Packers Leave Vikings in Cold : Minnesota’s NFC Central Chances Disappear in Green Bay, 18-6

Out of the NFC Central race from the beginning, the Green Bay Packers let the Minnesota Vikings know what it feels like.

Tim Harris led an inspired defense and the Packers knocked the Vikings out of the running for the division title Sunday with an 18-6 victory on a frozen, slippery field.

“This was a real important win for us,” said Harris, who made two sacks and also tackled Wade Wilson for a safety in the fourth quarter, the second time this season he caught the Viking quarterback for two points.

“It’s the first time we’ve won at Lambeau Field since I’ve been here. It shows we never gave up. It helped that we had beaten them earlier this year, so we knew we could beat them.”

Minnesota (10-5), which had a 5-game winning streak broken, plays division champion Chicago next week and with a wild-card playoff berth on the line.

The Vikings had not given up a touchdown in 17 quarters entering the game and outscored their opponents, 167-26, during their 5-game winning streak.

“We got ourselves in position we wanted to be in after struggling in the middle of the season--to within one game of the Bears,” Wilson said. “Then we gave it back today.”

Green Bay (3-12) broke a 7-game losing streak and won at Lambeau Field in a non-strike game for the first time since Dec. 1, 1985. The Packers also beat the Vikings, 34-14, in mid-October.

“Are we still as horrible a football team as you people said the last 4 to 5 weeks?” Packers Coach Lindy Infante asked. “At least it gives us some hope for the future. It shows that if we can play up to our potential, we can be a competitive football team.”

Don Majkowski, filling in for injured starter Randy Wright, hit Patrick Scott with an 11-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the third quarter to give the Packers a 16-3 lead against the league’s top-ranked defensive team.

Minnesota had chances to get back into the game, but had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Chuck Nelson to make it 16-6 after Wilson’s 18-yard pass to Anthony Carter to the Green Bay 2-yard-line was ruled incomplete when it was reviewed by instant replay.

Then Carl Lee intercepted Majkowski’s pass and returned it 34 yards for an apparent touchdown, but the play was nullified when Keith Millard roughed Majkowski.

Green Bay took a 10-3 halftime lead on Keith Woodside’s 2-yard scoring run and a 20-yard field goal by Dean Dorsey.

Nelson kicked a 38-yard field goal for the Vikings, but also missed an 18-yarder.