Week 18 | January 4, 2026 | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis | Attendance: 66,606 | CBS
MINNEAPOLIS — Matt LaFleur called timeout with one second left on Sunday, his offense standing at the Minnesota 5-yard line and the scoreboard reading 16-0. He was not chasing a comeback. He sent Brandon McManus onto the field for a 24-yard field goal so the Green Bay Packers could avoid the shutout.
That detail captures this game better than anything else. Green Bay had parked its starters days earlier — Jordan Love (concussion) and Malik Willis (shoulder) both inactive, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs held out by design. Clayton Tune started at quarterback and finished with minus-7 net passing yards. Minnesota won 16-3, stretched its winning streak to five games, and handed Justin Jefferson the stage to put together the most historically significant afternoon of his career.
Table of Contents
Score by Quarter
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:27 | MIN | Will Reichard 43-yd FG | MIN 3–0 |
| Q2 | 3:02 | MIN | Will Reichard 25-yd FG | MIN 6–0 |
| Q2 | 0:23 | MIN | C.J. Ham 1-yd rush (Reichard PAT) | MIN 13–0 |
| Q4 | 4:09 | MIN | Will Reichard 37-yd FG | MIN 16–0 |
| Q4 | 0:00 | GB | Brandon McManus 24-yd FG | MIN 16–3 |
How the Game Played Out
Minnesota kept its first half conservative and efficient. J.J. McCarthy mixed short completions to Jefferson with Jordan Mason runs behind an offensive line that allowed zero sacks before the break. Reichard converted field goals of 43 and 25 yards, and C.J. Ham punched in a 1-yard score with 23 seconds left in the second quarter to push it to 13-0 at halftime.
LaFleur sent Daniel Whelan out to punt on eight of Green Bay’s first nine possessions, with a kneel-down to close the first half the lone exception. Tune had almost no room to work, taking four sacks for 41 lost yards behind a makeshift offensive line. LaFleur’s game plan was transparent — survive the afternoon, keep everyone healthy, get to the wild-card round. The Packers’ only meaningful drive came in the final four minutes, a 13-play, 56-yard march that ended with McManus’s field goal on the final snap.
“We tried to protect as many as we could,” LaFleur said. “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.”
Quarterback Stats
| QB | Team | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Yds Lost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.J. McCarthy | MIN | 14/23 | 182 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85.8 |
| Max Brosmer | MIN | 7/8 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 96.4 |
| Clayton Tune | GB | 6/11 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 41 | 60.4 |
McCarthy ran the first half well before aggravating the hairline fracture in his right throwing hand and exiting in the third quarter, saying his grip had gotten too loose on the ball. Max Brosmer closed the game out, finishing 7-for-8 with the win secured.
Tune’s raw numbers — six completions, 34 yards, four sacks — undersell how limited the situation was. He was working with a patchwork line under no pressure to do anything beyond manage the clock.
Justin Jefferson Makes History
Jefferson caught 8 of 11 targets for 101 yards, his first 100-yard game in 12 weeks, and wrapped up his sixth straight 1,000-yard receiving season. He joined Randy Moss and Mike Evans as the only three receivers in NFL history to accomplish that in their first six seasons.
He generated 51 yards after the catch, averaged 6.3 yards of depth of target, and consistently found openings against a secondary operating without several of its regulars. Kevin O’Connell on his team carrying focus through an already-eliminated month: “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.”
Receiving Stats
Minnesota Vikings
| Receiver | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | YPR | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | 11 | 8 | 101 | 0 | 12.6 | 18 | 51 |
| Jalen Nailor | 3 | 3 | 49 | 0 | 16.3 | 26 | 14 |
| Josh Oliver | 2 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 14.5 | 22 | 23 |
| Ben Sims | 4 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 |
| Ty Chandler | 4 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3.7 | 11 | 27 |
| Ben Yurosek | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9.0 | 9 | 4 |
| Zavier Scott | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 8 |
| Jordan Addison | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 |
| C.J. Ham | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | 6 | 8 |
Green Bay Packers
| Receiver | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | YPR | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakobie Keeney-James | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 7.5 | 8 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 8 |
| Josh Whyle | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 5 |
| Emanuel Wilson | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 10 |
| Drake Dabney | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Bo Melton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Rushing Stats
Mason was the steadiest player on the field for Minnesota. His 19 and 24-yard runs in the fourth quarter removed whatever doubt remained and set Reichard up for the final field goal. He broke three missed tackles, averaged 6.7 yards per carry, and moved chains six times.
Green Bay’s ground game was the one phase that functioned. Brooks ran for 61 yards on 13 carries. Wilson ground out 44 on 18 attempts, shouldering most of the load in an offense that went nowhere through the air.
Minnesota Vikings
| Rusher | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Mason | 14 | 94 | 6.7 | 0 | 24 |
| Ty Chandler | 10 | 23 | 2.3 | 0 | 5 |
| Zavier Scott | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 |
| J.J. McCarthy | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 6 |
| Justin Jefferson | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| C.J. Ham | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 |
Green Bay Packers
| Rusher | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emanuel Wilson | 18 | 44 | 2.4 | 0 | 12 |
| Chris Brooks | 13 | 61 | 4.7 | 0 | 12 |
| Clayton Tune | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 0 | 16 |
Defense: Turner Runs the Show
Dallas Turner had the most dominant afternoon of any individual defender. In 37 snaps, he recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble, earning an 88.4 PFF grade. Andrew Van Ginkel worked alongside him at 87.5, knocking away two passes from his edge position. Minnesota totaled four sacks for 41 yards lost.
On Green Bay’s side, Brenton Cox put together the most active pass-rush performance of any Packer — six total pressures, one sack, two hits, three hurries — in a game his offense gave him nothing to work with.
Minnesota Vikings Defense
| Defender | Tot | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Wilson | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Jay Ward | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Theo Jackson | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr. | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Green Bay Packers Defense
| Defender | Tot | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamon Johnson | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Barryn Sorrell | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaylin Simpson | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnathan Baldwin | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty’Ron Hopper | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah McDuffie | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kitan Oladapo | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shemar Bartholomew | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brenton Cox Jr. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Collin Oliver | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Full Team Stats
| Stat | Green Bay | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 121 | 363 |
| Net Passing Yards | -7 | 226 |
| Completions/Attempts | 6/11 | 21/31 |
| Yards Per Pass Attempt | -0.5 | 6.8 |
| Rushing Yards | 128 | 137 |
| Rushing Attempts | 35 | 31 |
| Yards Per Rush | 3.7 | 4.4 |
| Total Plays | 50 | 64 |
| Yards Per Play | 2.4 | 5.7 |
| First Downs | 12 | 23 |
| Passing First Downs | 2 | 14 |
| Rushing First Downs | 9 | 8 |
| Penalty First Downs | 1 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 3/12 (25%) | 2/10 (20%) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0/0 | 1/1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 4 (41 yds) | 2 (13 yds) |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 4 for 47 yds | 2 for 20 yds |
| Red Zone (TD-FG-Att) | 0-1-1 | 1-2-4 |
| Total Drives | 10 | 9 |
| Avg Yards Per Drive | 12.1 | 34.1 |
| Avg Points Per Drive | 0.3 | 1.8 |
| Time of Possession | 26:30 | 33:30 |
Special Teams
Kicking
| Kicker | Team | FGM/FGA | Long | XPM/XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard | MIN | 3/3 | 43 | 1/1 | 10 |
| Brandon McManus | GB | 1/1 | 24 | 0/0 | 3 |
Punting
| Punter | Team | Punts | Yards | Avg | Long | TB | In 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Whelan | GB | 8 | 431 | 53.9 | 68 | 1 | 5 |
| Ryan Wright | MIN | 4 | 196 | 49.0 | 55 | 0 | 2 |
Whelan’s performance stood out as one of Green Bay’s few bright spots. Eight punts, 53.9-yard average, five inside the 20. Not much else to say for a team that punted on 8 of 10 possessions.
Returns
| Returner | Team | KR | KR Yds | KR Avg | PR | PR Yds | PR Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakobie Keeney-James | GB | 2 | 47 | 23.5 | — | — | — |
| Emanuel Wilson | GB | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | — | — | — |
| Tai Felton | MIN | 1 | 29 | 29.0 | — | — | — |
| Jeshaun Jones | MIN | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 2.5 |
Top PFF Grades
| Player | Team | Pos | Grade | Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | WR | 88.9 | 51 |
| Dallas Turner | MIN | ED | 88.4 | 37 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | MIN | ED | 87.5 | 38 |
| Ben Yurosek (R) | MIN | TE | 79.2 | 26 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | MIN | LB | 78.8 | 12 |
| Isaiah McDuffie | GB | LB | 78.4 | 26 |
| Jonathan Allen | MIN | DI | 77.9 | 27 |
| Jordan Mason | MIN | HB | 72.0 | 27 |
| Anthony Belton (R) | GB | G | 71.0 | 51 |
| Jacob Monk | GB | G | 70.5 | 51 |
(R) = Rookie
Injuries
Green Bay: Bo Melton left with a knee injury in the second quarter while covering a punt. Javon Bullard exited in the fourth quarter with a knee issue. LaFleur said he expected Bullard to be healthy in time for the postseason. Among the inactive list: Jordan Love (concussion), Malik Willis (shoulder), Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs.
Minnesota: McCarthy exited in the third quarter with the hand injury. Tight end Josh Oliver hurt his ankle in the second quarter after a reception and did not return. Aaron Jones (hip) and T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) were among five starters ruled out before kickoff.
Ham, Smith and the Weight of a Final Home Game
The Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings box score tells one story. What happened between the whistles on Sunday told another.
C.J. Ham, the two-time Pro Bowl fullback who spent all ten of his NFL seasons playing for his home-state team, received standing ovations throughout the afternoon. He scored what may prove to be his final touchdown as a Viking — a 1-yard plunge late in the second quarter — before heading into free agency. Jefferson, asked about him afterward, did not hesitate: “There’s not too many people in this league like him, and have the love and the hard-work attitude as C.J.”
Harrison Smith, 14 seasons into a career spent entirely in Minneapolis, was honored multiple times by a crowd of 66,606 that understood what it was watching. He is under contract for 2026 but had not made a decision on whether to continue. “I was kind of joking before the game, ‘I feel like I’m at my funeral. I don’t really have a choice anymore with what’s going on here,'” Smith said. “So we’ll see.”
Green Bay closed the regular season 9-7-1, carrying a four-game losing streak and a roster full of rested starters into the NFC playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Tune spoke for the room when the locker door opened: “Just move past this one and get our minds ready for the playoffs.” Minnesota finished 9-8, out of the postseason picture, but won five straight to end the year with something resembling momentum. For a team that had been eliminated three weeks prior, that counted for something.
Final: Minnesota Vikings 16, Green Bay Packers 3 | NFL Week 18 | January 4, 2026 | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
