The Vikings-Packers rivalry: a look back

He has a 64-yard lead on Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin, and will know the mark he needs, if he’s surpassed, by kickoff in Green Bay.

Unfortunately, they had a rough patch until they eventually finished 4-5 in their last nine games.

The Packers, a three-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Minnesota visits.

FAVRE’S FIRST YEAR: The Vikings clinched the NFC Central in the second-to-last week of Dennis Green’s first season as coach in 1992, going 11-5.

Eagles (+3) over Giants: No idea what to make of either team now. “It’s a playoff mindset, and we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to play”. The Vikings average 189.1 yards per game through the air, 31st in the NFL.

The NFL’s scheduling mandate that all Week-17 games pit division opponents against one another, put in place in 2010, has obviously upped the odds for these scenarios, but no division has experienced as much compelling theater as the NFC North. Each team has a 10-5 record. That player is tackle Linval Joseph, who has missed three games so far this season to injury in weeks 13 through 15. As of late, the Vikings have found success on offense. But they’ve won their last five, and it’s the Bills who have spiralled – and had some issues off the field, too. He’s completing 60.4% of his passes for over 3,500 yards, with a 93.7 QB rating, but a still fantastic 30 touchdown to 7 interception ratio. Switching gears to the Minnesota defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Packers. “It’s a big game, but we can’t let the game become bigger than what it is”. Indeed, the Pack is often at its best when the pressure is highest, and it does not help that it will be playing in its own venue, one of the toughest houses to win at in the NFL. The Vikings can take advantage of Green Bay’s susceptibility to starting the second half slowly. They’ve met twice at 12 games over; the average margin of victory in those games was 22 points. Special teams provide a spark for Minnesota. He’s also on pace for career lows in yards per attempt and completion, and completion percentage. Green Bay lost a game in which it was +2 and was destroyed in the game in which it was -2.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Green Bay’s last 5 games at home. He has only thrown 14 touchdowns this season, and ranks 32nd in the league (i.e. last) in passing yards per game. Even with a playoff berth already in their back pocket heading into Sunday night’s showdown with Minnesota, holding onto their perch atop the division would mean a lot, and not just because it would give the Packers a home playoff game next week.

It will be the third Pro Bowl for Kuhn-he made it past year and in 2011 on the initial balloting-despite having played in less than a quarter of Green Bay’s offensive snaps this season. Making plays in the defensive secondary is S Harrison Smith, who has four INT-TDs since 2012, including a pick six in last week’s playoff-clinching win.

Minnesota is 9-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season.

It’s been a while since another quarterback was able to lead the Vikings to victory at Lambeau. Green Bay won the time of possession battle, but by less than a minute overall. However, if the Vikings lose, Minnesota can fall to either the No. 5 seed (if the Seattle Seahawks lose at Arizona; at Washington) or the No. 6 seed (if the Seattle Seahawks win) in which case they would play at Green Bay back-to-back weeks.