6 biggest takeaways from the Vikings loss vs. Packers in Week 17

The playoff picture looks much different now

Now, it seems like Minnesota will be the third seed in the NFC and likely have a Wild Card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings already beat the Giants in Minnesota this season, making that situation feel pretty good.

On the other hand, if the Green Bay Packers can defeat the Detroit Lions in Week 18, they will leapfrog into the seventh seed and be on a collision course to visit the surging San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.

Losing to the Packers will always sting a little extra, and it feels even worse with all the trash talk and everything on the line leading up to this particular border battle. But it could have been a lot worse.

As I always say in these pieces, it’s awesome that Kevin O’Connell and this first-year offense and defense are going to the playoffs in a transition year. It would have been nice to see more consistency and polish, but that will come with time. Enjoy this season for what it is, a gift.