They almost let it slip away, but after holding on for a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will now end the 2024 regular season with a matchup against the Detroit Lions with the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line.
With Sunday's victory, the Vikings improved their record to 14-2 this year, and Kevin O'Connell became the second Minnesota head coach in franchise history to lead the team to at least 14 wins in a single season, joining Dennis Green in 1998.
After a pair of losses to the Lions and Los Angeles Rams in Weeks 7 and 8, the Vikings have now won nine games in a row, and they look fully capable of defeating just about any other team in the NFL. That will certainly be put to the test next week when Minnesota travels to take on Detroit in the regular-season finale.
Sam Darnold puts together another top-notch performance for Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 win over Green Bay Packers
The play of Sam Darnold in his first year with the Vikings has been one of the top stories in the league this season, and the veteran quarterback added another chapter on Sunday.
In the win over the Packers, Darnold completed 76.7 percent of his passes for 377 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
He finished with a passer rating of 116.1, which is the 13th time this season he's ended a game with a passer rating over 100, and he's now up to 35 touchdown passes this year, which is tied with Kirk Cousins in 2020 for the second-most touchdown passes in a single-season in Vikings history.
Darnold continues to perform at a very high level in 2024, and as every game passes by, he provides Minnesota with more evidence to re-sign him during the upcoming offseason.
But those discussions can wait, as the Vikings and their starting quarterback now have a gigantic road matchup against the Lions next Sunday to prepare for.