The Vikings have obliterated even the most optimistic of external predictions for this transitional season, taking a sparkling 13-2 record into their matchup against the Green Bay Packers that has made O’Connell the current favorite for the NFL Coach of the Year award.

“It’s a credit to who he is as a person, as a coach and as a leader,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to play under him.”

The Vikings can not only win the NFC North for a second time in three seasons, but get the No. 1 seed with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC tournament if they beat both the Packers at home on Sunday and the Detroit Lions on the road next week.

Don’t expect the Vikings to ponder that possibility, though, as tantalizing as it would be.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell walks down the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

“It can be a very tired cliche to talk about going 1-0 until you’ve systematically built your entire operation daily of just trying to do that every single day,” O’Connell said after Minnesota’s eighth consecutive victory. “These guys, it’s not a cliche at that point. It becomes part of your football foundation and the makeup of your locker room, of your leadership, your coaching staff.”

The Packers could be forgiven for being less than impressed by the impact O’Connell has made, for a reason beyond simply him coaching their biggest rival. Green Bay enjoyed even better out-of-the-gate success under coach Matt LaFleur, who was hired in 2019 and won 13 regular-season games in each of his first three years.

Though they’re in third place at 11-4, two games behind the Lions and the Vikings, the Packers too have secured a place in the playoffs even if they can’t win their loaded division. They’ll likely be the visiting team as long as they’re alive this postseason.

“I think that just all of us going against one another, it’s forced you to be at your best every week,” LaFleur said. “You can’t afford a slip-up, just to keep up with everybody.”

The road team has won each of the past three matchups in this series. The Packers are 0-4 against the teams with the top three records in the NFC: Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia.

“We’ve got to be able to go win these games against the really good teams in the league and set ourselves up for the situation we’ll be in for the playoffs,” quarterback Jordan Love said.

The running men

Aaron Jones rushed for 93 yards on 22 carries for Minnesota in a 31-29 victory at Green Bay on Sept. 29. Released by the Packers for salary cap relief in favor of their premier free agency addition, the three-plus-years-younger Josh Jacobs, Jones just hit the 1,000-yard mark last week and can’t hide from the significance of facing his former team.

“They respect you because they were on your team or they’ve seen the work that you put in, but you want to gain their respect in another way from playing against them, like, ‘Man, this dude is really as good as I thought he was,'” Jones said.

Jacobs, for his part, is fourth in the NFL entering Week 17 with 1,216 rushing yards for the most by a Packers player in a season since Ryan Grant (1,253) in 2009.

Minimizing their mistakes

The earlier matchup this season featured seven combined turnovers, four by the Packers and three by the Vikings. Both of these teams are among the NFL’s best in the turnover department, with Green Bay at a plus-12 margin and Minnesota at a plus-10. The Packers have allowed a total of three sacks and have committed just two turnovers over their past five games.

Picking up the Pace

The Vikings are eagerly anticipating the return of second-year linebacker Ivan Pace, the sparkplug who has missed four games on injured reserve with a hamstring strain. They’ll be cautious with him and the tricky nature of that injury, but getting Pace back in the middle of the action with fellow linebacker Blake Cashman would be a big boost to the play-calling options for defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

“He flies around. When he blitzes, he’s as impactful as anybody, and when you can really get him and Cash out there at the same time, they both can really play to their strengths,” O’Connell said. “They’re both really good blitzers. Cash is phenomenal in coverage and reading the quarterback, and when you can kind of pair those guys together, run and pass, that’s when we’re at our best.”

Kicking correction

Brayden Narveson missed both of his field-goal attempts for Green Bay, from 37 and 49 yards, in the two-point decision at Lambeau Field in Week 4. The Packers released Narveson a couple of weeks later in favor of 11-year veteran Brandon McManus, who has gone 16 of 17 on field-goal tries including game-winners as time expired against Houston and Jacksonville.

Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (13-2)

3:25 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Series record: Packers lead 66-59-3.

Last meeting: Vikings beat Packers 31-29 on Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay.

Last week: Packers beat Saints 34-0, Vikings beat Seahawks 27-24.

Packers offense: total (4), rush (4), pass (12), scoring (7).

Packers defense: total (6), rush (8), pass (8), scoring (6).

Vikings offense: total (12), rush (16), pass (8), scoring (9).

Vikings defense: total (15), rush (2), pass (30), scoring (3).

Turnover differential: Packers plus-12, Vikings plus-10.

Key injuries

Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee) has missed five straight games. … Packers S Javon Bullard (ankle) has missed two consecutive games. … Packers LB Quay Walker (ankle) and S Evan Williams (quadriceps) didn’t play against the Saints on Monday night and were listed as non-participants on Wednesday’s estimated injury report in lieu of a formal practice. … Packers WR Christian Walker (knee) exited the game on Monday night, but coach Matt LaFleur said the initial diagnosis of a bruise was promising for his availability this week.

Vikings LB Ivan Pace (hamstring) has returned to practice after a four-game absence. … Vikings S Harrison Smith (foot) missed the previous game and was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report in lieu of a formal practice, but coach Kevin O’Connell sounded optimistic about his availability this week. … Vikings backup DL Jalen Redmond (concussion) was held out against the Seahawks last week. He was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report.