Analysis: Vikings wrap up key subplots in season finale, but leave a big cliffhanger

With 3:32 left and the Vikings comfortably leading the Packers on Sunday, Jan. 4, Green Bay lined up for a second-and-7 from its own 42. Coach Kevin O’Connell walked over to an official to signal timeout. Whistles blew, and referee John Hussey announced, “Timeout Minnesota; first charged timeout, to honor Harrison Smith.”

O’Connell had told officials before the game he wanted to secure a curtain call for the six-time Pro Bowl safety, who will consider retirement after his 14th season with the Vikings.

“They didn’t like that I let the play clock run down as far as I did” before calling timeout, O’Connell deadpanned.

It was one of the more poignant moments on an afternoon the Vikings had approached with at least three aims: Beat the Packers to get to 9-8, arrange sendoffs for Smith and 10th-year fullback C.J. Ham, and leave with some certitude about J.J. McCarthy’s progress at the end of a bumpy first season.

They accomplished the first two items on that list, with only a last-second Brandon McManus field goal keeping the Vikings from shutting out an opponent for the second time in a month. A 16-3 victory over a Packers team resting starters allowed the Vikings to get Justin Jefferson over the 1,000-yard mark and to stage the receptions for Smith and Ham, who took the field as the Vikings’ only captain for the coin toss before scoring their lone touchdown and blowing kisses to fans as the video board spotlighted him at the two-minute warning.

It played out like the final installment of a movie franchise focused on resolving character arcs, and beating even a disengaged version of their biggest rival was bound to be well-received by Vikings fans. The McCarthy question was left without a complete answer, after the quarterback took himself out of the game early in the third quarter when the hairline fracture in his right hand left him concerned he would lose his grip on the ball like he did against the Giants on Dec. 21.

And so the Vikings will head into the offseason at 9-8, with five consecutive victories adding a measure of dignity to a season that fell short of their lofty hopes and retirements on the horizon for a team that tried to pair a veteran roster with a youthful quarterback. They will watch the Packers (9-7-1) advance to the playoffs for a game against NFC North champion Chicago next weekend, before addressing a roster with salary cap issues and questions at important spots.

“It’s going to sting not being in the tournament, for not only our team, but our fan base, our ownership,” O’Connell said. “But I look at the fact that our team was able to aim and focus through a time where, quite honestly, maybe some other teams wouldn’t, I think it says a lot about our group. I think it says a lot about our coaching staff, but most importantly, our players and what they built within their locker room. And to finish with nine wins from where we’re at, just really proud of our team. Today is the starting point.”

The team wanted to make sure that it was a memorable game for Smith and Ham, if it ends up being their final one.

The Vikings had planned for Smith and Ham to take the field as captains before the game, until Smith said Ham should get the moment to himself. When the fullback went out for the coin toss alone, he was startled not to see anyone with him.

“That was a surprise. Did anybody plan that?” Ham said, still unsure after the game if it had happened intentionally. When told it was indeed planned, he said: “It was a surprise to me. But I’m sure it looked pretty cool.”

The Vikings took the ball first, and set to work on their checklist, with McCarthy hitting Jefferson three times for 39 yards on the game’s opening drive. On a first-and-10 from the Packers 29, the quarterback scrambled right and leveled linebacker Ty’ron Hopper with a stiff arm.

He earned a 15-yard penalty for taunting cornerback Keisean Nixon, who had pushed him out of bounds. Asked what he said to the cornerback, McCarthy responded, “I’ll leave that one to the lip-readers.”

It put the Vikings in a second-and-20, forcing them to settle for a field goal as McCarthy apologized to teammates for an outburst he promised wouldn’t happen again. But with third-string quarterback Clayton Tune starting for the Packers, a few points were all the Vikings needed.

They held the Packers to 121 yards of offense, as Tune threw for only 34 on six completions while getting sacked four times with defensive coordinator Brian Flores sending consistent pressure. The 18-yard sideline dart McCarthy threw to Ben Sims while rolling to his right put the Vikings near the goal line before halftime. O’Connell called for a short handoff that got Ham, the Duluth native who fashioned a 10-year career out of a rookie tryout, in the end zone to make the score 13-0.

“We were calling it on the sideline,” Smith said. “We were like, ‘This has to be a fullback dive.’ And you’re not stopping him, not today.”

Seconds later, the fullback was on the field playing his normal role in the Vikings’ kickoff coverage.

During halftime, McCarthy felt his right hand throbbing, and he knew the hairline fracture that had taken him out of the Giants game and caused him to miss the Dec. 25 Lions game could again become an issue. He had taken ibuprofen for the pain, he said, and though he’d had what O’Connell called “two real positive days” in practice at the end of last week, the Vikings medical staff monitored McCarthy closely during pregame warmups. They hoped to avoid a repeat of the Giants game, when McCarthy played through the injury only to find he couldn’t maintain a grip on the ball, leading to a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

When his first throw of the second half, an 8-yard completion to Jefferson, left McCarthy feeling like he couldn’t throw the ball further than 10 yards, he motioned for Max Brosmer to replace him. It was the second time this month he’d left a game early, in addition to the seven he missed because of injury. This time, at least, he chose to leave before his lack of grip handed points to an opponent who wouldn’t score many of its own.

McCarthy knew it could fuel narratives about his lack of durability heading into the offseason; those narratives, he said, were out of his control and were outweighed by the risk of suffering further injury.

“In a way, I don’t want to say it, because it feels bad in my heart, but I made the right decision,” McCarthy said. “I learned something from the prior week. ... When it gets to a point where you feel like your body is going to say, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ you got to put your ego aside and do what’s best for the team.”

Though O’Connell said after the game he looked forward to working with McCarthy in 2026, he would not declare McCarthy the starter for next season. The quarterback made clear he wasn’t expecting such an assurance.

He will leave Minnesota for warmer weather in Southern California this offseason, and though he will have to let his hand recover from the fracture, McCarthy said he won’t need surgery. He likely won’t be as restricted as he was in his return from knee surgery last offseason, and he’ll work out with Jefferson, continuing to sharpen the connection they said was affected by the time they both missed because of injury before the season.

Both gave slight acknowledgement to the possibility they won’t be working together next season. “It’s not my job to make that call,” Jefferson said. “My job is, whoever’s the starter, to get him right. J.J.’s our guy right now; my job is to connect with him during the offseason and get him to where we need to go.”

It will be part of the Vikings’ search for stability in what could be an offseason of transition, with Smith and Ham possibly retiring and Flores’ contract expiring next week. The team’s financial straits could force other decisions on veterans such as Ryan Kelly and Javon Hargrave, while the Vikings consider whether to bring in an experienced QB as either a backup or alternative to McCarthy.

On Sunday, they paused to acknowledge the passing of time.

Smith left the field to a standing ovation, hugging fellow Vikings defenders as O’Connell walked out to the numbers to embrace him at the 50-yard line. O’Connell raised his hands to applaud as Smith waved to the fans and hugged defensive backs coach Daronte Jones while Jefferson and McCarthy patted him on the helmet.

“Being able to share a game like this with him is phenomenal,” Smith said. “I’m glad he got the flowers that he deserves.”

The two players were the last to leave the field, posing for pictures with family and teammates before signing autographs on their way off. More than an hour after the game, the field was still dotted with No. 30 and No. 22 jerseys; Ham’s daughters, Skylar and Stella, did cartwheels in the stadium’s east end zone while the fullback, then in street clothes, chatted with family members.

“The days are long, but the years are short,” Ham said. “It goes by fast. But when you cherish the moments, especially with the people in this locker room, it’s worth it.”

Watch the postgame Access Vikings podcast: