Green Bay Packers

Six Points: Vikings vs. Packers

Published Dec. 31, 2015 8:00 a.m. ET

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The Green Bay Packers (10-5) and Minnesota Vikings (10-5) will meet at Lambeau Field this weekend for a Sunday night showdown to decide the winner of the NFC North. Although they won the previous matchup at TCF Bank Stadium in Week 11, the Packers are coming off a crushing loss to the Arizona Cardinals and the Vikings just picked up a momentous victory over the New York Giants.

Will the season finale be a home-field celebration for Green Bay, or will it be a division-title robbery on the road for Minnesota?

Here are three keys to the game for both the Vikings and the Packers.

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1. Ride Adrian Peterson to victory

The Vikings got to where they are today by riding their All-Pro running back, so they should continue to do just that in the season finale. Adrian Peterson is the only running back in the NFL with over 300 carries this year, and he has turned those touches into a league-leading 1,418 yards and 10 touchdowns. The last time the Vikings were playoff-bound and playing the Packers in Week 17 (Dec. 30, 2012), Peterson rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 34 carries.

2. Attack Green Bay's hobbled O-line

The Packers have injuries all across their offensive line. Backup Don Barclay started last week's game in place of David Bakhtiari at left tackle, and Green Bay's three remaining reserve linemen -- J.C. Tretter, Josh Walker and Lane Taylor -- all ended up in the game before it was over. As a result, the Packers gave up nine sacks and scored only eight points against the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings already have Everson Griffen and Anthony Barr as vaunted members of the front seven, but Brian Robison, Tom Johnson and Danielle Hunter are also emerging as dangerous disruptors. It'll be tough for Green Bay to account for them all.

3. Score a defensive touchdown

The Vikings' defensive dominance helped them put up nearly 50 points against the New York Giants last week. They intercepted three passes, and safety Harrison Smith returned one of them 35 yards for a touchdown. Meanwhile, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbled three times against the Cardinals, and two of them were returned for touchdowns. The All-Pro passer also tossed an uncharacteristic pick in the red zone. The Vikings must take full advantage of their opportunities and return one of their takeaways for a score on Sunday night.

1. Challenge Eddie Lacy to carry the team

The only player that showed up for the Packers on offense last week was Eddie Lacy. Although he received just 12 handoffs, the third-year running back averaged five yards per carry against a tough Cardinals defense. He also scored Green Bay's only touchdown on a 28-yard catch and run. Although Lacy has been up-and-down all season, the team can't trust backup James Starks -- who has fumbled four times in the past four games and lost one in each of the past two -- or any of the wide receivers to be a difference-maker against the Vikings. Lacy should be motivated by the opportunity to outshine Adrian Peterson in a divisional matchup.

2. Get Randall Cobb into the end zone

The Packers gave Randall Cobb a $40 million contract extension last offseason. Although he leads the team in receptions (73) and yardage (792), the Packers must make him into even more of a producer. They've tried a lot -- including handoffs -- to get the ball in his hands, but the efforts haven't been enough. Cobb hasn't scored a touchdown since Green Bay's first game against the Vikings in Week 11, so maybe the memories from that 30-13 win will spark some magic. He needs to be a legitimate scoring threat like he was against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, when he found the end zone three times.

3. Drop Morgan Burnett into the box

In order to defend Adrian Peterson, the Packers will have to dedicate extra defenders to stopping the run. Strong safety Morgan Burnett is likely to draw this assignment on Sunday, and there's reason to believe he'll answer the call. He's coming off a 10-tackle performance against the Cardinals (season high), and he has recorded a stop behind the line of scrimmage in three of the past four weeks. So long as free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is able to patrol the deep secondary and prevent Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from beating them over the top, the Packers should feel comfortable using Burnett like an extra linebacker.