The Good, The Bad, The Ugly from the Vikings' win over the Packers

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The Minnesota Vikings were able to close out a disappointing 2025 season with a five-game win streak. Their 16-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday may not have meant much for either team, but it did help the Vikings finish with a winning record at 9-8.

Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 101 yards, surpassing 1,000 yards for the sixth straight season to begin his career. It was a tough season for him, so seeing him eclipse the mark was well-deserved.

Although it was cool to see Jefferson get that, the best part of this game was celebrating two long-time Vikings who may have played their last games. That's what we'll focus on to begin.

The Good: Tributes to two legends

14-year veteran Harrison Smith and nine-year veteran C.J. Ham may have played their final games on Sunday. The Vikings drafted Smith in the first round of the 2012 draft, while Ham joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2017 before climbing the depth chart.

Ham scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, the eighth of his career. Smith had a quiet game after winning the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his Week 17 performance on Christmas.

U.S. Bank Stadium and the CBS broadcast both spent plenty of time highlighting both players. The Vikings took a timeout late in the fourth quarter to give Smith an extended send-off as he left the field for maybe the final time.

Smith and Ham were the last two Vikings off the field on Sunday. If that was their final game, their leadership and professionalism was appreciated over their careers.

The Bad: McCarthy's taunting penalty

J.J. McCarthy had another up-and-down game, completing 14-of-23 passes for 182 yards. He got Jefferson involved early, but McCarthy also misfired on several passes as the game settled down.

A taunting penalty on the opening drive foreshadowed his day. McCarthy took off for a six-yard run, stiff-arming his way to the Packers' 23-yard line before putting his head down as he made contact with Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon.

The two got in each other's faces, resulting in a 15-yard taunting penalty on McCarthy that wiped away a 2nd-and-4 opportunity. Instead, the Vikings faced 2nd-and-19 at the Packers' 38-yard line, forcing Minnesota to end up settling for a 43-yard field goal after two conservative play calls.

The Ugly: McCarthy's exit

Most of McCarthy's production came in the first half. He completed one eight-yard pass to begin the third quarter before taking himself out of the game, as the pain in his right hand was too much to bear.

McCarthy said after the game that everything was "stable" in his hand. He acknowledged he still has some fractures in his hand and that he probably pushed the recovery time to play against the Packers.

On one hand, it's commendable that McCarthy played through the pain to start. On the other hand, seeing him exit a game early for the second time in three weeks raises further concerns about his durability. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus injury and sat out seven games this year due to different ailments.

It was a disappointing season for the Vikings because of what they got and didn't get from McCarthy. It's fitting that the season finale contained more of the same.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly from the Vikings' win in Week 18

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