Dope Sheet: Packers take on the Vikings at home

The Green Bay Packers return to Lambeau Field to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

• It is the first October visit to Green Bay for the Vikings since 2014.
• Under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers are 5-3 against the Vikings (3-1 at home) and have scored 21-plus points in seven of the eight contests.
• Green Bay's five wins over Minnesota since 2019 are the most in the NFL, two more than any other team over that span (Dallas Cowboys, 3-1 / Chicago Bears, 3-6).
• Green Bay has won the last two home games against the Vikings by 27 and 24 points.
• The three previous contests at Lambeau between the two were decided by six points or less, including a tie in 2018.
• The Packers have scored 22-plus points in 14 of the last 17 home games vs. Minnesota, including 37 in 2021 and 41 last season.
• Overall, the Packers have won five of the last eight meetings.
• The two teams have split the season series each of the last three seasons. 
• Over the last two seasons, each team has won at home, while in 2020, each team won on the road.
• Of the past 41 regular-season meetings between the teams, 25 of those games have been decided by seven points or less.
• Through 124 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 65-57-3 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
• Since 2000, the Packers are 27-17-2 (.609) in regular-season contests versus the Vikings.
• Sunday will be the Packers' first home game since Sept. 28. It is the second straight season where Green Bay has had a gap of more than a month between home games (Nov. 17 - Dec. 19, 2022).
• It will be the third game against an NFC North opponent for Green Bay this season, having faced the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and the Detroit Lions in Week 4. 
• The Packers are 19-7 againts the NFC North since 2019, a .731 divisional winning percentage that ranks No. 2 in the NFL (Kansas City, 23-3, .885, vs. AFC West).
• Green Bay is 10-3 at home against division opponents since 2019. The Packers have scored 20-plus points in 12 of those contests.
• Sunday is the first of four scheduled noon (CT) games in a row, with three of them at home.
• In Week 9, Lambeau Field will welcome the Los Angeles Rams, marking the first time the Rams have played in Green Bay in three consecutive seasons

WITH THE CALL

FOX Sports, now in its 30th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.

• Play-by-play man Kenny Albert joins analyst Jonathan Vilma and sideline reporter Shannon Spake.
• The game is also available through NFL Sunday Ticket by YouTube.
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 51 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its second season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network. 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 29th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 25th 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.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (Packers Radio Network feed is on SiriusXM 111 or 229 and on the SiriusXM App).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Minnesota:

• All-time, regular season: 64-56-3
• All-time, postseason: 1-1
• All-time, at home (regular season): 34-25-3 (25-19-3 at Lambeau)
• Streaks: Green Bay has won three of the last four games played at Lambeau.
• Last meeting, regular season: Jan. 1, 2023, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 41-17

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 49-23-0, .680; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL season
• Kevin O'Connell: 16-9-0, .640; (0-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 1-1 vs. O'Connell
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 5-3 vs. Vikings; O'Connell 1-1 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his fifth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Enters his 15th 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 Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first four seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 47 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first four seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (52 in 1989-92). Green Bay's 47-19 regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 3 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC.
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
• Guided the Packers to a 27-6 record (.818) in the regular season from 2019-22 at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL since 2019. His .750 win percentage (18-6 record) against NFC North opponents in his first four seasons also ranks as the best in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games).
• 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).

KEVIN O'CONNELL…In his second season as the Vikings' 10th head coach.

• Enters his ninth season as an NFL coach, having previously spent time with the Los Angeles Rams (2020-21), Washington Redskins (2017-19), San Francisco 49ers (2016) and Cleveland Browns (2015).
• Led the Vikings to 13 wins, the most by any first-year head coach in franchise history, earning the club's first division title since 2017.
• Had seven players win Player of the Week awards in 2022, the most by a first-year head coach in franchise history. Seven notched Pro Bowl berths and three earned Associated Press All-Pro honors as well.
• Helped coach QB Matthew Stafford and the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl LVI during the 2021 season.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-VIKINGS SERIES

• The all-time series began in 1961 with the Packers rattling off six wins in a row (1961-63) before the Vikings took 22 of the next 32 contests from 1964-79.
• From 1979 to 1990, Green Bay had a run of its own, winning 16 of 21 games. Since 2000, the Packers are 27-17-2 (.609) in regular-season games against the Vikings.
• Green Bay and Minnesota have met twice in the playoffs. Both times were in an NFC Wild Card game, the Vikings winning the first matchup in 2004 before the Packers returned the favor in 2012.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell played at the University of Minnesota from 2013-15…Packers LB Eric Wilson entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota in 2017 and played for the Vikings for four seasons (2017-20)…Packers TE Ben Sims entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota during the 2023 offseason…Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst attended high school at Robbinsdale Armstrong in Plymouth, Minn., and Totino Grace in Fridley, Minn…Gutekunst's father, John, served as the head coach at the University of Minnesota from 1985-91...Packers executive V.P./director of football operations Russ Ball served as senior football administrator for the Vikings from 1999-2000…Packers player personnel executive Lee Gissendaner spent time on the Vikings' practice squad in 1996...Packers college scout Joe Hueber was born in St. Louis Park, Minn., and attended the University of Minnesota...Vikings DL Dean Lowry was drafted by Green Bay in the fourth round (No. 137 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, and spent seven seasons with the Packers (2016-22)…Vikings defensive assistant Imarjaye Albury spent time with Green Bay during the 2017 offseason…Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine was Green Bay's defensive coordinator from 2018-20...Vikings tight ends/passing game coordinator Brian Angelichio served as the Packers' tight ends coach from 2016-18...Vikings outside linebackers coach/pass rush specialist Mike Smith coached outside linebackers for Green Bay from 2019-21...Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones coached the same position at the University of Wisconsin in 2015…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell coached on the staff together in Washington in 2010-11...McCardell played for Tampa Bay when Packers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry were part of the Buccaneers' coaching staff...LaFleur served as Vikings QB Kirk Cousins' position coach in Washington for two seasons (2012-13)…Packers LB Preston Smith and Cousins were teammates in Washington from 2015-17 while Barry, Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and head coach Kevin O'Connell all served on Washington's staff at various times between 2015-17…Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans was on the Rams' staff when Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels played for the team (2012-14)…LaFleur, Barry and Vikings assistant inside linebackers coach Thad Bogardus were all on the Rams' staff in 2017…Bisaccia and Phillips coached together for Dallas in 2013 while Packers special teams QC coach Kyle Wilber was a player for the Cowboys…Barry and Bisaccia were both on the coaching staff in San Diego in 2012 when O'Connell was with the Chargers as a quarterback during the 2012 preseason...Vikings defensive line coach Chris Rumph played at South Carolina when Bisaccia was coaching there...Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, O'Connell and Angelichio were on Pettine's staff when he served as head coach for Cleveland in 2015…Packers WRs/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich and Pettine were on the Bills' staff together in 2013…Bogardus joined Vrable and Rebrovich on Buffalo's staff in 2014…Vikings RB Cam Akers, TE Johnny Mundt, WR Brandon Powell, Packers LS Matt Orzech and LB Justin Hollins were teammates for the Rams…Hollins, Vikings G Dalton Risner and C Austin Schlottmann were teammates for the Broncos in 2019 after Denver drafted by Hollins and Risner in the 2019 NFL Draft…Packers CB Rasul Douglas and Vikings LB Jordan Hicks were teammates with the Eagles in 2017-18…Hicks went on to play with Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell in Arizona in 2020…Former college teammates include: Packers LB Rashan Gary, G Jon Runyan and Vikings S Josh Metellus (Michigan); Packers LB Quay Walker, DL Devonte Wyatt and Vikings S Lewis Cine (Georgia); Packers LB Kristian Welch and Vikings TE T.J Hockenson (Iowa); DL T.J. Slaton and Vikings WR Brandon Powell (Florida); TE Luke Musgrave and G Blake Brandek (Oregon State); Packers LB Kingsley Enagbare, Vikings TE Nick Muse and OLB D.J. Wonnum (South Carolina); Packers LB Justin Hollins, Vikings LB Troy Dye and TE Johnny Mundt (Oregon); Packers T Yosh Nijman and Vikings T Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech).