After a pair of embarrassing losses to the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers got back on the winning track this past Sunday with a 27-20 victory over the New York Giants.
It wasn't the prettiest victory by any stretch of the imagination, and needing a fourth-quarter comeback to beat a team that has earned just two victories all season isn't the most inspiring thing in the world. But a win is a win, especially at this point in the season when the NFC playoff picture is as tight as it is.
Green Bay currently holds the No. 6 position in the NFC standings with a 6-3-1 record, but earning a wild-card slot certainly isn't the goal, as the NFC North is ripe for the taking, with the (gulp) first-place Chicago Bears holding the slimmest of leads at 7-3. And the next three weeks could very well decide if the Packers actually take it, as their next three opponents just happen to be all of their division rivals, starting with this Sunday's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
Matt LaFleur calls on Packers fans not to sell their tickets to Vikings fans in Week 12
The Vikings have won in Green Bay each of the last two seasons, and it's been difficult not to notice all the purple shirts in the stands. And Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has apparently noticed as well, as he actually took time this week to make a request to Cheeseheads that they do their best not to give up their tickets to those who like to shout "SKOL!"
"Hopefully, our fans will show up in droves and not sell their tickets to the Vikings fans, because we've seen that happen before," LaFleur said.
It's a nice thought, of course, but if Packers fans opt to sell their tickets, they really don't have a choice who they go to, at least not if they go through NFL Ticket Exchange, which is run by Ticketmaster, the league's official reseller. If one goes that route, they have no control over who buys the ticket, so Vikings fans could conceivably come in and once again pack the stands at Lambeau.
But Minnesota will certainly need more than a few extra fans to leave Wisconsin with a win for the third straight year, as this is a team in trouble. Coming into this contest, the Vikings have lost four of five, the most recent being the last-second heartbreaker this past Sunday to Chicago which, combined with the Detroit Lions' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, ultimately allowed the Bears to take over first place.
At 4-6, Kevin O'Connell's crew is still in the mix for a postseason berth, but a loss on Sunday might just seal the Vikings' fate for the year, and the Packers would naturally be more than happy to make that happen. And LaFleur simply wants more folks in green and gold than those in purple and gold on hand to witness it.