This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**.
GREEN BAY (4-2) AT MINNESOTA (1-5)
Sunday, Oct. 27 - Mall of America Field - 7:30 p.m. CDT
GREEN BAY to visit minnesota for prime-time contest
- The Packers will head to Minnesota for a Sunday night contest in Week 8, Green Bay's first prime-time game this season.
- With the Packers' 31-13 win over the Browns at Lambeau Field and losses by the Bears and Lions on Sunday, Green Bay moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC North with its 4-2 mark on the season. The Packers have won three straight games after getting off to a 1-2 start.
- This Sunday kicks off a stretch of three prime-time games for the Packers in the next four weeks, with the Week 11 contest at the N.Y. Giants subject to flexible scheduling.
- This week's contest is the first of three scheduled Sunday night games for Green Bay (at N.Y. Giants in Week 11, vs. Atlanta in Week 14, both subject to flex scheduling).
- The Packers are 20-6 all-time in Sunday night contests, a .769 winning percentage that ranks No. 1 in NFL history (see page 2 for more). Green Bay has won seven of its last nine Sunday night games.
- This will be Green Bay's fifth Sunday night meeting against the Vikings (1990, 2002, 2003, 2010) and the first in Minnesota since '03.
- Through 105 meetings, which includes two postseason games, the Packers hold a 55-49-1 advantage over the Vikings in the all-time series.
- Fans can bet on a back-and-forth contest when the border rivals meet. In fact, 16 of the last 21 regular-season meetings between the clubs have been decided by seven points or less.
- Including Green Bay's win over Minnesota last year in an NFC Wild Card game, the Packers have won six of the last seven games between the teams. Green Bay has won two of the last three meetings in Minnesota.
- The Packers have scored 30-plus points in four of their last five games against Minnesota, averaging 33.2 points per game over that span.
- Since Head Coach Mike McCarthytook over in 2006, the Packers have swept the season series four out of seven years (2006-2007, 2010-2011). Green Bay has a 10-4 record (.714) against the Vikings in the regular season under McCarthy.
- Over the last 19 seasons (1994-2012), the Packers (nine) and the Vikings (five) have accounted for 14 NFC Central/North championships.
- For the Packers, this is the first of back-to-back contests against NFC North foes, with a Monday Night Football matchup vs. Chicago at Lambeau Field in Week 9. Four of Green Bay's next six games are against NFC North teams.
- Green Bay enters Sunday's game having won 13 of its last 14 regular-season games against NFC North foes. The Packers' .929 winning percentage in the division over that span ranks No. 1 in the NFL.
- The Packers have won five of their last six NFC North games away from Lambeau Field. Green Bay has a 14-7 mark (.667) in road divisional games under McCarthy, which ranks No. 4 in the NFL over that span.
WITH THE CALL
- NBC will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play man Al Michaels joins color commentatorCris Collinsworth in the booth with Michele Tafoya reporting from the sidelines.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 50-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee(play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro BowlerLarry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo is in its 15th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 42 markets in six states.
- WestwoodOne Sports will air the game across the country. Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and James Lofton (analyst) will call the action, with Darren Sharperreporting from the sidelines.Scott Graham hosts pregame and halftime shows.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed) as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
- Packers vs. Vikings:
- All-time regular season:54-48-1
- All-time, postseason:1-1
- All-time, in Minnesota:25-26-0
- Streaks:The Packers have won six of the last seven meetings.
- Last meeting, at Minnesota, regular season:Dec. 30, 2012, at Mall of America Field; Vikings won, 37-34
COACHES CAPSULES
- Mike McCarthy: 84-44, .656, (incl. 6-4 postseason); 8th NFL season
- Leslie Frazier:17-28-0, .378, (incl. 0-1 postseason); 4th NFL season (interim coach in 2010)
- Head to Head:McCarthy 4-1
- vs. Opponent:McCarthy 11-4 vs. Vikings; Frazier 1-4 vs. Packers* *
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his eighth 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.
- Has led the Packers to playoff appearances in five of his seven seasons at the helm, and the team's five postseason berths over the past six seasons are the most by an NFC team.
- Led Green Bay to 47 regular-season victories from 2009-12, the second most in the NFL over that span and the second most in franchise history over a four-year period.
- His .656 winning percentage (including playoffs) ranks No. 2 among active NFL coaches (min. 50 games).
- Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
- Became the first Packers coach since Lombardi to lead the team to a championship game in his second season (2007).
LESLIE FRAZIER…Is in his fourth year as the Vikings' eighth head coach (served as the interim coach for the final six games in 2010).
- Served as Minnesota's defensive coordinator for four seasons (2007-10) and led the Vikings to top-10 finishes in total defense each season from 2008-10.
- Coached with the Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2002), Cincinnati Bengals (2003-04) and Indianapolis Colts (2005-06) before coming to Minnesota. In 12 seasons as NFL coach, has suffered a losing season only twice.
- Has coached on eight playoff teams and been a part of six division championships in his 14 seasons as an NFL coach.
- Played defensive back for the Chicago Bears (1981-86) and was a member of Chicago's Super Bowl XX team.
THE PACKERS-VIKINGS SERIES
- This marks the 106th overall meeting between the border rivals.
- The Packers own a 55-49-1 advantage over the Vikings (including playoffs) in the all-time series.
- Green Bay's five-game winning streak that was snapped in the 2012 finale was the longest by the club since a five-game streak against Minnesota from 2006-08. Prior to that, the longest streak for either team was Green Bay's five-game winning streak from 1983-85.
- The series began when the Vikings entered the league in 1961, and Vince Lombardi's Packers won nine of the first 10.
- Over the last 19 seasons (1994-2012), these teams have accounted for 14 NFC Central/North division championships.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Vikings WR Greg Jennings was drafted by Green Bay in the second round in 2006 and played for the Packers for seven seasons (2006-12)...Packers tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot played for the Bengals in 2004 when Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier was on Cincinnati's staff...Fontenot was a teammate of Vikings special assistant to the head coach/linebackers Mike Singletary with the Bears…Singletary coached with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo on the San Francisco staff in 2005…Vikings tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson played for Kansas City for one season (1994) when McCarthy was an offensive assistant there…Packers assistant offensive line coach Joel Hilgenberg's uncle, Wally, played linebacker for the Vikings for 12 seasons (1968-79)...Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer's father, Chuck, was an assistant coach for the Packers from 1984-85...Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and Vikings linebackers coach Fred Pagac coached on the staff together at Ohio State in the early 1980s...Vikings assistant defensive line coach Diron Reynolds' brother, Jamal, was selected in the first round by the Packers in 2001…Vikings RB Toby Gerhart's brother, Garth, is a center on the Packers' practice squad...Packers running backs coach Alex Van Pelt was Vikings QB Josh Freeman's position coach for two seasons (2010-11) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...Van Pelt played for the Bills when Vikings running backs coach James Saxon was on Buffalo's staff…Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac and Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson coached on the staff together in Carolina...Trgovac was on the staff with Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and strength and conditioning coach Tom Kanavy in Philadelphia and when Johnson played tight end for the Eagles...Former college teammates include Freeman and Packers WR Jordy Nelson (Kansas State), Packers LB Clay Matthews and Vikings DE Everson Griffen, FB Rhett Ellison and T Matt Kalil (Southern California), Packers TE Jermichael Finley and Vikings DE Brian Robison (Texas), and Packers RB Johnathan Franklin and DE Datone Jones and Vikings G Jeff Baca and P Jeff Locke (UCLA)…Packers area scout Lee Gissendaner went to training camp with the Vikings in 1996 and spent parts of that season on Minnesota's practice squad...Green Bay director of research and development Mike Eayrs (similar capacity, 1985-99) previously worked for the Vikings, as did Packers VP of football administration/player finance Russ Ball (1999-2000) and VP of sales and marketing Tim Connolly (1998-99).
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
- Dec. 30, 2012, at Mall of America Field; Vikings won, 37-34.
- RB Adrian Peterson rushed for 199 yards to lead the Vikings to a victory that snapped Green Bay's five-game winning streak against Minnesota and set up a Wild Card matchup the next weekend between the border rivals.
- QB Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 40 passes for 365 yards and four TDs with no INTs for a 131.8 passer rating.
- The Packers had three players with six or more catches, with WR Greg Jennings (8-120-2), TE Jermichael Finley (8-72) and WR James Jones (6-62-1) leading the way.
- Trailing 34-27 late in the game, Rodgers found WR Jordy Nelson on a 2-yard TD pass with just under three minutes remaining to tie the game. But the Vikings would drive down the field on the ensuing possession to set up K Blair Walsh's game-winning 29-yard field goal as time expired.* *
stat of the week
- On Sunday at Minnesota, QB Aaron Rodgers will be facing an NFC North foe he has had some success against during his career.
- Rodgers has a 116.4 career passer rating in the regular season against the Vikings, connecting on 232 of 328 passes (70.7 percent) for 2,840 yards and 24 TDs with four INTs.
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rodgers' 116.4 rating against Minnesota ranks No. 1 in NFL history (since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger) vs. a single opponent (min. 250 attempts), ahead of Chargers QB Dan Fouts' 112.6 rating vs. the Cleveland Browns and Rodgers' 111.0 rating against the Detroit Lions.
- Rodgers has posted a passer rating of at least 130.0 in four of his last five starts against Minnesota. He posted a 140-plus rating in three straight games against the Vikings (2010-11), becoming the first NFL quarterback since the 1970 merger to accomplish that feat against one opponent.
- In 10 career starts vs. Minnesota in the regular season, Rodgers has registered a passer rating of 105-plus in seven of those games. He has posted five games with three-plus TDs and seven zero-INT games.
This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**.
