GREEN BAY – His Vikings lead the division by a game over the Packers, but Coach Mike Zimmer makes his team's sudden success sound surprising.
"We're a blue collar team that likes to go out and work. I've been trying to build a culture of winning. This year we won all of the preseason games except one. Last year we won all of the preseason games. I know those don't mean anything but, honestly, we're trying to be like the Packers," Zimmer told Packers media on Wednesday.
"As bad as that might sound to Vikings fans, they've been an unbelievable organization. Mike McCarthy has done an unbelievable job. They've got franchise quarterbacks and Super Bowls, and we're just trying to get in the same mix as them," Zimmer added.
That's the big picture. The little picture has the 7-2 Vikings on a five-game winning streak. They'll host the 6-3 Packers, currently riding a three-game losing streak, in a NFC North showdown this Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium.
With a win, the Vikings would take a two-game lead over the Packers into the final six games of the season. A Packers win would move them into a tie with the Vikings but, more importantly, would give the Packers a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.
Take a look back in time at memorable photos from prior Packers-Vikings matchups in Minnesota. Photos by Jim Biever, Vern Biever, Matt Becker and AP.
Oct. 27, 2013 - QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 285 yards, two touchdowns and a 130.6 passer rating. Game balls were awarded to the entire offense for its effort in the 44-31 victory.
Oct. 27, 2013 - RB Eddie Lacy led all rushers with 94 yards. During the team's last meeting on Oct. 2, 2014 at Lambeau Field, QB Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and a passer rating of 138.5 while Lacy ran for a season-high 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Oct. 27, 2013 - RBs Eddie Lacy (94 yards) and James Starks (57) combined for 151 of a total 182 rushing yards.
Oct. 27, 2013- WR Jordy Nelson had seven receptions for 123 yards, including a 76-yard TD.
Oct. 27, 2013 - DT Mike Daniels sacked Minnesota QB Christian Ponder twice, the first two-sack game of Daniels' career. The effort doubled his season sack total to four.
Oct. 27, 2013 - K Mason Crosby was 3-for-3 on field goals, from 30, 20 and 45 yards, and made all five of his PATs for 14 total points.
Nov. 21, 2010 - James Jones hauls in a picture perfect one-handed catch with five seconds left in the first half, putting the Packers up, 17-3, on the way to a 31-3 win. Nearly three months later, the Packers went on to win Super Bowl XLV.
Oct. 5, 2009 - Jermichael Finley runs for a tough 62 yards and a touchdown in 2009, bringing the score to 7-7 during the first quarter at the Metrodome. Finley was the third leading receiver on the team with 676 yards and five TDs in 2009.
Nov. 17, 2002 - Donald Driver races 84 yards on a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Brett Favre as Vikings LB Greg Biekert chases him. Through 108 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 57-49-2 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
Dec. 3, 1967 - Vikings QB Joe Kapp is lifted high by LB Lee Roy Caffey (60) as he attempts a pass. The Packers won, 30-27, finished first in the NFL Central that season and went on to win Super Bowl II.
Nov. 21, 2010 - The captains photo before the Packers' 31-3 win in Minneapolis. Pictured are Tim Masthay (8), Charles Woodson (21), Jordy Nelson (87), Aaron Rodgers (photo-bombing) and Matt Flynn (photo-bombing).
Dec. 5, 1976 - LB Fred Carr (53) gets ready as Vikings kicker Fred Cox prepares for the snap. The Packers lost, 20-9, as 43,700 fans were in attendance at the Metropolitan in Bloomington, Minn.
Sept. 30, 2007 - Brett Favre celebrates after completing a record-setting 16-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Favre set the NFL record for career touchdown passes at 421, surpassing Dan Marino.
Nov. 21, 1965 - Bart Starr takes the field in Minneapolis during pregame warm-ups. Coach Vince Lombardi had the upper hand over the Vikings in Minnesota's first five seasons in the NFL, going 9-1 against them in that span.
Dec. 30, 2012 - QB Christian Ponder is sacked by Clay Matthews in the first half. Matthews led the team with sacks, finishing with 13 for the year.
Nov. 1, 1964 - FB Billy Brown hurtles over LB Dan Currie (58) for a six-yard gain in the third quarter in Minneapolis. He was tackled shortly after by DT Henry Jordan. DE Willie Davis (87) can be seen in the background. The Packers won, 42-13.
Nov. 11, 2010 - Packers defenders swarm the ball, tackling RB Adrian Peterson for a loss. The Packers won, 31-3. Under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers have swept the regular season series against the Vikings four times (2011, 2010, 2007, 2006). Since McCarthy took over in 2006, the Packers have a 12-4-1 record (.735) against the Vikings in the regular season.
Dec. 20, 1999 - Brett Favre pitches the ball back to RB Dorsey Levens as he falls into the line during the fourth quarter of Monday Night Football. The Vikings won, 24-20.
Nov. 9, 2008 - Brett Goode (61), Ryan Pickett (79) and Aaron Rodgers (12) stand for the traditional Packers' captains photo before a game at the Metrodome. In a rare occurrence, Rodgers was on the receiving end of a photo-bomb.
Oct. 5, 2009 - Clay Matthews runs for a memorable touchdown after stripping the ball from RB Adrian Peterson during the first half.
Nov. 17, 2002 - TE Bubba Franks catches a three-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre during the third quarter in Minneapolis. Franks was the Packers second leading receiver in touchdowns that year with seven.
Dec. 17, 2000 - WR Bill Schroeder evades LB Kailee Wong and CB Kenny Wright (20) for a long gain in the second quarter. The win reclaimed hope for a playoff run for first-year Head Coach Mike Sherman. It also snapped a two-year losing streak in Minnesota and was the third win in the last ten years there.
Oct. 23, 2011 - Charles Woodson runs back a Christian Ponder interception for 26 yards to help the Packers in their 33-27 victory. The win secured the team with a 7-0 record and first place in the division. The Packers are 8-1-1 in the last 10 games between the teams during the regular and postseason, including 3-1 at Minnesota. The Packers' only loss during that span was by three points in 2012.
Oct. 2, 1977 - QB Fran Tarkenton gets sacked for a 20-yard loss by DE Bob Barber. LB Fred Carr (53) is in the background.
Nov. 17, 2002 - RB Michael Bennett misses on a stiff-arm as CB Mike McKenzie brings him down for a loss. The Packers finished first in the NFC North that year with a record of 12-4.
Nov. 5, 1995 - Cris Carter and Reggie White share a moment in prayer at the Packers bench after the game. Over the last 20 seasons (1994-2013), these teams have accounted for 15 NFC Central/North division championships.
Dec. 30, 2012 - RB DuJuan Harris runs from defenders Brian Robison and Jamarca Sanford during the second half. Since 2006, the Packers have scored 20-plus points against the Vikings in 15 of 16 regular-season games. The Packers' 495 points scored in the regular-season since 2006 are the most against the Vikings in the NFL, and Green Bay's 29.1 points per game leads the league among teams that have played Minnesota at least four times over that span.
Dec. 17, 1984 - TE Paul Coffman jumps over defender John Swain as Tom Hannon (45) chases. Coffman gained 26 yards on the pass play from QB Lynn Dickey as the Packers beat the Vikings 38-14.
Nov. 9, 2008 - Johnny Jolly flexes after stuffing RB Adrian Peterson on third down for no gain. Sunday will be the first outdoor game (TCF Bank Stadium) between the Packers and Vikings in Minnesota since they played at Metropolitan Stadium on Nov. 29, 1981.
Nov. 21, 1965 - QB Fran Tarkenton (10) throws an incomplete pass as DE Lionel Aldridge (82) holds his hands in the air to obstruct his view. The Packers won, 38-13.
Nov. 2, 2003 - K Ryan Longwell kicks a field goal late in the fourth quarter that went on to be the deciding margin in the Packers' 30-27 win. The Packers have scored 30-plus points in six of their last eight regular-season games against Minnesota, averaging 33.7 points per game over that span. That included a 42-point game earlier this season, a 44-point outing at Minnesota last season in Week 8, the most points ever scored by Green Bay at the Metrodome, and a 45-point effort at Lambeau Field in 2011.
Swing game?
"There are still seven more games to play. The Packers were 5-3 last year and ended up winning a bunch of games at the end. A lot of things can happen in these next seven ballgames. Maybe the last game of the year on Jan. 3rd, that might be the swing game if we continue to play good," Zimmer said.
"Obviously, it's a big game because it's a division game. It's two pretty good teams; I know they're pretty good, I don't know if we are," he added.
The stats say the Vikings are pretty good, too. They're the league's No. 1 rushing team with the league's No. rusher, Adrian Peterson. Defensively, the Vikings are No. 9 overall.
Zimmer is in just his second season as Vikings coach. How did he turn the Vikings around as quickly as he did?
"I don't consider us turned around. My expectations are more about how we play and doing things right," he said.
"We're running the ball pretty good. Defensively, we've played fairly well in the red zone. Our special teams have played well all year. Defensively, we have spurts when we give up plays. Offensively, we have to get better," Zimmer said.
The Vikings' No. 29 ranking on offense is the product of a passing game that's No. 31 and developing steadily under the guidance of second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater's 84.6 passer rating is in the bottom 10 of NFL quarterbacks, but Zimmer painted a much brighter picture of his young quarterback's performance.
"He's extremely composed; nothing rattles him. I love the kid," Zimmer said.
Peterson, of course, has long been the Vikings' star.
"Ever since I've walked in here, he's done everything I've asked him to do. He's bought into the team attitude. He's running very well. He runs with violence. He's running where the holes are and sometimes he breaks real good ones," Zimmer said.
Peterson has rushed for 961 yards and five touchdowns, one of those scores an 80-yard run.
The Vikings' win streak has Minneapolis bubbling with football fever again. The most popular shirt in town bears the words "Beat Green Bay" on the back.
"I have not put one on, no," Zimmer said.
"I've never talked about any teams in the division. All I've talked about is us and how we can improve. I try to teach them how to do things right," Zimmer said.
It appears the Vikings have been taught well.
