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Vikings’ Adrian Peterson ruled out vs. Packers

For the Vikings to win this game, they will need the defense to be what they were in the first five weeks of the season. He carried 16 times for 162 yards and a touchdown in last Sunday’s 30-27 win at Chicago.

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On Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings, the quarterback was back at it again, torching them early with two brilliant touchdown passes.

At Augustana, he had 2,662 career rushing yards and 949 receiving yards, with 35 touchdowns in 43 games.

But the Vikings made too many other mistakes to catch up to the Packers. With the loss, the Vikes will miss the playoffs despite a 5-0 start to the season.

Green Bay added another touchdown midway through the second quarter, following a turnover on an terrible snap by center Nick Easton. Defensive tackle Kenny Clark pounced on the loose ball at the Vikings’ 42.

That didn’t last long, though, as the Vikings’ next possession ended by a strip-sack of Bradford by Clay Matthews that was recovered by the Packers.

Because as it turns out, spending an extra five hours on an ice-covered runway was a heck of a lot more enjoyable than trying to stop Aaron Rodgers. What we all should have seen was that while the Packers were sinking in the NFC North, the only reason they hadn’t had a full-fledged implosion was because Rodgers was the only thing working on a broken team. Seventeen unanswered points from the home side though led Green Bay to be staring into the abyss, until a 60 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson helped set up a final second field goal from Mason Crosby to give victory to the Packers. It was the 58th touchdown for the duo, breaking the tie with the Brett Favre-Antonio Freeman combination. A juke near the end zone caused a Vikings defender to go flailing, and Rodgers scored untouched.

Peterson played for the first time since Week 2 last weekend. After they were ripped apart by the Washington Redskins to fall to 4-6, Rodgers vowed that his Packers would win their remaining games and get into the playoffs. Although, safety Harrison Smith (ankle) and wideout Stefon Diggs (hip) are questionable, signaling their chances to play are likely. During the Packers’ four-game win streak, he has 29 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns.

Packers: CB LaDarius Gunter left the game with an elbow injury in the second quarter.

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If the Packers extend their winning streak from four to six by beating the Vikings and then the Lions in Detroit, they’ll sit atop the North for the fifth time in the last six years.

Packers' options grow with added running game