The Green Bay Packers are looking to finish 13-3 with a first-round bye after going into U.S. Bank Stadium and pillaging their way to a dominant 23-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16.

Here are the (Christmas-delayed) studs and duds from the win on Monday night:

Studs

OLB Za’Darius Smith: He beat everyone. Left tackle, right tackle, left guard, right guard and center. Everyone tried and failed at least once against Smith, who bullied his way to one of the most impressive performances from a Packers edge rusher this decade. He beat left tackle Riley Reiff for a pair of early pressures on the first drive, patiently worked inside Reiff and dumped Mike Boone for a 2-yard loss, swatted past Reiff and hunted down Kirk Cousins for his first sack, bench-pressed right guard Josh Kline and dropped Boone for another loss, side-stepped rookie center Garrett Bradbury from the A-gap and tripped up Cousins for another sack, drove right tackle Brian O’Neil deep into the pocket and combined with Preston Smith for a sack and all but ended the proceedings by stunting inside and whipping Bradbury for a third-down sack at the two-minute warning. He had four or five other play-disrupting pressures not even mentioned above. It was an All-Pro performance, and maybe the best individual performance from a Packers player this season.

DL Kenny Clark: Clark getting healthy might be the single most important turning point of the Packers season. He’s been terrific over the last six games. Not surprisingly, the defense has come alive over that same span. Clark and Bradbury will be battling twice a year for years to come, but the first two battles were technical knockouts comfortably awarded to No. 97. He is too big, powerful and quick for the rookie (and most other centers). At times, he simply walked Bradbury back two or three yards and re-established the line of scrimmage. His sack was just an impressive individual effort. He worked off the right guard moving to his right, got to Bradbury and beat him with a quick swim move and then closed on Cousins in an instant. Earlier in the second half, Clark easily pressed Bradbury into the backfield and tripped up Boone for no gain. Za’Darius Smith was the star, but Clark was a worthy supporting actor in textbook destruction of an offensive line.

RB Aaron Jones: Others might have turtled into a shell after fumbling on the opening drive of a primetime showdown. Not Jones. He kept hacking away at the Vikings defense and eventually used his superstar abilities to crack the game wide open. The Vikings resisted early, but the 4- and 5-yard gains added up. Running against an increasingly fatigued opponent in the second half, Jones and his devastating quickness delivered staggering blows. He burst off the left side, cutting inside of Allen Lazard’s block and finding the end zone for the go-ahead score. A quarter later, he all but ended the game when he got outside, wiggled through the smallest of openings and then turned on the jets down the sideline for a 56-yard score. The Vikings’ pursuit couldn’t catch him. He’s special.

CB Kevin King: If Clark is the linchpin of the defensive front, King might be the fulcrum of the secondary. When he’s on, like he was Monday night, it’s incredibly difficult to throw the football against the Packers defense. He was targeted four times and gave up just one catch. He stopped Adam Thielen short of the sticks on a third-down jet sweep and later stuffed rookie tight end Irv Smith Jr. behind the line after a quick throw and catch. Of course, King also provided the game-changing play. He got terrific depth in his Cover-3 zone and put himself into an ideal position to intercept Kirk Cousins’ deep ball in the third quarter. It was a smart and athletic play, and his long return set up a Packers touchdown. With Jaire Alexander handling Stefon Diggs for much of the night, King saw plenty of Thielen, who didn’t have a single catch.

RT Bryan Bulaga: An incredible season from an incredible player rolled on Monday night. For the second time this season, Bulaga went head-to-head with Danielle Hunter – arguably the game’s top young edge-rusher – and scored a victory. Hunter had one sack but it was on the quarterback. Bulaga otherwise eliminated him from the contest. According to Pro Football Focus, Bulaga and Hunter faced off on 70 pass-blocking snaps this season. Bulaga held him to just four total pressures, including zero sacks and zero quarterback hits.

LT David Bakhtiari: Everson Griffen wasn’t inactive. He just got swallowed whole by a three-time All-Pro left tackle who is playing more and more like an All-Pro. Griffen played 59 snaps but finished with only two assisted tackles and no pressures. Bakhtiari looked vulnerable at times the first couple of months of the season, but he’s back to eliminating edge rushers from games.

CB Tramon Williams: The ageless one keeps stringing together impressive games. He essentially created a turnover when he blanketed Adam Thielen’s double-move from the slot on 4th-and-4. He didn’t bite on the slant and Cousins’ throw had no chance, so the Packers took over on downs. He almost picked off Cousins on 3rd-and-5 late in the first half when he undercut Laquon Treadwell’s out route and nearly completed a diving catch. On the Vikings’ first drive of the second half, Williams diagnosed the play and took away the quick slant to Irv Smith Jr. It was Cousins’ first read. He threw elsewhere, and it fell incomplete. Punt. Once again, Williams was terrific covering a number of different players from the slot.

DE Dean Lowry: He and Tyler Lancaster did a lot of the dirty work in the run game. Lowry was in on four different tackles within two yards of the line of scrimmage, and his upfield disruption helped create Za’Darius Smith’s first tackle for loss. He also batted down a pass when he read Cousins’ eyes and got both hands up on a short pass. It was nearly intercepted. He combined with Clark for a stop for no gain after he man-handled Pat Elflein at the point of attack.

Duds

TE Jimmy Graham: He played 40 snaps but was mostly used as a blocker, chipper or as the clear-out man in a route combination. It was an uneventful performance, but Graham nearly made a huge mistake late in the first half when he carried the ball in the wrong hand and allowed the Vikings cornerback to punch it out before he was out of bounds. He really owes Geronimo Allison, who was right there to recover it. Had the Vikings made a clear recovery, the Packers would have had a fourth first-half turnover and lost three points before the half.

The Green Bay Packers are 11-3, in first place in the NFC North and in possession of a playoff spot after beating the Chicago Bears in freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ playoff-clinching win over the Bears:

Studs

DL Kenny Clark: Now that he’s healthy again, Clark has become a mainstay in this section. He’s dominating games from the inside. He made his presence known right away Sunday when he swam past the left guard and roped down David Montgomery for a 3-yard loss on the second play. Soon after, he beat the center clean and tracked down Mitchell Trubisky for a sack. He led the team in pressures and was vital in the Packers holding the Bears running backs to under 70 rushing yards on Sunday.

RT Bryan Bulaga: He got dinged for holding on a run play, but Khalil Mack didn’t really affect the game because Bulaga consistently got him blocked on the edge. One of Mack’s only impact plays came on a quick passing concept that left him unblocked. For most of Sunday, Mack and the Bears’ vaunted pass rush had little to no impact on the proceedings. Bulaga pitched a shutout against Mack over two games in 2019.

LT David Bakhtiari: Sunday might have been his quietest game of the season, and quiet here is meant as a supreme compliment. Bakhtiari dominated in the passing game, delivered key blocks on a few of the Packers’ effective outside zone runs and didn’t have a penalty. Leonard Floyd was all but erased from the contest. It was an All-Pro performance from the three-time All-Pro.

KR/PR Tyler Ervin: He has transformed the Packers’ return game. His first punt return gained 12 yards, giving him five straight returns over 10 yards since becoming the Packers’ punt returner. There’s just a no non-sense mindset to his approach. He also got his first crack returning kicks, and he produced a season-long return of 45 yards when he sensed an opening to the outside and exploded around the corner. Ervin is helping the Packers consistently flip field position on special teams.

CB Chandon Sullivan: The Packers backup cornerback made a ton of plays on Sunday. Playing inside linebacker in the first quarter, Sullivan stepped into the box and helped Kenny Clark stop David Montgomery after a short gain. A few plays later, he shook off a block and stuck Montgomery with a terrific open-field form tackle. Later in the first half, he got the Packers off the field twice – first with blanket coverage on Anthony Miller on a fourth down incompletion and later with a well-timed blitz that hurried a Mitchell Trubisky throw on third down. Finally, he helped end the game by wrestling down Jester Horsted before he could pitch the ball on the final play. Brian Gutekunst found a nice role player in Sullivan, who was claimed off waivers back in May.

WR Davante Adams: He dropped three passes, including one he usually catches in his sleep over the middle, but Aaron Rodgers rightfully called him the difference-maker of the game. Adams caught seven passes for 103 yards. He beat Buster Skrine from the slot for a third-down conversion on the first drive and beat him again a drive later for the fourth-down touchdown. Later, he put Prince Amukamara on the ground with a tremendous route that resulted in 17 easy yards, and Kyle Fuller had no shot at stopping his in-breaker on the first drive of the second half. The 34-yard completion set up a touchdown.

DL Tyler Lancaster: Kenny Clark was a dominant force inside, but Lancaster was equally effective in the run game. He shed blocks and made three tackles within three yards of the line of scrimmage. On 2nd-and-4 in the first quarter, Lancaster was late getting off the ball, but he jolted the right guard, shoved him aside and took down Montgomery for no gain. Later, he got pushed back by a double team but shook loose, found the ball and tackled Montgomery after only a 3-yard pickup. The work from Clark and Lancaster was a big reason why the Packers held up so well against the run Sunday.

Duds

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: The sophomore receiver is really slumping. He had a chance for a game-changing play on the Packers’ first snap from scrimmage but didn’t track the ball well and failed to make the play. He ran right through the Cover-3 look, got inside cornerback Prince Amukamara and was way too fast for safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but he has to finish the play and make the catch. It likely would have resulted in a 70-yard touchdown. He played just six more snaps and didn’t have a catch or another target the rest of the way.

The Green Bay Packers are 9-3 through 12 games after going on the road and beating the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ win over the Giants:

Studs

QB Aaron Rodgers: He threw four touchdown passes, didn’t take a sack and didn’t come close to a turnover. He also created at least three incredible throws. He maneuvered through traffic and found Allen Lazard for 43 yards on the second play from scrimmage. The difficulty of the throw was high. His best play of the day came on 4th-and-10 in the third quarter. He bought time, gave himself a throwing platform against heavy pressure and still managed to hit a 25-yard throw while falling away and getting hit. Amazing. Later, he put the dagger in the Giants by eluding what should have been a sack and firing a perfect throw to Marcedes Lewis for a 1-yard score. He’d been waiting a long time to throw a score to “Big Dog.” Credit Rodgers for attacking the middle of the field, by far the weakest part of the Giants’ defense.

WR Allen Lazard: He sparked the offense’s fast start with a diving catch on the first drive and a 37-yard score on the second. He showed surprising straight-line speed on both catches. On the first, he ran past Janoris Jenkins and into the clearing in the three-deep zone. A drive later, he blew past safety Antonie Bethea for an easy score. He went over 100 yards receiving when he got clear in the middle of the field for 23 yards on third down. As good as Lazard was in the passing game, he was equally good as a run blocker and on special teams. He’s a physical presence in the run game and fearless covering kicks. He had two crunching tackles covering kickoffs.

OLB Za’Darius Smith: The Packers can count on him bringing energy to every game. They can also count on his pressure. The team counted 12 pressures from the defensive captain, including five quarterback hits. Three different times, Smith hit Daniel Jones and forced an incompletion. It was easy to tell that Jones was hearing footsteps in the pocket in the second half and in obvious passing situations. Mike Pettine must love that he can line up Smith over any position along the offensive line and know No. 55 can get pressure.

DL Kenny Clark: He’s starting to re-establish himself as a consistently dominant interior defender. On 3rd-and-1 on the opening drive, he knifed through the line and wrecked Saquon Barkley in the backfield. Maybe his best play came in the fourth quarter when he backed center Jon Halapio three yards into the backfield and helped stop Barkley for no gain. Once again, he was consistent with producing interior pressure even if the box score was empty. He’s so due for a multiple-sack game.

K Mason Crosby: The veteran kicker’s awesome season marched on. He battled through a trying personal time and difficult weather conditions and made all five of his kicks, including a hugely impressive 47-yarder when the precipitation was at its worst. Crosby has made 14-of-15 field goals and all 33 extra points this season.

Duds

LB Oren Burks: He was a standout covering kicks, but the Packers have to be disappointed with his late-game stint on defense. He’s a good athlete but he doesn’t look good playing in space. You have to wonder if there’s still way too much thinking going on. And when he gets blocked, he stays blocked.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: There’s a disconnect between him and the quarterback. They haven’t been on the same page all season. Both of his targets fell incomplete. Rodgers underthrew him slightly in the end zone but his effort going after the ball wasn’t great. Later, Rodgers expected one route and MVS provided something else. He’s fallen well behind Allen Lazard and Geronimo Allison on the receiver depth chart.

The San Francisco 49ers turned the Green Bay Packers from a contender into a pretender on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, the site of a complete dismantling of Matt LaFleur’s team on Sunday night.

The Packers are now 8-3, with two complete meltdowns in the last four weeks.

Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ 37-8 loss to the 49ers:

Studs

OLB Za’Darius Smith: Credit Smith for taking advantage of one of the Packers’ few favorable matchups. He gave backup left tackle Justin Skule a lot of trouble on the edge. The Packers defensive captain beat Skule clean for a sack in the first half, which eventually led to a rare punt. Twice, he helped the Packers get off the field with quick pressures and hits on Jimmy Garoppolo. He helped provide a second of hope in the second half when he beat a double team and wrestled Garoppolo down to force a stop to start the third quarter. There was no quit in No. 55.

Duds

C Corey Linsley: The Packers’ veteran center is one of the team’s most consistent players, but he had a really tough night in San Francisco. He was at least partially responsible for three of offense’s bad runs. D.J. Jones beat him clean for a run stuff on the second series. Later, on fourth down in 49ers territory, Linsley couldn’t get movement and Aaron Jones got stuffed for no gain. The interior of the 49ers defensive line just overpowered him at times. The struggles leaked into his distribution. On several shotgun snaps, Linsley forced Aaron Rodgers into making really tough catches at his shoetops. A few times, blitzing 49ers linebackers planted him on the ground in the passing game.

QB Aaron Rodgers: It feels cruel to put Rodgers in the “duds” category, given the constant pressure in the pocket and disappearing act from the secondary options in the passing game. But a quarterback can’t drop back to pass 41 times and deliver only 66 net passing yards without shouldering at least some of the blame. The pressure got to Rodgers early and it affected him the rest of the way. Remember when the Patriots made Sam Darnold see ghosts? The 49ers did the same to Rodgers. Even once the game was decided, the offense showed no urgency and Rodgers took no risks to create a big play. If there’s any tangible trust in a receiver not named Davante Adams, Rodgers didn’t show it Sunday night. When it’s all said and done, it’s possible this game will go down as the worst statistical performance of Rodgers’ Hall of Fame career.

LG Elgton Jenkins: The first few series were ugly for the rookie left guard. He’s been fantastic as a pass blocker this season, but he really struggled with the size and speed of DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead. The first series was a nightmare. On the third play of the game, Buckner blew past him and was in position to light up Aaron Rodgers. On the very next play, Buckner beat him to the inside and stuffed Aaron Jones. On third down, Buckner beat him to the outside and forced Rodgers up into the pocket for the strip-sack. Armstead knocked him to the ground on a stunt on third down on the second series.

RT Alex Light: The second Bryan Bulaga went out of the game, Bosa moved to the left side of the defense and went to work on the inexperienced backup. A brutal matchup on paper played out exactly that way on the field. Bosa was too fast and too strong for Light. The Packers tried at times to give him help, mostly with chips from running backs and tight ends, but the 49ers did a good job of scheming up one-on-one matchups. Stunts gave Light and Billy Turner a lot of trouble, although the 49ers were doing a lot of holding. On one third down sack, Bosa held Light and allowed Armstead to stunt to the outside and make the play on Rodgers in the pocket.

P JK Scott: It’s tough to figure out what’s happened to Scott, the Packers’ streaky second-year punter. He hit six punts and didn’t have a single kick over 41 yards. This was a game where the Packers absolutely needed a big night from their punter, both to help a struggling offense and flip the field for the defense. Even in perfect conditions, Scott failed to get lift and distance in his kicks and often put the defense in bad spots.

WR Geronimo Allison: He has a lot of fans inside Lambeau Field but Allison is just about unplayable at this point. His third-down drop on the first drive helped set the tone for the nightmare on offense. His three catches gained all of nine yards, with a long of just four yards. Who knows why the Packers keep keeping him the ball at the line of scrimmage and asking him to get yards after the catch. He’s not fast or slippery. It was a tough call, but he got flagged for blocking in the back, short-circuiting another drive.

KR/PR Tremon Smith: He returned two punts for -3 yards and two kicks for 41 yards. On both punt returns, he went backwards and got caught from behind. His second return was a risky play after catching the ball on the bounce. In the second half, Smith let a kickoff bounce at the 2-yard line. He’s lucky it bounced through the end zone for a touchback. The best the Packers can hope for at this point is getting the football at the 25.

CB Kevin King: In-breaking routes continue to terrorize him. On back-to-back snaps in the first quarter, King got beat on a slant by Deebo Samuel and a deep in-breaker by Emmanuel Sanders. Later, George Kittle beat him clean for a big gain on another in-breaking route. The long touchdown to Kittle in the third quarter probably wasn’t on King. The Packers were in a three-deep zone, and when Adrian Amos vacated the middle of the field, King was in a no-win situation, especially when Jaire Alexander was late getting depth in his zone. Teams don’t even bother attacking Alexander anymore because King is the far easier prey.