 1 | 18 | 18 | 4 |
Only Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison had previously accomplished six straight 1,000-yard seasons to start a career. Jefferson now stands alone with those two names in the record books.
Packers Field Third-String Quarterback
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur kept Jordan Love inactive as the backup, giving Clayton Tune his second career start. The results were predictably rough.
Green Bay Passing Numbers
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton Tune | 6/11 | 34 | 4-41 | 60.4 |
The Packers finished with negative seven net passing yards, one of the worst single-game totals in recent memory. Tune took four sacks for 41 yards lost, spending most of the afternoon under pressure from a Vikings defense that blitzed relentlessly.
“We tried to protect as many as we could. But also, I thought it was just a great opportunity for a lot of these guys that haven’t gotten the reps that maybe they want,” LaFleur said.
Chris Brooks led Green Bay’s rushing attack with 13 carries for 61 yards, while Emanuel Wilson added 44 yards on 18 attempts. The Packers managed just 121 total yards through three and a half quarters before a late drive set up Brandon McManus for a 24-yard field goal as time expired.
Vikings Ground Game Controls Clock
Jordan Mason carried 14 times for 94 yards, averaging 6.7 per attempt and controlling possession in the second half.
Minnesota Rushing Stats
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Mason | 14 | 94 | 6.7 | 0 |
| Ty Chandler | 10 | 23 | 2.3 | 0 |
| C.J. Ham | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 |
Ham’s one-yard touchdown plunge early in the second quarter gave Minnesota a 13-0 lead. The two-time Pro Bowl fullback received standing ovations throughout the afternoon, with Sunday potentially marking his final game after 10 seasons in purple.
Defense Stifles Backup Offense
Dallas Turner recorded two sacks in his best performance since being drafted in the first round last April. The rookie edge rusher finished with six tackles and two quarterback hits.
Vikings Defensive Leaders
| Player | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Wilson | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Blake Cashman | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dallas Turner | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jay Ward | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Minnesota nearly posted its second shutout of the year before McManus connected in the final seconds. The Vikings defense held Green Bay to 12 first downs and forced eight punts, with Daniel Whelan averaging 53.9 yards on his boots.
Special Teams Breakdown
Will Reichard converted all three field goal attempts for Minnesota, connecting from 43, 25, and 37 yards. The rookie kicker finished the season perfect on field goals inside 45 yards.
Kicking Stats
| Team | Kicker | FG Made/Att | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | Will Reichard | 3/3 | 43 | 1/1 | 10 |
| GB | Brandon McManus | 1/1 | 24 | 0/0 | 3 |
What’s Next
Green Bay travels to Chicago for a wild-card playoff game Saturday night at 7 p.m. on Prime Video. The Packers enter the postseason on a four-game losing streak but with a healthy roster after Sunday’s rest day.
Minnesota faces an offseason of major decisions. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ contract expires, and the Vikings need to clear significant salary cap space while addressing quarterback depth, offensive line, and cornerback positions.
Harrison Smith, the 14-year safety, hasn’t decided whether to return for another season. Neither has Ham. Both received emotional sendoffs Sunday from a crowd of 66,606 that understood this might be goodbye.
The Vikings won five straight to close the year and finished half a game behind Green Bay in the final standings. They’ll watch the playoffs from home, left to wonder what might have been if McCarthy could stay healthy, if a few bounces had gone differently, if the season had played out just slightly better.
The Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers match player stats show a team that fought to the final whistle against an opponent already looking ahead. For Minnesota, that fight is all they have left from a season that promised more but delivered just enough to keep hope alive for next year.
