The nail in the 2016 Vikings season was hammered into the coffin on Saturday afternoon, in their 38-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
With the loss Minnesota is eliminated from playoff contention despite starting the year a 5-0. They’re the sixth team since 1990 to miss the postseason after starting with five straight wins – and the Vikings have now done it twice.
The other instance was in 2003 when this happened:
What happened Saturday
Early on the Packers jumped out to a 21-6 lead but the Vikings were able to make it a one-possession game with a 71-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to Adam Thielen.
As the first half was winding down the Vikings were inside Packer territory, threatening to get within a point or two with a touchdown. But Clay Matthews forced a fumble, which eventually led to a Packers touchdown. Instead of being tied, or within a couple points, the Vikings found themselves down 28-13 heading into halftime.
The Packers added 10 more points in the fourth quarter, while Stefon Diggs and Thielen caught touchdowns late. But it wasn’t enough.
It was the first time the Vikings allowed 30-plus points in back-to-back games in the Mike Zimmer era. It was also the first time this year Minnesota allowed a quarterback to throw for 300 yards.
Perhaps the only positive takeaway from the day was Thielen, who had 12 receptions for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns.
With the loss the Vikings are 7-8 and will close out the season next week at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Chicago Bears.
