McCarthy did add one play to his 2025 highlight reel on Sunday, though it was another mixed result. On the Vikings' first drive of the game, McCarthy sprinted out of the pocket and took off running. Along the way, he flattened linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper with a stiff-arm before slamming into cornerback Keisean Nixon on the sideline.

The Minnesota Vikings rolled over resting Green Bay Packers in Week 18 to finish the 2025 NFL season with a winning record.

The Minnesota Vikings will head into the 2026 offseason with a five-game winning streak under their belt. They battled back from 4-8 on the season to finish 9-8 and prove that, regardless of the quarterback play, this defense in its current form can help them overcome a lot.

An inconsistent offensive line and an anemic passing game were among the Vikings’ biggest problems during a disappointing year.

The Packers’ offense put together a very quick three-and-out, and the resulting punt took a Green Bay roll and wound up at the 3-yard line to pin the Vikings’ offense deep for their second possession. The Vikings’ offense then picked up a first down, but then stalled out and were forced to punt it away themselves.

Justin Jefferson has finally passed the 1,000-yard mark, in the last game of the season for the Minnesota Vikings.

That's when Smith told head coach Kevin O'Connell that he wanted to play quarterback. O'Connell decided against it. The Vikings were going to kneel down at the end of their game, and O'Connell thought about getting fan favorites C.J. Ham and Smith both on the field for that final play.

J.J. McCarthy left with another injury, but the Vikings’ defense and a short C.J. Ham touchdown carried Minnesota to a 16-3 win over resting Green Bay to end the season.