The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will square off at Lambeau Field on Sunday. It is the 12th time in the last 14 seasons that the two teams have squared off in a prime-time contest.
- It will be just the second January matchup for the Packers and Vikings during the regular season (2015).
- Each of the last three matchups between the two clubs in Green Bay have been decided by six points or less, including a tie in 2018.
- Green Bay has scored 22-plus points in 12 of the last 15 home games vs. Minnesota.
- Of the past 38 regular-season meetings between the teams, 25 of those games have been decided by seven points or less, including a three-point difference in the Week 11 meeting at Minnesota.
- Through 121 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 63-56-3 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
- Green Bay (eight) and Minnesota (four) have won 12 of the last 14 NFC North titles (2008-21).
- Including the postseason, Green Bay is 15-10-1 against Minnesota with Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback. Rodgers is second to Brett Favre (17-15-1) for the most wins a starting quarterback has led the Packers to over the Vikings (including postseason).
- Including the playoffs, Rodgers has 55 TDs and seven INTs with a passer rating of 110.0. His passer rating is the highest of any opposing starting quarterback (min. 200 att.) vs. Minnesota (Russell Wilson, 105.0 / Drew Brees, 100.7), according to Stats Pass.
- Rodgers has thrown 54 TD passes during the regular season against the Vikings, tied with Favre for the most in NFL history against Minnesota.
- Rodgers has recorded a 100-plus passer rating in 16 of his 26 starts against the Vikings (including the postseason) and a rating of 94-plus in 19 contests.
- In the last 19 games versus Minnesota (including playoffs), Rodgers has thrown 33 touchdowns and four interceptions.
- Rodgers is the only NFL player to have six games with four-plus touchdown passes with zero interceptions against the Vikings.
- Rodgers owns the most games (nine vs. CHI and vs. MIN) with a 125-plus passer rating vs. a single team.
- WR Davante Adams has seven TD catches in his last three games against Minnesota.
- Adams is the only NFL player to register 13-plus catches twice against the Vikings (franchise-record-tying 14 in Week 1 last season and 13 in Week 16 of 2019).
- Adams' 12 career TD catches against the Vikings are his most against a single opponent and the most vs. Minnesota by any NFL player.
- Adams has registered a TD reception in seven of the last nine games he has faced Minnesota.
- Adams' 82 receptions are the third most against the Vikings (Donald Driver, 92 / Herman Moore, 84).
- DL Kenny Clark has registered at least a sack in five of the last eight games he has played in against Minnesota, totaling six sacks over that span (the most he has had against one opponent).
The game will air across the country on NBC. Play-by-play man Mike Tirico joins analyst Cris Collinsworth with Kathryn Tappen reporting from the sidelines.
- Westwood One will air the game on radio across the country. Ryan Radtke (play-by-play) and Mike Golic (analyst) will call the action with Scott Graham hosting pregame and halftime shows.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 49 stations in four states. For a full listing of radio affiliates, go to www.packers.com. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 26th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 23rd season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago. Both McCarren and Larrivee are members of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Vikings:
- Regular season, all-time: 62-55-3
- All-time, Postseason: 1-1
- All-time, in Green Bay: 32-25-3
- Streaks: Minnesota has won the last two meetings.
- Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 21, 2021, U.S. Bank Stadium, Vikings won, 34-31
- Matt LaFleur: 38-9-0, .809; (2-2 postseason); 3rd NFL season
- Mike Zimmer: 71-55-1, .563; 8th NFL season
- Head to Head: LaFleur 3-2 vs. Zimmer
- vs. Opponent: LaFleur 3-2 vs. Vikings; Zimmer 7-7-1 vs. Packers
- In his 13th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Football Team, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- In his first two seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. For the second consecutive season in 2020, led Green Bay to a 13-3 record and captured the NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 2011. It was just the second time in team history that the Packers had won 13-plus games in back-to- back seasons (13-3 in 1996 and 1997).
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the sixth head coach since 1970 to lead his team to the conference championship game in both of his first two seasons as a head coach, joining Jim Harbaugh (2011-12), Rex Ryan (2009-10), Barry Switzer (1994-95), George Seifert (1989-90) and Don McCafferty (1970-71).
- Became just the second NFL head coach since the league went to a divisional format in 1967 to win 13-plus games and a division title in both of his first two seasons, joining Seifert (1989-90).
- In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).
MIKE ZIMMER…In his eighth year as the Vikings' ninth head coach.
- Since he took over head-coaching duties prior to the 2014 season, Minnesota has compiled 68 regular-season victories, tied for No. 9 in the NFL during that span.
- Guided the Vikings to a 10-6 regular-season mark, a playoff berth and a Wild Card win at New Orleans during the 2019 season. Minnesota has advanced to the postseason in three of his seven seasons at the helm, including two NFC North titles (2015 and 2017).
- Led Minnesota to a record-setting 2017 campaign that saw the Vikings go 13-3, win the NFC North title and advance to the NFC Championship Game. After inheriting the No. 31 defense in the league in 2014, guided the Minnesota defense to the top ranking in both yards allowed and points allowed in 2017.
- A longtime defensive coordinator prior to taking the Minnesota job, coached four top-10 defensive units in Cincinnati (2009, 2011-13), three in Dallas (2001, 2003, 2005) and three as head coach of the Vikings (2016-18).
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers defensive backs/passing game coordinator coach Jerry Gray coached the Vikings' defensive backs from 2014-19…Packers executive vice president/ director of football operations Russ Ball served as the senior football administrator for the Vikings from 1999-2000…Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst's father, John, served as the head coach of the University of Minnesota from 1985-91. The younger Gutekunst attended high school at Robbinsdale Armstrong in Plymouth, Minn. and Totino-Grace in Fridley, Minn…Packers outside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti's father, Tom, coached for the Minnesota Vikings from 1996-99…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was Vikings QB Kirk Cousins' position coach in Washington for two seasons (2012-13)…Cousins and Packers LB Preston Smith played together for the Washington Football Team over the course of three seasons (2015-17)…Vikings QB Sean Mannion was on the Los Angeles Rams' roster when LaFleur served as offensive coordinator in 2017…LaFleur and Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell coached together in Washington in 2010-11...Packers T/G Billy Turner is from Shoreview, Minn. and attended Mounds View High School outside of Minneapolis…Turner's father, Maurice, was a 12th-round draft choice by the Vikings in 1983 and played for Vikings in 1984-85…Vikings coaches Rick Dennison, Klint Kubiak and Brian Pariani were all on the Denver coaching staff in 2016 while Turner played for the Broncos…Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell played at the University of Minnesota...Vikings LB Ryan Connelly played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin…Packers RB Aaron Jones was coached by Vikings offensive quality control coach AC Patterson during his freshman season at Texas-El Paso…Vikings WR Chad Beebe's father, Don, played for the Packers from 1996-97 and was a member of the Super Bowl XXXI champion team…Vikings offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers coach Christian Jones played with Packers DL Tyler Lancaster and DL Dean Lowry at Northwestern and was coached by Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten at Westfield HS in Houston, Texas...Minnesota running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu coached in Jacksonville for four years (2006-09) during Green Bay TE Marcedes Lewis' time with the Jaguars...Lewis spent two seasons (2004-05) with Vikings special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken at UCLA...Lewis was teammates at UCLA with Vikings offensive line coach Phil Rauscher...Polamalu coached at UCLA while Green Bay DL Kenny Clark played for the Bruins (2014-15)...Vikings assistant offensive line coach Ben Steele played TE for the Packers for two seasons (2004-05)…Vikings defensive quality control/assistant defensive line coach Imarjaye Albury Sr. briefly spent time with the Green Bay Packers in 2017 at rookie minicamp.
