Packers–Vikings rivalry explained

Packers–Vikings rivalry
Team1:	Green Bay Packers
Team2:	Minnesota Vikings
Team1logo:	Green Bay Packers wordmark.svg
Team2logo:	Minnesota Vikings wordmark.svg
First Contested:	October 22, 1961 Packers 33, Vikings 7
Mostrecent:	December 31, 2023 Packers 33, Vikings 10
Nextmeeting:	September 29, 2024
Total:	127^[1]
Largestvictory:	Packers, 45–7
Currentstreak:	Packers, 1 (2023–present)
Longeststreak:	Vikings, 7 (1975–1978)
Series:	Packers, 66–58–3^[2]
Postseason:	Tied, 1–1

The Packers–Vikings rivalry is an NFL rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.^{[3] [4]} CBS ranked it the #3 NFL rivalry of the 2000s.^[5] In the modern era, the Minnesota Vikings have been the biggest NFC North challenger to the Green Bay Packers. While the Packers have won almost 75% of its games against the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions since the beginning of quarterback Brett Favre’s first season in 1992, they have only won ~50% of their games against the Vikings (going 35–29–2 in that period).

Notable moments and games

• The Packers, under coach Vince Lombardi beat the Vikings in nine of the first ten meetings in Minnesota's first five seasons in the NFL (1961–1965). In Green Bay's two Super Bowl seasons under Lombardi (1966–67), the two teams split their semi-annual meetings. In Minnesota's four Super Bowl seasons (1969, 1973, 1974, 1976) the Vikings won seven of eight meetings with the Packers. Vikings' coach Bud Grant went 22–14–1 against the Packers.
• On September 26, 1993, the Vikings trailed the visiting Packers 13–12 with no timeouts and less than two minutes remaining on the clock. Needing a big play on 4th and 8 from their own 19, Minnesota quarterback Jim McMahon found Cris Carter for a 19-yard gain to keep the Vikings' drive alive. A couple more completions, mixed with three incomplete passes, set up a third-and-10 from mid-field with 14 seconds left. McMahon rolled right to avoid the rush, when suddenly he spotted rookie wide receiver Eric Guliford who was wide open by 20 yards. McMahon then connected on a 45-yard bomb with 6 seconds left to play before Mike Prior could force Guliford out of bounds. That would set up Fuad Reveiz's fifth field goal of the game, lifting the Vikings to a 15–13 victory. It was Guliford's only catch in his two seasons with the Vikings.
• On October 5, 1998 Vikings rookie Randy Moss made his Monday Night Football debut at Lambeau Field and had five catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Randall Cunningham had two additional touchdown throws and Gary Anderson kicked three field goals in a 37–24 Vikings win. Favre threw three interceptions and was benched for Doug Pederson, who threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. The loss ended an 18-game winning streak for the Packers at Lambeau Field, dating back to 1995.
• In a Monday Night Football game on November 6, 2000, the Packers and Vikings were tied at 20 in overtime when Brett Favre threw a long pass that Vikings cornerback Cris Dishman deflected towards Antonio Freeman, who was on the ground. The ball went straight from Dishman to Freeman's shoulder, who then rolled over to make the catch at the 15-yard line, and took it for the touchdown and the 26-20 win. This prompted commentator Al Michaels to famously utter, "He did what?"
• On December 24, 2004 the Packers traveled to the Metrodome for a Week 16 matchup that would determine the 2004 NFC North champion. Both teams entered the game with 8–6 records. The Vikings took a 31–24 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but the Packers mounted a late comeback to tie the game with 3:34 remaining. The Packers then drove down the field and won the game on a 29-yard field goal from Ryan Longwell as time expired. It was the second time in the season that Longwell had kicked a last-second field goal to give the Packers a 34–31 win over the Vikings.
• January 9, 2005 marked the first time that the two clubs played each other in the playoffs. The Vikings jumped to an early lead and won 31-17.^[6] In the 4th quarter after his second touchdown, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss faux mooned Packer fans. In the moment, Fox announcer Joe Buck famously denounced the end zone celebration as "a disgusting act.”
• The week leading to the teams' 2007 Week Four match up at the Metrodome was talk of whether Brett Favre would break the all-time passing touchdown record. He had already tied the record the week before, therefore needing only one touchdown pass to break Dan Marino's all time record of 420. Favre broke the record in the first quarter on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings. The Packers went on to win the game 23–16.^[7]
• In week 10 of the 2007 season the Packers defeated the Vikings 34–0, for the second shutout of the series.
• A missed 52-yard field goal try by the Packers' Mason Crosby with 26 seconds remaining sealed a hard-fought 28–27 Vikings win at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on November 9, 2008. Gus Frerotte overcame three interceptions (one returned 55 yards by the Packers' Nick Collins for a touchdown) to throw two touchdowns while Adrian Peterson rushed for 192 yards and the decisive touchdown with 2:22 to go in the fourth. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 142 yards but in the second quarter fumbled in the endzone and was flagged for intentional grounding, giving a safety to the Vikings; Jared Allen then sacked Rodgers in the Packers endzone with 52 seconds left in the first half for another Vikings safety.
• Monday Night Football earned the highest ratings in cable television history on October 5, 2009 when the Vikings hosted the Packers. The game was the first meeting between the Packers and their former quarterback Brett Favre. The Vikings took over the game when Aaron Rodgers was sacked at the Vikings 33-yard line and fumbled. The Vikings drove downfield as Adrian Peterson rushed six times for 26 yards and Favre threw five times, ending in a one-yard touchdown to Visanthe Shiancoe. Rodgers managed a 62-yard touchdown to Jermichael Finley, and after an exchange of touchdowns (a 14-yard Favre pass to Sidney Rice and a Clay Matthews strip-tackle of Peterson returned 42-yards) Favre raced the Vikings to the Packers redzone; a pass to the endzone was picked off but the play was nullified on pass interference, and one play later Peterson rushed in another score. The Vikings never let the Packers closer as they won 30–23, taking a 4–0 record in the 2009 season's first quarter.
• On October 24, 2010, the two teams met on Sunday Night Football^[8] Three Favre interceptions helped the Packers surge to a 28–24 lead but Favre led a late comeback; an end zone catch by Percy Harvin with 57 seconds remaining was nullified when review showed one foot out of bounds, and the Vikings failed to convert a touchdown in their final attempt. Favre suffered an injury to his left ankle that left his season in doubt and coach Brad Childress was livid with the officiating crew led by Scott Green. In the November 21 rematch, the Packers routed the Vikings 31-3 behind four Aaron Rodgers touchdown passes, making Rodgers 2–2 against Favre in his career. The loss dropped the Vikings to 3–7, all but eliminating them from playoff contention. Childress was fired by the Vikings the next day, and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was promoted to replace him. The Packers went on to win their fourth Super Bowl.

• Adrian Peterson came up nine yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's 1984 rushing record but his late scamper set up the winning field goal in a 37–34 Vikings win on December 30, 2012. The Packers erased a 20–10 halftime gap but could not eke out a win, while the Vikings advanced to the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed.
• On January 5, 2013 the Packers defeated the Vikings 24-10 in the Wild Card round just six days after falling to the Vikings in Week 17. The Packers were able to hold Adrian Peterson under 100 yards after he had run for 210 and 199 yards respectively in the first two meetings.
• The Packers and Vikings played for the division crown in Week 17 of the 2015 season at Lambeau Field.^[9] The Vikings won the contest 20–13, claiming their first divisional title since 2009 and breaking the Packers' four-year streak.
• In the first game in U.S. Bank Stadium, Week 2 of the 2016 season, the Vikings defeated the Packers 17-14 en route to a 5-0 start to the season.
• The two teams faced off at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 15, 2017. Midway through the first quarter, Minnesota linebacker Anthony Barr tackled Aaron Rodgers, causing him to leave the game with a broken collarbone. Rodgers had surgery on October 19 and was placed on injured reserve, giving quarterback Brett Hundley the reigns. The teams headed in opposite directions going forward, as the Packers' eight-year streak of playoff berths ended with a 7–9 record after starting 4–1, while the Vikings finished 13–3 and won the NFC North, losing to the eventual Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. The following offseason, a controversial rule change was introduced that would cause similar tackles to result in a roughing the passer penalty.^[10]
• On December 23, 2017, the Vikings won 16–0; the first time the Vikings shut out the Packers at Lambeau Field and Minnesota's first sweep of Green Bay since 2009. It was the second home shutout of the season for the Packers, who previously had not been shutout at home since 2006, following a 0-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
• On December 23, 2019, the 11–3 Packers and 10–4 Vikings met at U.S. Bank Stadium for Monday Night Football that would have implications on NFC playoff seeding. A Packers win would clinch the NFC North, while a Vikings win would keep them in contention for the division title. Despite three early turnovers in the first half from the Packers offense, they would eventually win 23–10 behind 3.5 sacks from OLB Za'Darius Smith and 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns from RB Aaron Jones. The win marked the first Packers win in Minnesota since 2015 and their first ever win at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Packers clinched the NFC North title, while the Vikings, having already clinched a playoff spot prior to the game due to a Rams loss, were locked in as the NFC's sixth seed.^[11]

Game results

|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
28–10 †| style="| Packers
33–7| Packers
2–0| Vikings join NFL as an expansion team. Packers win 1961 NFL Championship.|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
34–7 | style="| Packers
48–21| Packers
4–0| Packers win 1962 NFL Championship.|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
28–7| style="| Packers
37–28| Packers
6–0 ||-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
24–23| style="| Packers
42–13| Packers
7–1 | |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
24–19| style="| Packers
38–13| Packers
9–1 | Packers win 1965 NFL Championship.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
20–17| style="| Packers
28–16| Packers
10–2 | Packers win 1966 NFL Championship and Super Bowl I.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
10–7 †| style="| Packers
30–27| Packers
11–3| Packers win seven straight meetings in Minnesota. Packers win 1967 NFL Championship and Super Bowl II.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
26–13 †| style="| Vikings
14–10| Packers
11–5 | |-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
9–7 †| style="| Vikings
19–7| Packers
11–7 | Vikings win 1969 NFL Championship, lose Super Bowl IV.|-|colspan="6"| † Denotes a Packers home game played in Milwaukee|-|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
13–10 †| style="| Vikings
10–3| Packers
12–8| Both teams placed in the NFC Central after AFL-NFL merger.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
24–13| style="| Vikings
3–0| Packers
12–10| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
27–13| style="| Packers
23–7| Packers
13–11| |-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
31–7| style="| Vikings
11–3| Tie
13–13| Vikings lose Super Bowl VIII.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
32–17| style="| Packers
19–7| Tie
14–14| Vikings lose Super Bowl IX.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
28–17| style="| Vikings
24–3| Vikings
16–14| |-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
17–10 †| style="| Vikings
20–9| Vikings
18–14| Vikings lose Super Bowl XI.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
13–6 | style="| Vikings
19–7| Vikings
20–14| Vikings win seven straight meetings in Green Bay/Milwaukee (1971–77).|-| | style="| | Tie
10–10(OT) | style="| Vikings
21–7| Vikings
21–14–1| Vikings win seven straight meetings (1975–78).|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
19–17 †| style="| Vikings
27–21(OT)| Vikings
22–15–1| |-|colspan="6"| † Denotes a Packers home game played in Milwaukee|-|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
16–3| style="| Packers
25–13| Vikings
22–17–1 | |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
30–13 †| style="| Packers
35–23| Vikings
23–18–1 ||-| | style="| | style="| Packers
26–7 †| no game| Vikings
23–19–1 | Game in Minneapolis cancelled due to players strike reducing the season to 9 games. Vikings move to Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
20–17(OT) †| style="| Packers
29–21| Vikings
24–20–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
45–17 †| style="| Packers
38–14| Vikings
24–22–1 | |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
20–17 †| style="| Packers
27–17| Tie
24–24–1 ||-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
32–6 | style="| Vikings
42–7| Vikings
26–24–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
23–16 †| style="| Packers
16–10| Tie
26–26–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
18–6| style="| Packers
34–14| Packers
28–26–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
20–19 †| style="| Vikings
26–14 | Packers
29–27–1| |-|colspan="6"| † Denotes a Packers home game played in Milwaukee|-|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
24–10 †| style="| Vikings
23–7 | Packers
30–28–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
35-21 | style="| Packers
27-7| Packers
31–29–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
23–20(OT) | style="| Vikings
27–7| Tie
31–31–1| Packers QB Brett Favre's first start in the rivalry. Vikings' win in Minnesota eliminates Packers from playoff contention. |-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
21–17 †| style="| Vikings
15–13| Vikings
33–31–1| Vikings K Fuad Reveiz kicks five field goals in the game in Minneapolis, including the game-winner in the final seconds.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
16–10 †| style="| Vikings
13–10(OT) | Vikings
34–32–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
38–21| style="| Vikings
27–24 | Vikings
35–33–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
38–10| style="| Vikings
30–21 | Vikings
36–34–1| Packers win Super Bowl XXXI.|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
38–32| style="| Packers
27–11| Tie
36–36–1| Packers lose Super Bowl XXXII.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
37–24| style="| Vikings
28–14| Vikings
38–36–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
23–20| style="| Vikings
24–20 | Vikings
39–37–1| |-|colspan="6"| † Denotes a Packers home game played in Milwaukee|-|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
26–20(OT)| style="| Packers
33–28| Tie
39–39–1| Packers win game in Green Bay on Antonio Freeman's rolling catch off his shoulder and run in for a touchdown, to which commentator Al Michaels famously exclaimed, "he did WHAT?!"|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
24–13| style="| Vikings
35–13 | Tie
40–40–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
26–22| style="| Vikings
31–21 | Tie
41–41–1| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
30–25 | style="| Packers
30–27| Tie
42–42–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
34–31| style="| Packers
34–31| Packers
44–42–1| |- style="font-weight:bold;background:#f2f2f2;"| 2004 Playoffs| style="| | style="| Vikings
31–17|| Packers
44–43–1 | NFC Wild Card Round. First playoff meeting between the two teams.|- | | style="| | style="| Vikings
20–17| style="| Vikings
23–20| Vikings
45–44–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
9–7| style="| Packers
23–17| Packers
46–45–1| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
34–0| style="| Packers
23–16| Packers
48–45–1| Brett Favre breaks Dan Marino's record for most career touchdown passes during the game in Minneapolis on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings. |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
24–19| style="| Vikings
28–27 | Packers
49–46–1 | Packers QB Aaron Rodgers makes his first career start on a Week 1 Monday Night Football game against the Vikings. Vikings win Week 9 game in Minneapolis after Packers K Mason Crosby misses a 52-yard field goal in the game's final seconds.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
38–26| style="| Vikings
30–23| Packers
49–48–1 | Favre signs with the Vikings before the season, and proceeds to sweep his former team en route to a 12-4 record and another NFC North division title.|-|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
28–24| style="| Packers
31–3| Packers
51–48–1 | Packers win Super Bowl XLV. Final start in the series for Brett Favre.|-| | style="| | style="| Packers
45–7| style="| Packers
33–27| Packers
53–48–1| Packers' 45–7 win is the largest margin of victory for either team in the series.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
23–14| style="| Vikings
37–34 | Packers
54–49–1| Minnesota's win in Week 17 clinches final playoff spot while denying the Packers a first-round bye. Setting up the rematch in Green Bay as the #3 & #6 seeds the following week.|- style="font-weight:bold;background:#f2f2f2;"| 2012 Playoffs| style="| | style="| Packers
24–10|| Packers
55–49–1| NFC Wild Card Round.|-| | style="| | Tie
| style="| Packers
44–31| Packers
56–49–2| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
42–10| style="| Packers
24–21| Packers
58–49–2| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Vikings
20–13| style="| Packers
30–13| Packers
59–50–2 | Vikings clinch NFC North with Week 17 win at Lambeau Field.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Packers
38–25| style="| Vikings
17–14| Packers
60–51–2 | Vikings open U.S. Bank Stadium. The two teams' meeting is the first game at the new venue. After a 5–0 start, the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention with a 38-25 loss at Lambeau Field in Week 16, en route to an 8–8 finish to the season.|-| | style="| | style="| Vikings
16–0| style="| Vikings
23–10| Packers
60–53–2| Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr delivers a hit to Rodgers in the Week 6 contest at U.S. Bank Stadium that resulted in Rodgers suffering a broken collarbone and missing nine games that season. The hit would lead to a new rule that would make hits like Barr's result in a roughing the passer penalty.|-| | style="| | Tie
| style="| Vikings
24–17| Packers
60–54–3| |-| | style="| | style="| Packers
21–16| style="| Packers
23–10| Packers
62–54–3| Packers clinch NFC North with Week 16 win in Minneapolis.|-|-| | | style="| Vikings
28–22| style="| Packers
43–34| Packers
63–55–3| Game in Minnesota is the highest-scoring game in rivalry with a total of 77 points scored.|-| | | style="| Packers
37–10| style="| Vikings
34–31| Packers
64–56–3| Packers eliminate Vikings from playoff contention with Week 17 win in Green Bay.|-| | | style="| Packers
41–17| style="| Vikings
23–7| Packers
65–57–3| Game in Green Bay was final start in the series and final win as a Packer for Aaron Rodgers.|- | | | style="| Vikings
24–10| style="| Packers
33−10| Packers
66–58–3| |- |-| Regular season| style="|| | | Packers home record includes 25–19–3 in Green Bay and 9–7 in Milwaukee|-| Postseason| Tie 1–1| Tie 1–1| no games| NFC Wild Card Round: 2004, 2012|-| Regular and postseason | style="|| | | |-

Players that played for both teams

Name	Pos.	Years with Packers	Years with Vikings
Paul Coffman	TE	1978–1985	1988
Letroy Guion	DT	2014–2016	2008–2013
Brandon Bostick	TE	2012–2014	2015
Brett Favre	QB	1992–2007	2009–2010
DuJuan Harris	RB	2012–2014	2015
Greg Jennings	WR	2006–2012	2013–2014
Robert Ferguson	WR	2001–2007	2007–2008
Gilbert Brown	DT	1993–1999, 2001–2003	1993
Aaron Jones	RB	2017–2023	2024–present
Datone Jones	DE	2013–2017	2017
Chandon Sullivan	DB	2019–2021	2022
Za'Darius Smith	LB	2019–2021	2022
Dean Lowry	DE	2016–2022	2023
Desmond Bishop	LB	2007–2013	2013–2014
Jeff Brady	LB	1992	1995–1997
Bryce Paup	LB	1990–1994	2000
Darren Sharper	DB	1997–2004	2005–2008
Mossy Cade	DB	1985–1986	1988
Ryan Longwell	K	1997–2005	2006–2011
Jan Stenerud	K	1980–1983	1984–1985
Bucky Scribner	P	1983–1984	1987–1989
Carroll Dale	WR	1965–1972	1973
Koren Robinson	WR	2006–2007	2005
Robert Tonyan	TE	2018–2022	2024–present

See also

• Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry

Notes and References

1. Web site: Green Bay Packers Head-to-Head Records. Pro-Football-Reference.com.
2. Web site: Green Bay Packers Head-to-Head Records. Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. Web site: Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings.
4. Web site: Packers-Vikings is rivalry for now and future. 2016-09-16. 2016-09-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20160917085809/http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-10-things/article-1/Packers-Vikings-is-rivalry-for-now-and-future/ca0c20c4-e1fc-47b6-8c8f-44694b225bf2. dead.
5. Web site: Ranking NFL's top rivalries of the 2000s: Epic QB clash tops list of historic matchups. 3 July 2020 .
6. Web site: Breaking Down the Packers-Vikings Rivalry. Bob. Fox. Bleacher Report.
7. Web site: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings - September 30th, 2007. Pro-Football-Reference.com.
8. Web site: Vikings-Packers: 107th Meeting Fuels Rivalry. 2016-09-16. 2016-10-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20161011133522/http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Packers-107th-Meeting-Fuels-Rivalry/0afad8e2-3206-4181-be38-37906e066b92. dead.
9. Web site: Packers-Vikings rivalry will intensify. 2016-09-16. 2016-09-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20160917090856/http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Packers-Vikings-rivalry-will-intensify/031cd727-a374-402e-a713-9135d457d71d. dead.
10. Web site: Anthony Barr's hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalty this season. Minneapolis Star Tribune. August 2, 2018. August 2, 2018. Goessling. Ben.
11. Web site: Vikings Secure Postseason Berth with Rams Loss .