Winners and losers: 5 takeaways for the Vikings in crucial win over Packers in Week 17

Back in Week 4 at Lambeau Field, the Minnesota Vikings held a 28-0 lead over the Green Bay Packers but had to survive a second-half scare before ultimately pulling out a 31-29 victory.

On Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minnesota's lead never got quite that big, but Kevin O'Connell's crew did hold a 27-10 advantage heading into the fourth quarter, only to once again let the Packers back in it before ultimately walking away with another two-point victory, this time by a score of 27-25.

With the win, the Vikings upped their winning streak to nine and improved to 14-2, thus setting up a winner-take-all showdown with the Detroit Lions in Week 18 for both the NFC North crown and the No. 1 seed in the conference, a game we now know will take place in prime time on Sunday Night Football.

The Lions, of course, still have their Week 17 matchup to play on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, but the outcome there doesn't mean a thing. Well, maybe it does to fantasy football managers playing in championship games this week, but not as far as official standings or seeding is concerned.

Even if Detroit loses to San Francisco, Minnesota would still need to win next week to clinch the division and the top seed. The loser of the Vikings-Lions battle is guaranteed the No. 5 slot in the NFC.

But let's not look too far ahead to that highly anticipated matchup. For now, let's look at some winners and losers for the Vikings in their crucial Week 17 win over the rival Packers.

Winner: Sam Darnold

As if the winners' portion of the list could begin anywhere else.

Sam Darnold has already given the Vikings' front office a lot to think about as it pertains to their quarterback situation in 2025 and beyond, and he only made their job more challenging on Sunday with yet another exhilarating performance, completing 33 of 43 passes for a career-high 377 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

Now with a career-best 35 touchdowns on the season, Darnold has the fourth-most TD passes of any quarterback in history in his first season with a new team, trailing only Matthew Stafford (41, 2021), Tom Brady (40, 2020), and Peyton Manning (37, 2012).

Brady and Stafford won the Super Bowl in their respective campaigns, and Darnold could give himself a better shot at doing the same if he performs like he did against Green Bay when Minnesota travels to Detroit next week.

Winner: Jalen Nailor

In lieu of taking yet another easy route by highlighting Justin Jefferson, who led all receivers from both teams with eight catches and 92 yards, a few of which resulted in crucial first downs, we'll instead put our focus on Jalen Nailor.

Somewhat lost in the shuffle over the past couple of months, Nailor hadn't recorded multiple receptions in a game since the Vikings' Week 8 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams and hadn't caught a touchdown pass since Minnesota's overtime win against the Chicago Bears in Week 12.

Against the Packers, however, the third-year speedster was given plenty of attention, notching a career-high five receptions for a season-best 81 yards. He was also the recipient of Darnold's first touchdown pass, capping off a nine-play, 77-yard drive with a 31-yard score that gave the Vikings a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.

With Minnesota having several elite pass-catchers, Nailor isn't always needed, but O'Connell and Darnold have to feel great about what they saw from him on Sunday.

Winner: Cam Akers

While Cam Akers didn't put up huge numbers, rushing for just 18 yards on six carries and adding another 15 on two receptions, the fifth-year back undoubtedly made a difference for the Vikings in this victory.

Not only did the first of his two catches give Minnesota its final touchdown of the day, but the second sealed the win.

With the Vikings clinging to a two-point lead and facing a critical 3rd & 2 with just under two minutes left on the clock, Darnold rolled to his right on the snap and tossed a pass toward Akers, who was able to haul it in despite falling backward. The six-yard gain got the Vikes a first down, and they ran out the clock from there.

Loser: The Vikings' fourth-quarter defense

The prevent defense remains a mystery to some, as many believe it makes absolutely zero sense to change things up when the game plan used before the prevent goes into effect has clearly been working.

For the better part of three quarters on Sunday, the Minnesota defense had stifled Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, and the entire Packers' offensive attack, which hasn't been an easy thing to do for anyone in recent weeks.

But just like it went down in Week 4, the Vikings backed off once they built up their big lead, and it nearly cost them a victory. They lucked out this time, but that might not be the case against the Lions in Week 18 or against any of the teams they could face in the postseason, a list that obviously includes these same Packers.

Loser: Will Reichard

Is it time for the Vikings to start worrying about Will Reichard?

After a blistering start to his first professional season, the rookie kicker hasn't quite looked like himself since returning from injured reserve after missing the first two kicks of his career against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9.

With a pair of misses against the Packers, Reichard has now connected on just seven of his last 12 field-goal attempts, including those two misses against the Colts. He actually had a third miss against Green Bay on Sunday but was given another opportunity due to a Packers penalty, which he hit from 50 yards.

Postseason battles often come down to crucial kicks, and the Vikings need to be able to rely on Reichard to come through.