1. Packers too physical for same old Cook runs up the middle

The Packers had just spanked the Vikings 41-17 at Lambeau Field to keep their playoff hopes alive when quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, "This, I feel, is the first time this year we've played complementary football in all three phases." Green Bay's offense opened with a three-and-out that was followed by a blocked punt that gave the Vikings first-and-goal at the 1. No problem. In a role reversal of Week 1, it was the Packers who would physically dominate the line of scrimmage on this day. After an incompletion, coach Kevin O'Connell leaned on a short-yardage call that just isn't working: Dalvin Cook up the middle. Cook was stopped for no gain and a 1-yard loss en route to a deflating field goal. "Even if it had been 7-0 there, I felt we were going to win the game the whole time," Rodgers said. "I've had this feeling [since the Packers were 4-8], that there's some destiny involved in this run."

2. Packers right a wrong and get Jones the ball more

Rodgers was 5-for-10 for only 37 yards when Aaron Jones took a toss sweep left for 31 yards on third-and-1 from the Packers' 49-yard line. It was Jones' 10th touch of the game and led to the Packers taking a 24-3 lead late in the second quarter. It gave Jones 90 yards rushing on nine carries. Unlike Week 1, when Jones got only five carries and eight touches in the 23-7 loss to the Vikings, Packers coach Matt LaFleur actually remembered this time just how important his powerful ground game is. The Packers ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. With 111 yards on 14 carries, Jones became the first player this year to top 100 yards rushing against the Vikings. The 31-yarder came with two tight ends to that side. Outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith got caught inside, cornerback Patrick Peterson was kicked outside and tight end Josiah Deguara blocked safety Josh Metellus.

3. Lazard, Bakhtiari help Rodgers be Rodgers

Rodgers certainly has had much better individual performances against the Vikings. He completed only 15 of 24 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown and a 95.7 passer rating. But he was sacked only once, unlike Week 1 when he was dropped four times while playing without both tackles, including All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari returned to the lineup and gives Rodgers and the offense a strong sense of security going into next Sunday's win-and-they're-in game against the Lions at Lambeau Field. Another key player Rodgers didn't have in Week 1 was receiver Allen Lazard. Lazard caught five passes for 59 yards. Late in the first quarter, it was Lazard who helped Rodgers get the offense on track. Lazard had a 14-yard catch on third-and-10 and a 9-yard catch on third-and-6 as the Packers put together a field-goal drive to make it 17-3.

4. Can this Vikings defense win in the playoffs? That depends

People like to ask, "Can this Vikings defense win in the playoffs?" Answer: It depends. If the turnover differential is minus-4 and the defense has no takeaways — as was the case at Green Bay — then, no, this defense won't go into Philly or San Francisco and stand toe to toe with those teams. The Vikings didn't give up 400 yards of offense this time, but it still wasn't good enough. They couldn't stop the run and allowed the Packers to convert seven of 12 third downs. There also was a sloppy, embarrassing series in which everyone in the building and watching on TV knew the Vikings had only 10 men on the field. It was third-and-10. The Vikings didn't call timeout and gave up an 11-yard completion. Later, Rodgers caught the Vikings with at least 12 defenders on the field. That gave Green Bay a first down in the red zone en route to a TD and a 34-3 lead.

5. Better root for the Lions next week

Rodgers was asked how he essentially predicted this playoff push when everyone else had written the Packers off at 4-8. "I still believe in myself," he said. "It's strange but when we were sitting at 3-6 and looking at the next three … I just felt like if we got one of those, we could win the last five and 9-8 was going to get in. … The last two at home I felt would be winnable even though Minnesota has had a really good season. Just dome teams in the winter and how we've played over the years in December and January. Our record is pretty damn good with me starting." If the Packers beat the Lions, they win the No. 7 seed and play at the No. 2 seed, which, for now, is San Francisco. It could be the Vikings if they beat the Bears and the 49ers lose to the Cardinals. Vikings fans should be rooting for a Lions win because Rodgers sounds way too confident. "I believe strongly in the force of the mind," he said. "When you start to believe something strongly, some miraculous things can happen."

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, video of news conferences and other material.