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NFL Makes Big Packers-Vikings Week 17 Announcement Just Hours Before MNF Kickoff

The league moved this divisional showdown to the afternoon slate given it's importance.

By Joe Summers

Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) reacts after completing a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) reacts after completing a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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The Packers are set for a huge matchup against the Vikings in Week 17 with major implications for the postseason, and now the game has officially been flexed to the afternoon given the importance.

While Green Bay likely can't catch Minnesota in the standings, these are two of the NFC's best teams. This could be a playoff preview, making it a logical decision to put the game in front of a broader audience.

Mere hours before the Packers' Monday Night Football showdown with the Saints, the league announced that Green Bay's Week 17 divisional matchup will be at 4:25 ET instead of the early slate.

NFL Flexes Packers vs. Vikings in Week 17 to Afternoon Slate

Ultimately, this contest won't have a large impact on seeding. Green Bay is, in all likelihood, locked into the No. 6 seed. Should the Packers falter over the next few weeks, the Commanders (or Eagles) could become that sixth team while Green Bay falls to No. 7, but it'd require a few unlikely events.

Instead, this matchup allows Matt LaFleur and the Packers coaching staff an opportunity to test different looks against an elite defense. This should be a learning process, as it'd be foolish to show too much into what's ultimately a meaningless game. Even still, this is a game Green Bay obviously wants to win.

The Packers are surging, winning eight of their last 10 contests. This is a team fully capable of winning the Super Bowl, and fans will get a true taste of how good their squad can be in a monumental showdown.

Even if Minnesota wins in front of a national audience though, it's not a death blow to Green Bay's hopes. They're guaranteed to go on the road in the NFC Wild Card round given the Lions' stranglehold on the division, but the Packers still have the seventh-best odds to hoist a Lombardi Trophy (+1300) at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Should Green Bay topple their division rival, those odds will only grow shorter. The NFL made the right call to flex this game, but it's a true win-win situation for the Packers.

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