Saturday Night Football Part 2 open thread: Vikings at Packers

The nightcap of the NFL’s special Saturday Holiday Weekend Spectacular must have looked really good on paper a few months ago. An NFC North showdown between two playoff-level teams: The Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers!

But things went off the rails for the Packers as soon as Aaron Rodgers’ shoulder hit the turf back in Minnesota. Green Bay went 3-5 without their trusted leader, and their chance at revenge this week was thwarted last week in Carolina. Rodgers attempted an unlikely comeback for the Packers, but a loss to the Panthers combined with a Week 15 win from the Falcons eliminated Green Bay from the playoffs.

Now Rodgers is back on IR and the Packers have nothing to play for. Maybe they’ll still be seeking revenge on Anthony Barr for the hit that ruined their season (one they saltily claim was illegal—it wasn’t), but even if they were to somehow come out on top, it can’t hurt the Vikings all that much, who clinched the division last week.

But it’s still fun to watch NFC North teams beat up on each other, so join us. Your uncle is still talking politics, isn’t he? Your kids are hopefully in bed by now, with sugarplums dancing in their head (they googled what sugarplums were earlier in the day). So sit back, enjoy some hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps and watch some black-and-blue division football.

How to watch Vikings (11-3) at Packers (7-7)

Date/Time: Saturday, December 23, 2017—8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lambeau Field—Green Bay, WI
TV Channels: NBC, Amazon Prime
Online steaming: NBCSports
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
SB Nation Coverage: Daily Norseman (Vikings) — Acme Packing Company (Packers)