Vikings defense key to ending Packers' hopes, says someone who would know: John Randle

La Velle's 3-2 Pitch: Three observations and two predictions on Sundays.

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John Randle sounds like he's ready to put the war paint on again, study Green Bay's media guide, get on the field and start talking trash to Aaron Rodgers.

Playoff positioning is at stake Sunday for both the Vikings and Packers, and Randle is fired up to watch a game he says Minnesota must have.

"Winning this game, beating Green Bay twice, that will show [the Vikings are] ready for the playoffs," Randle said. "Anyone can win in October and November, but December is the month you really want to win because that carries into the playoffs."

That applies to January, too. Randle dominated opponents throughout his 12-year career and used every legal means necessary to do so. He fired himself up, read up about opponents for informed trash talk and was passionate to the point of lunacy. He was out to win, and there's a plaque in Canton, Ohio, that shows how good he was at it.

When Randle, with 137½ career sacks and seven Pro Bowl selections, was asked about his favorite moments of the Vikings-Packers rivalry in Green Bay, he brought up going onto Lambeau Field before the game to chat up an opponent, something he didn't do with anyone else. That opponent was Reggie White, whom he got to know at Pro Bowls.

The rest of the Packers? Forget 'em.

The Packers and the Vikings have faced each other in the postseason twice, with each team winning a game. Sunday's game should feel like a third playoff game, as the Packers look to continue their late-season surge by knocking off the 12-3 Vikings while maintaining their postseason hopes.

As if this rivalry needed another layer of drama.

The only thing missing Sunday will be the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, as the forecast for Sunday calls for a high temperature of 37. Randle, who had a 12-year playing career, fully understands the intensity of the rivalry.

"There are families who have Vikings and Packers fans in them, and that game is just going to go through their homes," Randle said. "And you can just hear the arguments."

The Vikings likely need a victory to maintain the second seed in the NFC. The Packers' postseason hopes shoot up from 32% to over 50% with a victory. For the Vikings to win, their defense will need to slow a Green Bay offense that has been more balanced of late. More blitzes in recent weeks have yielded mixed results, and Rodgers will be salivating if he likes a one-on-one matchup in those situations.

"I don't think we have played up to our caliber yet," Randle said of the defense. "I think, this late in the season, it is going to give us a chance."

The Twins are still looking for another major league infielder, despite their offseason trade for Kyle Farmer. Farmer looms as their Opening Day starting shortstop, as Carlos Correa is still expected to land with the Mets after turning down the Twins' 10-year, $285 million offer. With the free-agent market dried up, the Twins are exploring potential deals for pitching and infield upgrades.

San Diego could be a trade partner. The Padres signed Xander Bogaerts during the offseason, making Ha-Seong Kim — who filled in solidly for an injured Fernando Tatis last season, producing a FanGraphs 3.7 WAR that was 11th among MLB shortstops — available in a trade. Kim, 27, batted .251 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI for the Padres while playing above-average defense. But Kim is surplus in San Diego, creating an option for the Twins as they wait for Royce Lewis to return from knee surgery around July.

Gophers men's hockey standouts Brock Faber and Matthew Knies spent last week monitoring the activities of Team USA in the 2023 IIHF world junior championship being played in Canada. Five of their Gophers teammates, including Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud, play for the U.S., which finished 3-1 in group play after Saturday's 6-2 victory over Finland. Cooley and Snuggerud are tied for the team lead with seven points through four games.

Faber and Knies know what it's like, as both represented the country at the Beijing Olympics and 2022 world juniors.

"I've been thankful enough to put on that USA jersey," said Faber, whose NHL draft rights are owned by the Wild. "It's been very special, obviously. A huge privilege. I know those guys will wear it with pride."

Both Faber and Knies used the holidays as a mental break after a long grind of college and international hockey.

... AND TWO PREDICTIONS ...

Look for Correa's deal with the Mets to eventually be finalized. The likely resolution will be that the terms of the 12-year, $315 million deal will remain mostly intact, but the Mets will be able to get out of the final few seasons if Correa has problems with his surgically repaired right leg.

The Packers are playing the best football of the season, but the Vikings will prove their Week 1 victory wasn't a fluke. Vikings 33, Packers 24, as Dalvin Cook rushes for 127 yards.