Jordan Love and Aaron Jones put on party hats and popped a sparkling drink in the apex of an all-night celebration for the Green Bay Packers - at Minnesota's expense.
Love threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score to put the Packers in control of a spot in the playoffs with a 33-10 victory Sunday after the Vikings benched another turnover-prone quarterback.
Jones rushed for 120 yards and Jayden Reed had two touchdown catches for the Packers (8-8), who can get the NFC's last wild-card spot by beating Chicago at home next week. Seattle's loss earlier in the day allowed them to climb above the cut.
Love went 24 for 33 for 256 yards in what was surely the finest game of his first year as the starter in the post-Aaron Rodgers era.
The Vikings (7-9) watched an interception and a fumble by Jaren Hall in the first half were converted into touchdowns by the Packers. Nick Mullens took over for Hall for the second half, the fifth time the Vikings have switched quarterbacks since Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter of a 24-10 win at Green Bay on Oct. 29.
Detroit clinched the NFC North by beating Minnesota here last week, marking just the second time in 13 seasons the division wasn't won by either the Packers or the Vikings, but a prime-time game between these border-state rivals always generates plenty of energy in the stadium.
Hall, who was the first reliever for Cousins two months ago only to be forced out of his first start with a concussion, hardly had any time to throw. Green Bay's defense that was shredded over the last three games by the Giants, Buccaneers and Panthers - and now missing starting cornerbacks Jaire Alexander ( suspension ) and Eric Stokes ( hamstring ) - took full advantage of the rookie from BYU.
Hall’s off-target throw in the first quarter glanced off the hands of Johnny Mundt - in an elevated role after the season-ending knee injury to Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson - and in the air to Corey Ballentine for an interception. Love’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Reed came two plays later.
The Packers host Chicago next Sunday.
