GREEN BAY (8-6) VS. MINNESOTA (7-7)
Saturday, Dec. 24 l Lambeau Field l 12 p.m. CST
The Green Bay Packers return to Lambeau Field this week to take on the Minnesota Vikings in the final home game of the regular season.
- Green Bay has won four consecutive games, becoming the only team in the NFL to have a winning streak of four-plus games in each of the last eight seasons (2009-16). The Packers have registered a wininng streak of four-plus games in 10 of 11 seasons under Head Coach Mike McCarthy.
- The Packers will be playing on a Saturday during the regular season for the first time since 1997. Green Bay is 16-12 in regular-season Saturday games since 1925, and has won its last four. It will be the third time the Packers and Vikings have played on a Saturday during the regular season (1973, 1991).
- The Packers are playing on Christmas Eve for the first time since 2004, when they won, 34-31, at Minnesota to clinch the NFC North title.
- Of the past 29 regular-season meetings between the Packers and Vikings, 20 of those games have been decided by seven points or less, including a three-point differential in the first meeting this season.
- Through 112 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 59-51-2 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
- The Packers are 10-3-1 in the last 14 games between the teams during the regular and postseason.
- The Packers have scored 30-plus points in seven of their last 13 regular-season games against Minnesota. That included a 30-point effort in the meeting at Minnesota last season, a 42-point game in 2014, a 44-point outing at Minnesota in 2013, the most points ever scored by Green Bay at the Metrodome, and a 45-point effort at Lambeau Field in 2011.
- Since McCarthy took over in 2006, the Packers have a 14-6-1 record (.690) against the Vikings in the regular season.
- Including playoffs, Green Bay has a 8-2-1 mark (.773) against the Vikings at Lambeau Field under McCarthy.
- Since 2006, the Packers have scored 20-plus points against the Vikings in 18 of 21 regular-season games. The Packers' 576 points scored in the regular season since 2006 are the most against the Vikings in the NFL, and Green Bay's average of 27.4 points per game leads the league among teams that have played Minnesota at least four times over that span.
- This is the second of three straight games against division opponents. It is the first time since 2006 that the Packers will finish the regular season with three straight games against NFC North opponents.
- Next week, the Packers will finish the regular season in Detroit for the first time since 1993.
RODGERS AND THE VIKINGS
- Including the postseason, Green Bay is 11-6 against Minnesota with Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback, and has won 10 of the last 13 contests. Rodgers has led the Packers to a 6-2 record at home against the Vikings and recorded a 107.2 passer rating with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
- In 18 games against the Vikings (including playoffs), Rodgers has completed 374 of 550 passes (68.0 percent) for 4,480 yards, 36 TDs and six INTs with a passer rating of 110.0. His passer rating is the second highest of any opposing quarterback (min. 100 att.) vs. Minnesota (Kurt Warner, 112.4).
- Rodgers has recorded a 100-plus passer rating in 10 of the last 15 games against the Vikings, including the postseason.
- In the last eight games versus Minnesota (including playoffs), Rodgers has thrown 16 touchdowns and two interceptions.
- In 2010-11, Rodgers posted a passer rating of 140.0 or better in three contests against Minnesota (146.5 at MIN in 2011 / 141.3 at MIN in 2010 / 140.3 vs. MIN in 2011), becoming the first NFL quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to register a 140-plus passer rating in three consecutive games against the same opponent (according to the Elias Sports Bureau).
WITH THE CALL
FOX Sports, now in its 23rd season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
- Play-by-play man Joe Buck joins analyst Troy Aikman and sideline reporter Erin Andrews.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in five states. 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 22nd season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 18th season of broadcasts together.
- Westwood One will air the game on radio across the country. Kevin Lee (play-by-play) and Al Groh (analyst) will call the action while Scott Graham will host pre game and halftime shows.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
- DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 711.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Vikings:
- All-time, Regular season: 58-50-2
- All-time, Postseason: 1-1
- All-time, in Green Bay: 22-18-2
- Streaks: The Packers have won nine and tied once out of the last 13 regular-season matchups.
- Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 18, 2016; Vikings won, 17-14, U.S. Bank Stadium
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 120-68-1, .638 (incl. 8-7 postseason); 11th NFL season
Mike Zimmer: 25-22-0, .532 (incl. 0-1 postseason); 3rd NFL season
Head to Head: McCarthy 3-2
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 15-6-1 vs. Vikings; Zimmer 2-3 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his 11th year as the Packers' 14th head coach.
- Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
- Led the Packers to their seventh consecutive playoff appearance last season, joining New England as the only two NFL teams to do so over that span. Has also led the team to eight playoff appearances in the last nine years (2007, 2009-15).
- Guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring in eight straight seasons (2007-14), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat over that time; Packers finished first overall in scoring in 2014.
- His .647 winning percentage during the regular season (112-61-1) ranks No. 2 among active NFL head coaches (min. 50 games).
- Had 104 regular-season wins in his first 10 seasons as a head coach, ranking No. 3 in NFL history.
MIKE ZIMMER…Is in his third year as the Vikings' 10th head coach.
- In 2015, led Minnesota to its third NFC North title and first since 2009.
- Improved the Vikings' defense from No. 31 (2013) to No. 14 (2014) in his first season as head coach.
- Coordinated the fifth-best defense in the NFL in Cincinnati from 2008-13, allowing 316.7 yards per game.
- Coached DE Everson Griffen to 22.5 sacks from 2014-15, the sixth-best mark in the NFL over that span.
- Guided the Vikings to be the only defense to allow just two 300-yard passers since taking command.
- Was the defensive coordinator in Dallas (2000-06), Atlanta (2007) and Cincinnati (2008-13) before being hired as Minnesota's head coach.
THE PACKERS-VIKINGS SERIES
- The Packers began the series with six straight wins before Minnesota rattled off 22 victories in 32 contests from 1964-79.
- Green Bay began a run of its own in 1979 that saw 16 wins over 21 games and lasted until 1990.
- Since winning Super Bowl XXXI, Green Bay has a 25-15-1 record against the Vikings.
- Over two Wild Card playoff contests, Green Bay and Minnesota have each scored 41 points and won a game by 14 points.
- The last time Green Bay and Minnesota met on Christmas Eve was a Packers' 34-31 victory in Week 16 of the 2004 season.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers DT Letroy Guion played for Minnesota from 2008-13 after being drafted by the Vikings in the fifth round (No. 152 overall) of the 2008 NFL draft...Packers assistant offensive line coach David Raih grew up in Edina, Minn. ...Packers LB Julius Peppers spent the 2009 season in Carolina with Vikings CB Captain Munnerlyn...Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers coached with Minnesota defensive coordinator George Edwards in Miami for two seasons (2006-07)...Packers associate head coach/offense Tom Clements (2004-05) and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt (2005) were colleagues of Vikings defensive backs coach Jerry Gray in Buffalo...Packers TE Jared Cook caught passes from Minnesota QBs Sam Bradford (2013) and Shaun Hill (2014) while in St. Louis...Green Bay defensive line coach Mike Trgovac coached with Minnesota offensive line coach Tony Sparano in Washington during the 2001 season...Sparano also coached with Green Bay defensive quality control coach Ejiro Evero in San Francisco in 2015...Evero was on the staff in San Francisco when Vikings G Alex Boone played for the 49ers...Packers senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith was coached in 1991 by Vikings wide receivers coach George Stewart in Tampa Bay when Highsmith spent the season as a running back for the Cowboys and Buccaneers...Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was Atlanta's defensive coordinator in 2007 when Packers secondary-cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. was the Falcons' assistant defensive backs coach...Whitt Jr. coached with Minnesota assistant defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon in Atlanta in 2007 and at Louisville from 2003-06...Cook played at South Carolina from 2006-08 with Munnerlyn...Green Bay tight ends coach Brian Angelichio coached with Vikings quality control-offense coach Andrew Janocko for one season at Rutgers (2011) and two in Tampa Bay (2012-13)...Angelichio (2008-10) and Packers wide receivers coach Luke Getsy (2010) coached at Pittsburgh with Minnesota quarterbacks coach Scott Turner...Green Bay special teams coordinator Ron Zook coached at Florida in 1991 with Edwards...Packers DT Kenny Clark (2013), QB Brett Hundley (2012-13) and DE/LB Datone Jones (2011-12) played at UCLA with Vikings LB Anthony Barr...Minnesota LB Eric Kendricks was also UCLA teammates with Clark (2013-14), Hundley (2012-14) and Jones (2011-12)...Hundley (2012) and Jones (2009-12) played with Vikings P Jeff Locke at UCLA...Jones also was Bruins teammates with Minnesota K Kai Forbath from 2008-09...Minnesota LS Kevin McDermott was Bruins teammates with Hundley (2012) and Jones (2011-12)...Packers LB Clay Matthews played at Southern California with Minnesota TE Rhett Ellison for one season (2008) and DE Everson Griffen for two years (2007-08)...Ellison (2009-11) and Griffen (2009) were Southern California teammates with Packers LB Nick Perry...Packers LB Jayrone Elliott was a teammate of Vikings C Zac Kerin from 2010-13 at Toledo...Green Bay running backs coach Ben Sirmans and Minnesota assistant wide receivers coach Drew Petzing coached together at Boston College from 2010-11...Before transferring to Northern Iowa, Packers CB Makinton Dorleant spent 2012 at Maryland with Vikings WR Stefon Diggs.
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
Sept. 18, 2016, U.S. Bank Stadium, Vikings won, 17-14
- Vikings RB Adrian Peterson mustered 19 yards on 12 carries (1.6 avg.) before leaving with an injury in the third quarter.
- RB Ty Montgomery partially blocked a Jeff Locke punt in the first quarter, which helped the ensuing drive result in a 1-yard TD pass from QB Aaron Rodgers to WR Jordy Nelson.
- LB Julius Peppers led all players with 1.5 sacks.
- Minnesota had five sacks, including strip-sacks by DE Everson Griffen and DE Danielle Hunter.
- Rodgers (three attempts for 29 yards, 9.7 avg.) almost out-performed the Minnesota ground attack (24 attempts for 30 yards, 1.4 avg.).
