NFL schedule makers probably thought they had a drama-filled hit on their hands when they set up the Vikings and Packers to play in Week 18 this season.
Instead, the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago and Green Bay was locked into its usual No. 7 seed going into Sunday.
It gave the proceedings the feeling of a preseason game more than a showdown between division rivals. The CBS broadcast team of Spero Dedes (play-by-play) and Adam Archuleta (analyst) treated it as such, seemingly talking as much about the subplots heading into the offseason as much as the action itself.
Two of the subplots are of keen interest to Vikings fans, which Patrick Reusse and I talked about as well on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast: the futures of quarterback J.J. McCarthy and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Let’s dive in at the start of today’s 10 things to know:
- Flores was a big story line during the broadcast, with the crew returning to him multiple times. It was an obvious angle given Flores’ status as a head coach candidate (on an expiring contract), but it did catch my ear to hear him talked about so frequently.
- Sunday was a very good day for Flores. His Vikings defense came within one second and a meaningless Packers field goal from shutting out another opponent. And reports started circulating that he could be a prime candidate to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach if Tom Brady gets his way.
- How would Flores, whose first head coaching opportunity in Miami ended with him going 24-25 in three seasons — not to mention a subsequent lawsuit against the NFL and criticism from former QB Tua Tagovailoa — fare with a second chance? Here was Archuleta during the second quarter Sunday: “You’ve got to remember: He learned one way. He learned the Patriot Way. Quite honestly, that hasn’t worked for a lot of coaches who left that organization. ... A lot of defensive-minded coaches really don’t have a great understanding on how to handle, develop and nurture the quarterback position. ... I do think that’s one place he’s really learned under Kevin O’Connell. I can’t wait to see what he does if and when he becomes the head coach of another football team.”
- Dedes chimed in after that with a humorous anecdote from conversations with Packers coach Matt LaFleur in the week leading up to the game. “Matt LaFleur told us to give [Flores] as much pub as you can. I want Brian Flores out of my division. I don’t want to face his defenses two times a year.”
- McCarthy’s day was a microcosm of his season. He made some very good throws. He made some questionable decisions. He showed both competitive spirit and immaturity during a scramble-and-taunt on the Vikings’ first drive. And he left early because of an injury.
- Where does that leave the Vikings going into 2026? In a very uncertain place, which was acknowledged on the broadcast by Archuleta when Dedes asked him whether McCarthy is the Vikings’ franchise QB. “I think it’s too early to tell,” he said, the maddening but honest conclusion most of us have reached two full seasons after McCarthy was drafted. “I think you have to remember that even though he has the first-round pedigree, it does take time. Not every quarterback develops at the same rate. ... There is a lot that McCarthy has to do to continue to develop, but I don’t the story has been written on him yet.”
- For more analysis on the Vikings’ season, their future at QB, what McCarthy needs to work on and the sweet moments Sunday for Harrison Smith and C.J. Ham, listen to Tuesday’s podcast featuring Star Tribune Vikings writer Andrew Krammer.
- Rudy Gobert has been dominant lately, and that continued as the Timberwolves routed the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
- Wisconsin-River Falls went nearly two decades without a winning season. Now it is the Division III national champion.
- It’s a big couple of days for Gophers basketball. The women’s team faces Michigan on Jan. 5, while the men’s team has Iowa on Jan. 6.
