Packers return home to face Vikings

The Green Bay Packers will play their first game at Lambeau Field since Oct. 5 when they take on the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.  

• Including playoffs, Green Bay has an 8-3-2 mark (.692) against the Vikings at Lambeau Field since 2008.
• The Packers have scored 23-plus points in 11 of the last 14 home games vs. Minnesota.
• This marks the first time since 2009 that the Vikings and Packers will square off twice by Week 8.
• Of the past 36 regular-season meetings between the teams, 23 of those games have been decided by seven points or less.
• Through 120 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 63-54-3 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
• The Packers look to sweep the regular-season series against the Vikings for the second consecutive year and the seventh time since 2002 (2019, 2011, 2010, 2007, 2006, 2004).
• Green Bay (six) and Minnesota (four) have won 10 of the last 12 NFC North titles (2008-19). 
• This will be the fourth time this season Green Bay will play a game that kicks off at 12 p.m. CT. The Packers won each of the previous three games that kicked off at 12 p.m. CT, scoring 43 points at Minnesota, 42 points versus Detroit and 35 points at Houston.
• This is the third straight year that the game between Green Bay and Minnesota at Lambeau Field is played at noon.
• The Packers have started 5-1 for the second consecutive season. It is the first time since 1965-66 that Green Bay has won at least five of its first six games in back-to-back seasons.
• Green Bay joins the Seattle Seahawks (5-1 in 2019 and 2020) as the only teams in the NFL to win at least five of its first six games in each of the last two seasons (Stathead.com).
• The Packers have won 10 of their last 11 regular-season games, including seven straight at home.
• Green Bay is the first team in NFL history with 180-plus points and two or fewer giveaways in the first six games of a season.
• Green Bay has scored 30-plus points in five games this season, marking the third time since 1951 that the Packers have posted 30-plus points in at least five of the first six games (1963, 1996).

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

WITH THE CALL

FOX will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt joins analyst Daryl Johnston with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines. 

• 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 four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 25th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 22nd 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 (WTMJ feed), WTMJ.com via desktop computer and on numerous devices through NFL Game Pass.
• DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 711.

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

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Vikings:

• Regular season, all-time: 62-53-3
• All-time, Postseason: 1-1
• All-time, at home: 32-24-3 (20-16-3 at Lambeau Field)
• Streaks: Green Bay has won three consecutive regular-season games against Minnesota entering Sunday's contest.
• Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 13, 2020, U.S. Bank Stadium, Packers won, 43-34

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 18-4-0, .818; (1-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
• Mike Zimmer: 58-43-1, .574 (2-3 postseason); 7th NFL season
• Head to Head: 3-0
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 3-0 vs. Vikings; Zimmer 5-7-1 vs. Packers

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

• In his 12th 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 season leading the Packers in 2019, because 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).
• Became only the fifth coach in NFL history to win 13-plus regular-season games in his first season as a head coach (Jim Caldwell, George Seifert, Jim Harbaugh, Steve Mariucci).
• Guided the Titans' offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
• Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
• Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press, and QB Robert Griffin III, who became the first QB in Washington franchise history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.

MIKE ZIMMER…In his seventh year as the Vikings' ninth head coach.

• Since he took over head-coaching duties prior to the 2014 season, Minnesota has compiled 58 regular-season victories, tied for eighth most in the NFL during that span.
• Guided the Vikings to a 10-6 regular season mark, a playoff berth and a Wild Card win at New Orleans during the 2019 season. Minnesota has advanced to the postseason in three of his six seasons at the helm, including two NFC North titles (2015 and 2017).
• Led Minnesota to a record-setting 2017 campaign that saw the Vikings go 13-3, win the NFC North title and advance to the NFC Championship Game. After inheriting the No. 31 defense in the league in 2014, guided the Minnesota defense to the top ranking in both yards allowed and points allowed in 2017.
• A longtime defensive coordinator prior to taking the Minnesota job, coached four top-10 defensive units in Cincinnati (2009, 2011-13), three in Dallas (2001, 2003, 2005) and three as head coach of the Vikings (2016-18). 

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 started a run of its own in 1979 that generated 16 wins over 21 games and lasted until 1990.
• Since 2000, the Packers are 25-14-2 (.634) in regular-season contests versus the Vikings.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers G/T Billy Turner is from Shoreview, Minn. and attended Mounds View High School outside of Minneapolis…Turner's father, Maurice, was a 12th-round draft choice by the Vikings in 1983… Vikings coaches Gary Kubiak, Rick Dennison, Klint Kubiak and Brian Pariani were all on the Denver coaching staff in 2016 while Turner played for the Broncos…Turner and Vikings LB Todd Davis played together for the Broncos from 2016-18...Packers LB Kamal Martin is from Burnsville, Minn., attending Burnsville High School outside of Minneapolis and playing collegiately at the University of Minnesota…Vikings LB Ryan Connelly played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was Vikings QB Kirk Cousins' position coach in Washington for two seasons (2012-13)…Vikings QB Sean Mannion was on the Los Angeles Rams' roster when LaFleur served as offensive coordinator in 2017…LaFleur coached on Kubiak's staff in Houston in 2008-09...LaFleur also coached Vikings WR Tajae Sharpe while serving as offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2018…Packers defensive backs coach Jerry Gray held the same position for the Vikings from 2014-19…Packers executive vice president/ director of football operations Russ Ball served as the senior football administrator for the Vikings from 1999-2000…Vikings senior defensive assistant Dom Capers served as the Packers' defensive coordinator from 2009-17...Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst's father, John, served as the head coach of the University of Minnesota from 1985-91. The younger Gutekunst attended high school at Robbinsdale Armstrong in Bloomington, Minn. and Totino-Grace in Fridley, Minn…Packers outside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti's father, Tom, coached for the Minnesota Vikings from 1996-99…Packers senior analyst Butch Barry coached at Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minn., from 2004-05…Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones held the same position at the University of Wisconsin in 2015...Cousins and Packers DL Preston Smith played together for Washington over the course of three seasons (2015-17)…Packers CB Kevin King and Vikings LB Hardy Nickerson Jr. played together at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, Calif. ...Packers RB Aaron Jones was coached by Vikings offensive quality control coach AC Patterson during his freshman season at Texas-El Paso…Vikings offensive quality control coach Christian Jones played with Packers DL Tyler Lancaster and DL Dean Lowry at Northwestern and was coached by Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten at Westfield HS in Houston, Texas...Minnesota running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu coached in Jacksonville for four years (2006-09) during Green Bay TE Marcedes Lewis' time with the Jaguars...Lewis and Vikings T Rashod Hill played together for Jacksonville in 2016, when Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett held the same position for the Jaguars…Lewis spent two seasons (2004-05) with Vikings assistant special teams coach Ryan Ficken at UCLA...Polamalu coached at UCLA while Green Bay DL Kenny Clark played for the Bruins (2014-15)...Vikings special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf and Pettine were on the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff together in 2008…Packers T Rick Wagner, TE Robert Tonyan and Vikings RB Ameer Abdullah spent time together on the Lions roster for parts of two seasons (2017-18)…Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga coached Vikings P Britton Colquitt while serving as a special teams assistant for the Browns from 2016-17…Vikings WR Chad Beebe's father, Don, played for the Packers from 1996-97 and was a member of the Super Bowl XXXI champion team…Former college teammates include: Packers P JK Scott and Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama); Packers LB Randy Ramsey and Vikings DT Armon Watts (Arkansas); Packers CB Josh Jackson and Vikings DT Jaleel Johnson (Iowa); Packers S Jonathan Garvin and Vikings WR K.J. Osborn (Miami); Packers LB Rashan Gary, G Jon Runyan and Vikings S Josh Metellus (Michigan); LS Hunter Bradley, G Elgton Jenkins and Vikings CB Cameron Dantzler (Mississippi State); Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Vikings C Garrett Bradbury (North Carolina State); Packers S Vernon Scott, LB Ty Summers and Vikings CB Jeff Gladney (TCU); Packers DL Kenny Clark and Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (UCLA).