The Minnesota Vikings played exceedingly poorly against the Chicago Bears in Week 11, but still found a way to take a late lead in the contest, only to watch it slip away via a field goal as time expired.
That loss dropped Minnesota to 4-6 and placed the team firmly in last place in the NFC North Division. The Vikings now head to Lambeau Field for a divisional showdown with the Green Bay Packers in what is essentially a must-win if they hope to keep their playoff chances viable in a conference race that is running further and further ahead of them with each passing week.
A key for Minnesota is going to be the play of second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. But assuming he continues struggling as he has for most of his five starts in 2025, the responsibility to keep the Vikings in the game is going to fall on Brian Flores and his defense. Looking at the contest through that lens, Minnesota caught something of a significant break via the injury report on Monday, November 17.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs left his team’s game against the New York Giants on Sunday with a knee injury. And while he isn’t going to need surgery, there’s a reasonable chance Jacobs will miss the contest against Minnesota next weekend.
“Packers standout RB Josh Jacobs’ knee is structurally sound and no surgery is needed, per me and Tom Pelissero,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported via social media on Monday. “He’s considered day-to-day, but could miss the game against the Vikings.”
Loss of Josh Jacobs Would Hurt Packers Offense Significantly Against Vikings
GettyRunning back Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay’s offense has also struggled this season, particularly of late. The Packers have mustered fewer than 16 points per game on average over their last three contests, two of which were losses to Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles. Green Bay snuck past the New York Giants in Week 11 to move to 6-3-1 on the season.
The Packers are a below-average rushing team in the NFL this year, ranking 19th in the category with 113.5 ground yards per game. Losing Jacobs only exacerbates that deficiency.
He has tallied 648 rushing yards and 11 TDs, though not efficiently at just 3.8 yards per carry thus far in 2025. Jacobs has also caught 28 passes for 237 receiving yards.
Minnesota is allowing 127 rushing yards to opposing offenses in 2025, which is well below the league average. Thus, if Jacobs misses the contest, that should bode well for the Vikings mitigating one of their defensive weaknesses.
Packers Missing Key Players in Pass Game Against Vikings
GettyTight end Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay is also without tight end Tucker Kraft, who is done for the season with an ACL tear. The combination of his absence, along with the potential absence of Jacobs, puts the Packers at an extreme skill-position disadvantage compared to how the offense looked when the season began.
Wide receiver Jayden Reed is also going to miss the game against the Vikings, though he could return as early as Week 13.
Minnesota is averaging just 21 points per contest since McCarthy returned to the starting lineup three weeks ago, and the offense has failed to eclipse 20 points in each of its past two consecutive losses. The Vikings will need their quarterback to play better if they hope to travel to Lambeau and win in mid-November, but Minnesota must also take advantage of the several key injuries to the Packers’ offense if the team wants to keep its postseason hopes viable following Week 12.
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