GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Last week, Winston Moss was asked what the Green Bay Packers needed most from Clay Matthews: his speed off the edge as a pass-rusher, his veteran experience or his ability to make one game-changing play.

Moss’ answer, essentially, was all of the above.

“We need Clay Matthews,” the Packers' linebackers coach said. “So it’s not one thing in particular. Put Clay Matthews out there; let’s see what he can do.”

It’s why the Packers kept playing Matthews over the past month despite a separated left shoulder. The idea that he might somehow resemble the playmaker that he’s been when healthy was reason enough to send him out for at least some third-down pass rushes. Also, doctors assured Matthews he wouldn’t do any more damage to his shoulder.

And finally in Saturday’s 38-25 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Clay Matthews was back to being Clay Matthews again.

Clay Matthews hits Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford to force a fumble, making the kind of play the Packers will need from him going forward. AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Not only did he sack Sam Bradford and force a key fumble in the second quarter when the Packers had just a 21-13 lead, he also batted down a pair of passes -- including one on a third-and-goal from the 4 that saved the Packers four points when the Vikings had to settle for a field goal -- and hit Bradford at least two other times.

“Just to see him come back and to dominate a game, it sparked the entire defense,” fellow Packers pass-rusher Datone Jones said. “The entire stadium was sparked. I’m excited moving forward. We’ve just got to keep that type of play style up and keep that type of effort up.”

Jones was right; Lambeau Field came alive when Matthews jarred the ball loose from Bradford. Even before Mike Daniels flipped the ball back to line judge Sarah Thomas after he recovered the fumble, Matthews already had reached the Packers’ sideline. In one motion, Matthews sacked Bradford, knocked the ball loose and sprinted toward the bench to celebrate, knowing he had forced a turnover.

“I was just hoping he wouldn't throw it,” Matthews said. “We're in a good call. He was getting rid of the ball quick. I think they've been struggling with their offensive line over there as far as their hits on the quarterback. Early in the game, we had some pressure. On that, like I said, hopeful that he held on to it, but we were able to get the ball.”

It’s the kind of performance that Dom Capers’ turnover-reliant defense will need in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title and in the postseason, if the Packers make it.

Matthews said last week that he felt he could handle a bigger workload because his shoulder felt better, and after playing a total of 82 snaps in the previous three games -- and recording just two tackles and no sacks -- Matthews was on the field for 55 of the 78 defensive plays against the Vikings.

“He’s getting stronger each and every week,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s really the feedback that he’s given Winston Moss as the game goes on. That’s really part of your game-day adjustment and boundary management, and that’s the way we’ve been operating Clay, and he came up big for us.”

What’s more, the return of fellow outside linebacker Nick Perry, who had two sacks despite playing with a large club cast on his broken left hand, gave the Packers’ defense a different look. Perry and Matthews often played together on third downs against the Vikings.

“They have to account for him, as well as everybody else on the field,” said Perry, who played 34 snaps against the Vikings in his first action since his Dec. 4 injury. “He’s just that much better when he’s fully healthy.”