The NFL has decided to flex a crucial game that will help determine the winner of the NFC North.
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According to a Dec. 23 press release, the league has moved the Dec. 29 Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings clash to 4:25 p.m. ET. In a corresponding move, the NFL flexed the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles to 1 p.m. ET. Both games will air on Fox.
One possible reason for the flex is what is at stake. The Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday when the Commanders upset the Eagles, so Mike McCarthy's team is just playing for pride. The Eagles can still win the NFC East, but they are behind two other teams in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed.
Over in Minnesota, however, both teams have a considerable amount at stake. The Packers are 10-4 and two games behind the Vikings and Lions, so the NFC North crown is out of reach.
However, the Packers could try to get a higher seed in the playoff picture. They would just need to win the rest of their games while the Vikings lose the rest of theirs.
The Vikings, for comparison, still have a chance to win the NFC North. They just need to defeat the Packers in the crucial Week 17 game and then defeat the Lions in Week 18. Achieving this would move the Vikings to 15-2, giving them the best record in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Week 17 game will mark the second time that the NFC North teams have met this season. The first time was in Week 4.
Jordan Love returned to the lineup after missing two games with an MCL sprain and delivered a mixed performance. He threw for a career-best 389 yards and he tossed four touchdowns. However, he also threw three interceptions.
The Vikings built up a 28-0 lead on the foundation of three Sam Darnold touchdown passes and multiple Packers miscues, but they only managed three points in the second half. Love led a late comeback that ultimately fell short as the Vikings won 31-29.
