Viking defense stifles Packers, achieving rare historic feat. See how they dominated with a near-historic pass defense performance.
The Minnesota Vikings (9-8) capped a roller coaster of a season on Sunday. They defeated the Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) to win their fifth consecutive game and get over .500 for the first time since a Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns, 21-17.
A stretch that included a four-game losing streak to go from a 4-4 record to 4-8 was immediately followed by a five-game winning streak to conclude a surprising winning season. The defense was the key to that run.
In three consecutive games, the Vikings defense stifled opposition. Against the New York Giants, quarterback Jaxson Dart was held to 33 passing yards. A week prior the Vikings defense helped the team win the turnover battle over the Detroit Lions, 6-0. Albeit what the Vikings did Sunday may have been the most dominant performance of them all.
Vikings Communications posted what the team was able to do against the Packers passing offense to social media. They shared the following.
"The Vikings held their opponent to -3 net passing yards or fewer in the first half for the second time this season (at New York Giants in Week 16 and vs. Green Bay in Week 18). They are the only team to achieve this feat twice in a season since the New York Jets did so twice in 2023.
It marks the first time in team history since at least 2000."
It was an impressive day for the Vikings pass rush to close an impressive season. Vikings PR added another impressive stat for the team.
"The Vikings have recorded multiple sacks in 15 games this season, currently the most in the league in 2025. It is the team's most games with at least 2.0 sacks in a season since 2021."
In the process, star edge rusher Dallas Turner became the top pass rusher among players 22 or younger, with 11 sacks for his season.
The strong defensive performance is a reminder of what the Vikings could be missing next season. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is seeing plenty of buzz from elsewhere as a potential head coaching candidate next season. Undoubtedly, Flores' absence would leave a void for the Vikings that would be difficult to replace.
Despite the uncertainty that faces the organization, the Vikings can take solace in the strong resolve they showed after falling to a 4-8 record and dropping out of the postseason race. They will look to build on the end of season momentum with a strong 2026 offseason.