Five Reasons the Vikings Don't Want To See the Packers in the Playoffs

The Minnesota Vikings are having a great year and look poised to win the NFC North and wrap up a first round bye as the No. 2 seed.  

In getting to this point, we all remember the two games between Green Bay and Minnesota this year:

• Oct. 5 - Green Bay @ Minnesota:  Minnesota won 30-23
• Nov. 1 - Minnesota @ Green Bay:  Minnesota won 38-26

But these two games both happened in the first half of the season, and things have undoubtedly changed since then.  

Let's examine why the Vikings definitely do not want to see the Packers in the playoffs:

5. Road and Dome, Right Up the Packers' Alley

The Metrodome is great for Favre, but I'd say it is equally good if not better for the Packers.  

They are not a cold-weather team; they are a passing team led by an elite QB in Aaron Rodgers with explosive receivers who would be far better on turf.  

On the defensive side, the linebackers fly around the field, which isn't easy in snow.

And the Packers are not a bad road team by any stretch, having gone 4-2 so far this year.  

But maybe the best way to win road playoff games is to win the turnover battle, and no one does it better than the Packers with a league leading plus-18 turnover differential.

4. The Packers' Defense Is Starting To Dominate

In the Packers' four losses this year, they gave up 30-plus points in all of them.  

But the defense has finally started to gel and dominate now that they have fully picked up the 3-4 under Capers.  

Woodson has come on strong and is probably the leader for Defensive Player of the Year, while Clay Matthews III is all over the place now with four sacks in the last three games and has thrown his name as a top candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year.  

The defense has only given up 14.2 ppg over the last five games, while giving up 21.5 ppg over the first eight.  

The Vikings won't be shut out in a third matchup, but my guess is Favre will be on his back a little bit more and won't be able to pick them apart again.

3. Favre's Late-Season Troubles

The numbers are very well-documented over the last five years, with all of his stats taking a dramatic fall over the final five games of the year.  

So far, the first two of the last five have followed suit, throwing 3 TDs to 3 INTs—the same amount of INTs he threw the first 11 games.  

And don't forget about some of the recent playoff disasters for Favre.

In 2004 against those Vikings...one TD vs. 4 INTs, in a home loss.  

In the 2007 NFC Championship game, two TDs and two INTs, with the most costly INT in OT, again at home.

2. Packers' Offensive Line Has Solidified

I don't think it's stretching it to say the biggest difference between the teams in the first two games was the defensive line of the Vikings—especially Allen, completely owning the Packers' offensive line.  

But the Packers' line was in a state of complete weekly flux in the first half of the season, never having any cohesion, which is so important to good O-line play.  

Furthermore, neither of the starting tackles, Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, started those games.  

Now they have been relatively injury-free and have given up less than two sacks a game the last four games.  

In addition, the Packers' play calling has started to support quick throws, and Rodgers has made a more concerted effort of throwing the ball away when necessary. No eight-sack game the third time.

1. 2005 Playoffs Flipped —Third Time's the Charm

We all remember how the Packers swept the Vikings during the 2004 regular season, beating them 34-31 both games.  

Then, in the first round of the playoffs, the Vikings exacted revenge with a 31-17 victory...on the road.

Beating the same team three times is extremely difficult, and the Packers would LOVE to flip the script in 2010 playoffs.

Let's remember, though, that the likelihood of this matchup happening in the playoffs isn't fantastic.  

Assuming the Packers will be the No. 5 seed and the Vikings the No. 2, then for it to happen in the divisional round would require the No. 6 seed to beat the No. 3.  

For it to happen in the NFC championship game would require the Packers to beat the No. 4 seed, followed by beating the the No. 1 seed Saints on the road.  

What game could possibly be more anticipated and over-hyped than Favre and the Vikings vs. the Packers with the Super Bowl on the line?  

We can only hope!