The Vikings’ season finale against archrival Green Bay lacked postseason ramifications and, therefore, garnered none of the rabid anticipation this kind of scheduling generally calls for. Minnesota is going nowhere, and the Packers weren’t trying (that hard) to win.

But this was a big game for the Vikings because it was a stress test for the current roster. Had J.J. McCarthy returned from an injury to his throwing hand and played well, and the defense continued its late renaissance, management could have reasonably gone into next season still believing this is, by and large, a playoff team.

But he didn’t, and they can’t.

The Vikings won a yawner, 16-3, but it wasn’t exactly inspiring — especially against a Packers team already locked into the NFC’s seventh playoff seed and starting its third-string quarterback and several practice-squad players.

This game was a big one because going out with a 9-8 record after a roster that refused to quit finished the season with five straight victories might have been a good omen had McCarthy been solid. In that case, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell might have been looking at a roster that can win on the strength of its defense in 2027.

However, McCarthy didn’t play well. He didn’t throw an interception — but didn’t throw a touchdown pass either — before leaving the game in the third quarter after apparently aggravating his injury, a hairline fracture in the right hand.

The Vikings already knew they must bring in a veteran quarterback this spring to compete for the starting job next summer; now they know they have to sign a veteran quarterback they expect to start because McCarthy just hasn’t shown the team that he’s the guy. He just hasn’t.

McCarthy confirmed this season that he is a talented player, but the Vikings knew that when they made him the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft. What they didn’t know is whether McCarthy would confirm that he has the head and temperament to be this team’s starting quarterback, like, right now.

That didn’t happen and the Vikings will go into the offseason with two quarterbacks — McCarthy and former Gopher Max Brosmer — who are more suited to a backup role than a starting one.

O’Connell was vocal about hoping to see McCarthy play in one last game before the offseason, and the quarterback agreed to give it a try after going through an entire practice on Friday. But unless O’Connell saw some promising minutia that only a former NFL quarterback and offense coordinator can see, McCarthy did nothing to inspire his coach’s confidence.

McCarthy, in fact, was flagged for taunting on the game’s second play, earning a 15-yard penalty that sabotaged a potential touchdown drive.

After he missed seven games because of three different injuries, and playing badly in some lopsided losses, one might expect McCarthy to keep his head down and concentrate on not being terrible. Instead, he got so pumped by running six yards before being knocked out of bounds by a defensive back that he couldn’t contain his competitive fire.

What are we doing here?

It’s been written in this space that this season shouldn’t be a referendum on McCarthy, but that penalty was so astonishingly silly that it’s hard not to change course. He completed 57.6 of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

McCarthy’s ability to start was the biggest question at the season’s onset and it’s still — at best — a question as the Vikings limp into the offseason.

The team could have been bounding into a fairly sanguine future, but with McCarthy doing more to hurt this case than help it, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores likely to field interest from teams looking for a head coach this offseason, the Vikings could decide to draft another quarterback in April.

The only certainty for this team right now is that they can’t pencil McCarthy in as the starting quarterback in 2026, and it might alter the course of this team’s plans to end its 59-year Super Bowl drought.

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There was a time roughly a month ago when it felt like the Vikings might not win another game this season. They had just been shutout by the Seattle Seahawks on the road. They boasted a 4-8 record at the time. They looked very much like a group with no direction.

It was at that moment that head coach Kevin O’Connell issued a challenge to his players in the locker room. He asked them to focus on simply trying to go 1-0 each week, even if he knew the playoffs were virtually an impossibility at that point.

As cliche as the request might have been, the Vikings responded by winning every game the rest of the way, capping a frustrating campaign with a 16-3 win over the Green Bay Packers to finish with a 9-8 record.

It wasn’t exactly an impressive win for the Vikings considering the Packers rested a bulk of their starters with their position in the playoffs already set in stone. That said, the Vikings left very little doubt, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back.

Though the offense didn’t necessarily provide anything to write home about — quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 14 of 23 passes for 182 yards before leaving the game early with a right hand injury — the defense dominated against mostly backups on the other end.

The highlight of the game was undoubtedly veteran fullback C.J. Ham scoring a touchdown in what could be the final game of his career. He’s hinted that he will consider retirement once this season comes to an end.

Some other notable anecdotes included star receiver Justin Jefferson eclipsing 1,000 yards, edge rusher Dallas Turner finishing with a pair of sacks, and veteran safety Harrison Smith getting a standing ovation in what could be the final game of his career.

The game itself didn’t feature much action as the Vikings scored their points via a touchdown run by Ham and a trio of field goals from star kicker Will Reichard. That was more than enough run support as the Packers struggled to generate any sort of offense with reserve quarterback Clayton Tune completing 6 of 11 passes for a mere 34 yards.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Smith and Ham both got their flowers with the big screen essentially alternating back and forth while the home crowd gave each of them respective curtain calls.

It was a reminder that while the game itself was rather meaningless on the surface, it still carried a lot of weight for the Vikings in the present and in the future.

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When the lights come down and the needles start dropping, St. Paul and east metro residents have a range of convenient drop-off and recycling options for their trees and holiday décor.

Saint Paul

Holiday trees. In St. Paul, the city organizes a holiday tree collection from Jan. 2-15. Residents can set out one tree next to their garbage carts on regular collection days. For homes with up to four units, each unit can set out one tree.

Trees taller than six feet, heavier than 20 pounds, or artificial trees are not included in the special collection.

Residents are asked to remove all decorations and the tree stand, and to not to put the trees upright or leaning against the cart, or blocking other carts.

Holiday Lights. String lights and electrical cords should not be placed in recycling carts because they can cause damage at recycling facilities. Instead, they can be dropped off for recycling at the following locations until January 9:

The Saint Paul Regional Water Services Facility: 1900 Rice St., St Paul, MN 55113
Public Works Solid Waste & Recycling Facility: 60 W Sycamore St., St Paul, MN 55117
Any Saint Paul Public Library

Greenery and garlands. According to city guidelines, holiday greenery and garlands are not accepted as yard waste because of possible metal wires and decorations. Instead, greenery can be put in a plastic bag and put in garbage carts.

Wrapping Paper and Gift Bags. Most wrapping paper and gift bags are recyclable except for:

Wrapping paper with glitter or foil
Tissue paper
Ribbons and bows.

Cardboard Packaging. Any cardboard that doesn’t fit in recycling carts can be flattened and dropped off, for free, at the Ramsey County Environmental Center, 1700 Kent St., Roseville, MN 55113, which is open year-round.

RAMSEY COUNTY

Holiday trees. After they are stripped of lights, ornaments, tinsel and tree bags, holiday trees can be dropped off at the following yard waste collection sites for free:

Arden Hills
Frank and Sims
Midway
White Bear Township

Flocked trees are not accepted.

In addition, some waste management companies will pick up trees. The county recommends checking with the waste company first.

Holiday Lights. Both LED and non-LED string lights can be recycled at the county’s Environmental Center.

WASHINGTON COUNTY

In Washington County, it’s illegal to put Christmas trees in the trash, but there are options for drop-offs and collections.

The county said that some “private waste haulers, cities, or townships may accept holiday trees. Residents can contact them directly for more information.

“Remove tree stands, plastic bags, tinsel, wire, lights, and all other decorations from trees prior to drop-off or collection,” the county website said.

DAKOTA COUNTY

In Dakota County, it is also illegal to put Christmas trees in the trash or recycling.

Residents can call waste management companies and city staff for disposal guidelines.

It was pretty clear from the opening drive on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium that the Vikings were invested in getting star receiver Justin Jefferson over 1,000 yards. He entered the rivalry game against the Green Bay Packers needing 53 yards to once again reach the milestone.

On the first possession alone, quarterback J.J. McCarthy targeted Jefferson a few different times, completing an intermediate pass for 18 yards, a shovel pass for 10 yards, and a pop pass for 11 yards.

After hauling in another reception for a gain of 12 yards, Jefferson casually secured a catch later in the game to go over 1,000 yards.

Though it certainly isn’t the end all be all for Jefferson, he hasn’t been shy about the fact that he wanted to keep his streak alive. It served as a small consolation in what’s been a frustrating campaign for him.

This is the sixth consecutive seasons in which Jefferson has reached 1,000 yards to start his career. He’s now only five seasons away from tying Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans, who holds the NFL record the most consecutive seasons of a player reaching 1,000 yards to start his career.

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