Green Bay can hand home-field advantage to the Eagles Saturday night.

The Packers have no shot at the playoffs in 2017 and no Aaron Rodgers in the lineup, but their Week 16 matchup offers the next best thing — the opportunity to screw up the Vikings’ postseason plans.

Green Bay’s playoff streak ended at eight years last week after the combination of a loss to the Panthers and a Falcons win precluded them from stealing a postseason bid. Minnesota has had no such problems. A resurgent Vikings team, led by surprising MVP candidate Case Keenum, has already clinched the NFC North title and is barreling toward a bye that would allow it to sit out the Wild Card round.

Saturday’s game also provides the Pack with a chance for some revenge. Minnesota derailed the club’s season when Anthony Barr broke Rodgers’ collarbone in a Week 6 victory. While Green Bay struggled to recover from the loss of a two-time MVP, the Vikings usurped its spot in the NFC. The Packers can’t get that spot back, but they can send a message with a home win — all while closing the door on the Vikings’ hopes for home-field advantage.

The two division rivals will meet on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on NBC (live stream).

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: NBC Sports Live, fuboTV
• Odds: Minnesota is favored by 9 points

Vikings at Packers news:

• The Packers decided against having Rodgers play two meaningless games and put him on injured reserve, ending his 2017 season after only six-plus games.

The Packers announced Tuesday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is headed to injured reserve.

Rodgers returned to the field for Green Bay’s Week 15 loss to the Panthers. But a Falcons win against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football officially eliminated the Packers from the postseason. Now Rodgers’ season is officially over.

• The Vikings’ QB situation is as good as it can be, at just the right time.

He’s started in all but two games this season, where he has a 9-3 record with over 3,100 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Many expected (and if you’re a Vikings fan, wished) that he would be a formidable game manager. With a defense that’s one of the best in the NFL, the Vikings have just needed Keenum to not turn the ball over, and find the end zone a couple of times a game. He’s proven on multiple occasions that he can do more than that.

• Injuries could have derailed the Vikings’ season at several turns. They never did.

Without two quarterbacks and their top running back, the Vikings had to turn to an unexpected player to galvanize the franchise and lead it to the postseason: Case Keenum.

Keenum's stellar play turned some of his doubters into believers. But his performance, along with Minnesota's physical defense, did something even better: help lead the Vikings to the NFC North title, and the playoffs.

• Davante Adams’ future earnings may depend heavily on the concussions suffered in a pair of cheap shots this fall.

That’s why it’s frustrating as a sports fan to see Danny Trevathan of the Bears line up a shot on Adams when he can’t protect himself. Or, this past weekend, seeing Carolina’s Thomas Davis throw a head-to-head shot at Davante when neither were a part of the play. In those fractions of seconds, those linebackers could’ve shortened Adams’ career by a couple years because of the collective toll from head collisions and those that might not have occurred yet.

Will Green Bay’s running attack gain any traction against Minnesota’s top-five squad?

The Vikings rank second in rushing yards allowed per game (85.3) and fifth in the NFL when it comes to yards allowed per rush (3.7). That’s bad news for a Green Bay team that’s been searching for its ground identity for years. The Packers lost Ty Montgomery to broken ribs toward the end of an inconsistent season, but rookies Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones have been able to pick up the slack in his stead. That duo can stake their claim as the team’s future at the position with a big performance against an elite defense Saturday.

Vikings at Packers prediction:

With Rodgers officially done for the season, our experts lean heavily toward Minnesota. Six of eight say the Vikings will win in their Week 16 picks.

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