Two different talking points will go into Monday night’s showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, but only one will survive.
The Packers have never won at U.S. Bank Stadium.
A team quarterbacked by Kirk Cousins has never won on “Monday Night Football.”
Barring a tie, one side of the equation is about to achieve a long-awaited first.
The Packers believe they’re due to win at the Vikings’ new home, which opened in 2016. The U.S. Bank Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Packers, who lost to Sam Bradford in his start for the Vikings in 2016, lost Aaron Rodgers to a collarbone injury in 2017 and lost any hope for salvaging their season in 2018.
The Packers can clinch the NFC North title and position themselves for a first-round bye in the playoffs by beating the Vikings on Monday night. They can also sweep the Vikings and Chicago Bears in the same season for the first time since 2014.
Meanwhile, the Vikings need a win to keep hopes alive of passing the Packers in the division in Week 17.
They’ll need a big night from Cousins, who has quarterbacked teams to a 46-36 record on Sundays, Saturdays and Thursdays, but he’s yet to help his team to a win on Monday night. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Cousins has the worst record of any quarterback on Monday nights.
The bad news for Cousins? While his teams are 0-8 on Monday night, the Packers are 5-0 in Rodgers’ last five starts on Monday night.
Cousins has thrown 11 touchdown passes and five interceptions in eight Monday night starts. He has a lower passer rating and yards per attempt average on Monday nights than any other day of the week.
Cousins nearly led a comeback against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night earlier this month, throwing two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings still lost on the road, 37-30.
In October, Rodgers threw a late touchdown pass to Allen Lazard and positioned the Packers for a game-winning field goal to cap off a Monday night win over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.
Of course, there’s always the possibility of a tie. The Packers and Vikings have tied twice since 2013.
But if there’s a winner, one talking point will finally die. Either the Packers will get their first win at U.S. Bank Stadium and celebrate a division title on enemy grounds, or Cousins will keep the Vikings alive in the NFC North with a first win on Monday night.
Kickoff from Minneapolis is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CST.