The Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings on “Sunday Night Football,” giving the Packers control of their playoff destiny with one week remaining in the regular season.
Green Bay running back Aaron Jones rushed for 120 yards, and quarterback Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns in a 33-10 victory.
Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after a 33-10 victory against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
If the Packers can defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 18, they will get the NFC’s final wild-card spot.
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While Jones was key in the massive victory for Green Bay, the seventh-year running back also played a role in deescalating a postgame altercation between the two teams.
The NBC broadcast caught Jones taking a shot to the face as Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. and an inactive Packers’ player exchanged words.
As a shove occurred between the two players, Jones caught a stray to the face, though it’s unclear who made contact with Jones. Jones then pushed Booth away from the skirmish.
“We were walking out to shake hands, and I see one of our players having an interaction with a Vikings player, who just finished playing, and they get in each other’s face and going at it, and start shoving, so I just kind of tried to deescalate, move them to the sideline, and we were good after that,” Jones said in his postgame interview with NBC’s Melissa Stark, according to the New York Post.
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Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) and Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (23) push each other after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
Green Bay jumped all over the Vikings in the first half, taking a 23-3 lead into halftime after two first-half turnovers for Minnesota.
The Packers entered the season kicking off a new era after trading four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets.
Love became the quarterback of the future after being drafted by Green Bay in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and sitting behind Rodgers for two seasons.
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Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after a first down during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
On Sunday, Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Love has completed 63.1% of his passes for 3,843 yards, while throwing 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
“He’s playing at an incredibly high level. I’m super happy for him, because he’s put in a ton of work to get to this point,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I really think the sky is the limit for us. He’s just showing a glimpse of what he can ultimately be.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
