NFL Saturday open thread

It's that time of year again when the NFL begins playing games on Saturdays, which it will do the final two weeks of the regular season, and the first two weeks of the playoffs. 

This Saturday, there are two games – the Indianapolis Colts at the Baltimore Ravens at 4:30 p.m., and the Minnesota Vikings at the Green Bay Packers at 8:30 p.m.

The later game is of high interest to the Philadelphia Eagles, as a Vikings loss would result in the Birds clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Packers placed star quarterback Aaron Rodgers on injured reserve this week, so the Vikings will have to get past Brett Hundley to make the Eagles hold serve. The Vikings are currently nine-point favorites.

The Vikings easily handled the Packers earlier this season, when they won in Minnesota, 23-10. That was the game in which Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone on the following hit by Anthony Barr, which caused him to miss seven games: 


Should the Vikings complete the sweep the Packers, the Eagles will need to win Christmas night against the Oakland Raiders. If the Vikings falter, Doug Pederson and the Eagles will have to begin to decide whether or not to rest their starters.

Feel free to discuss the games below.