The Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings will kick off their final regular season game of the 2021 season on Sunday night football. The Packers, at 12-3, will be playing to hold onto the NFC’s top seed. The Vikings, meanwhile at 7-8, will be fighting for their playoff lives. A loss to the Packers will eliminate Minnesota from playoff contention. As players and fans prepare for the Sunday Night showdown, we take a look at some interesting numbers from the history of the rivalry.
122 Games Played Between the Packers and Vikings
The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings have played each other 122 times in their history. The Packers own the series with a record of 63-56-3. The Vikings, however, own the largest winning streak between the two teams. From 1975-1978, Minnesota defeated the Packers seven straight times.
The two teams have split the two playoff games they have played against each other. The Vikings won the first matchup on January 9, 2005. That was the night of the infamous Randy Moss “mooning” of Packers fans as Minnesota beat the Packers 31-17 at Lambeau Field. The Packers won the teams’ second playoff game against each other 24-10 on January 5, 2013.
Aaron Rodgers Is 15-10-1 Against the Vikings
According to Statmuse, Aaron Rodgers has played 26 career games against the Minnesota Vikings. He is 15-10-1 in those games, good for a .596 winning percentage. Rodgers has thrown for 6,515 yards and 54 touchdowns against Minnesota in his career. His completion percentage in these games is 68% and he has thrown just seven interceptions. Rodgers’ 110.2 quarterback rating against the Vikings is about six points higher than his 104.4 career mark.
The Vikings Are the Only NFC North Team to Have Won Against Matt LaFleur
When Matt LaFleur took over as head coach of the Packers in 2019, he went a perfect 6-0 against Green Bay’s division rivals. In 2020, the Packers dropped their second matchup to the Minnesota Vikings. It was a home game at Lambeau in which the Packers allowed Dalvin Cook to rush for four touchdowns. It was LaFleur’s first loss against a divisional opponent.
Earlier this season, the Vikings defeated the Packers 34-31. Aaron Rodgers threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Davante Adams each had over 100 yards receiving. MVS caught one touchdown while Adams caught two. The Packers’ leading rusher was AJ Dillon, who had 53 yards on 11 carries. At the time, Aaron Jones was out with a knee injury.
130.5- The Number of Rushing Yards the Vikings Allow Per Game
This season, the Minnesota Vikings have the fifth worst run defense in the NFL. They are allowing 130.5 rushing yards per game. It is not like their pass defense is much better. The Vikings are giving up 248.5 yards per game through the air, sixth worst in the NFL. Overall, Minnesota is giving up 379 total yards per game, fourth worst in the NFL. Based on these numbers, the Packers should have no issues moving the ball on Sunday night.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherAdams14 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
