A brief look at Vikings/Packers history

We are rapidly approaching the 116th (regular season) edition of the Border Battle, as the Minnesota Vikings take to the road for the first time in 2019 as they prepare to take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

We’re taking a look at the history between these two teams, and my apologies for it being a little later than usual. I’ll try to keep it from being delayed in future installments. However, we’re here now, so let’s get to it, shall we? As always, these numbers are brought to you courtesy of the good folks at Pro Football Reference.

Total regular season games between the Vikings and the Packers: 115

All-time record: Packers, 59-53-3

Total Vikings points scored, head-to-head: 2,242 (19.5 points/game)

Total Packers points scored, head-to-head: 2,505 (21.8 points/game)

Longest Vikings winning streak vs Packers: 7 games (2 November 1975 to 22 October 1978)

Longest Packers winning streak vs Vikings: 6 games (22 October 1961 to 10 November 1963, first six games between the two teams)

Most recent Vikings road win in series: 23 December 2017 (final score 16-0)

Most recent Packers home win in series: 24 December 2016 (final score 38-25)

Biggest Vikings road win in series: 26 points, 7 December 1986 (final score 32-6)

Biggest Packers home win in series: 38 points, 14 November 2011 (final score 45-7)

Current streak: One tie

We all remember what happened last year, unfortunately. Trailing 20-7 going into the third quarter, the Vikings scored three touchdowns in the final fifteen minutes of regulation. Kirk Cousins had two touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs, a three-yard toss and a 75-yard bomb, to close the gap. After Mason Crosby’s third field goal of the fourth quarter, Cousins drove the Vikings down the field again, finding Adam Thielen on an incredible 22-yard pass with less than a minute remaining, with Diggs’ two-point conversion tying the score and forcing overtime. Then, the Vikings got young Daniel Carlson in position to win the game not once, but twice. . .and he yakked on both attempts, missing one from 49 yards and one from 35 on the final snap of overtime, giving the teams a 29-29 tie.

The Vikings’ last victory at Green Bay came in 2017, on a cold and dreary Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The offensive highlights were few and far between, as the only touchdown of the game came on Case Keenum’s 4-yard pass to Stefon Diggs in the first quarter. The Packers, behind Brett Hundley, did almost nothing offensively, and the Vikings’ defense did their job to give the purple their first shutout in over a quarter of a century, as they left Wisconsin with a 16-0 victory.

The Packers haven’t beaten the Vikings anywhere in nearly 1,000 calendar days, but their last victory over Minnesota came at Lambeau on Christmas Eve in 2016. Having gotten stomped by the Indianapolis Colts the week before, the competitive portion of the Vikings’ season was basically over, and they certainly played that way that afternoon. Nobody told Adam Thielen, as he had a huge day, catching 12 passes for 202 yards and a pair of scores from Sam Bradford. However, it wasn’t nearly enough to slow down Aaron Rodgers, who accounted for all five of the Packers’ touchdowns on the afternoon. He had a touchdown run to go with four scoring passes, and finished with 347 passing yards to lead Green Bay to a 38-25 win.

That’s a quick look back at the history between the Vikings and the Packers at Lambeau Field. We’ll have plenty more about Sunday’s game as we get closer to kickoff.