The Green Bay Packers travel a state over to take on the Minnesota Vikings. It is the first prime-time game on New Year's Eve for the Packers since 2006 at Chicago.
- It marks the second straight season that the two teams will meet in Week 17.
- Of the past 21 regular-season meetings in Minnesota between the teams, 14 have been decided by single digits.
- The Packers have a 30-31 record in away games against the Vikings, including wins at Minnesota in two of the last four seasons.
- Green Bay has scored 30-plus points in two of the last three games in Minnesota.
- The two teams have split the season series each of the last three seasons.
- Of the past 42 regular-season meetings between the teams, 25 of those games have been decided by seven points or less.
- Through 126 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 65-58-3 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
- Since 2000, the Packers are 27-18-2 (.596) in regular-season contests versus the Vikings.
- This is the first time the Packers have played games on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in the same regular season. The Packers have played games in the same year on those days (1994), but the New Year's Eve contest was a playoff game:
- Thanksgiving: N24, L at Dallas, 34-31
- Christmas Eve: D24, W at Tampa Bay, 34-19
- New Year's Eve: D31, NFC Wild Card, W vs. Detroit, 16-12
- For the third straight season and the fourth time in the last five, the Packers will finish the regular season with back-to-back NFC North contests.
- Green Bay will return home to face the Bears in the regular-season finale on either Jan. 6 or 7.
- Under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers are 5-4 against the Vikings (2-2 on the road) and have scored 21-plus points in seven of the nine contests.
- Green Bay's five wins over Minnesota since 2019 are the most in the NFL.
- The Packers are 2-2 against the NFC North this season.
- The Packers are 20-8 against the NFC North since 2019, a .714 divisional winning percentage that is tied for No. 4 in the NFL over that span.
- RB Aaron Jones has four games with 100-plus scrimmage yards against the Vikings since 2019, No. 2 in the NFL behind WR Davante Adams (five) but two more than any other running back in the league over that span against the Vikings.
- RB AJ Dillon aims to register a rushing TD against Minnesota for the fourth time in the last five games.
- LB Rashan Gary has posted a sack two of the last three times he has played Minnesota.
- DL Kenny Clark posted a sack in both of the last two contests against the Vikings. Clark has eight sacks against Minnesota, the most against any single opponent.
WITH THE CALL
The game will air across the country on NBC. Play-by-play man Mike Tirico joins analyst Cris Collinsworth with Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines.
- All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 51 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its second season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network. 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 29th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 25th 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 on channels 82 or 226 or through the app (Packers Radio Network feed).
- Westwood One Sports will be broadcasting on radio to a national audience with Ryan Radtke (play-by-play) and Mike Golic (analyst) on the call and Scott Graham hosting pregame and halftime shows.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers at Minnesota:
- All-time, regular season: 64-57-3
- All-time, postseason: 1-1
- All-time, at Minnesota (regular season): 30-31
- Streaks: Green Bay and Minnesota have split the last four games.
- Last meeting, regular season: Oct. 29, 2023, Lambeau Field, Vikings won, 24-10
COACHES CAPSULES
- Matt LaFleur: 54-27, .667; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL season
- Kevin O'Connell: 20-12-0, .625; (0-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
- Head to Head: LaFleur 1-2 vs. O'Connell
- vs. Opponent: LaFleur 5-4 vs. Vikings; O'Connell 2-1 vs. Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his fifth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- Currently in his 15th 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 four seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 47 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first four seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (52 in 1989-92). Green Bay's 47-19 regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 3 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC.
- Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
- Guided the Packers to a 27-6 record (.818) in the regular season from 2019-22 at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL since 2019. His .750 win percentage (18-6 record) against NFC North opponents in his first four seasons also ranks as the best in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games).
- In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became 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).
KEVIN O'CONNELL…In his second season as the Vikings' 10th head coach.
- Is in his ninth season as an NFL coach, having previously spent time with the Los Angeles Rams (2020-21), Washington Redskins (2017-19), San Francisco 49ers (2016) and Cleveland Browns (2015).
- Led the Vikings to 13 wins last season, the most by any first-year head coach in franchise history, earning the club's first division title since 2017.
- Had seven players win Player of the Week awards in 2022, the most by a first-year head coach in franchise history. Seven notched Pro Bowl berths and three earned Associated Press All-Pro honors as well.
- Helped coach QB Matthew Stafford and the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl LVI during the 2021 season.
THE PACKERS-VIKINGS SERIES
- The all-time series began in 1961 with the Packers rattling off six wins in a row (1961-63) before the Vikings took 22 of the next 32 contests from 1964-79.
- From 1979 to 1990, Green Bay had a run of its own, winning 16 of 21 games. Since 2000, the Packers are 27-18-2 (.596) in regular-season games against the Vikings.
- Green Bay and Minnesota have met twice in the playoffs. Both times were in an NFC Wild Card game, the Vikings winning the first matchup in 2004 before the Packers returned the favor in 2012.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell played at the University of Minnesota from 2013-15…Packers LB Eric Wilson entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota in 2017 and played for the Vikings for four seasons (2017-20)…Packers TE Ben Sims entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota during the 2023 offseason…Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst attended high school at Robbinsdale Armstrong in Plymouth, Minn., and Totino-Grace in Fridley, Minn…Gutekunst's father, John, served as the head coach at the University of Minnesota from 1985-91...Packers executive V.P./director of football operations Russ Ball served as senior football administrator for the Vikings from 1999-2000…Packers player personnel executive Lee Gissendaner spent time on the Vikings' practice squad in 1996...Packers college scout Joe Hueber was born in St. Louis Park, Minn., and attended the University of Minnesota...Vikings defensive assistant Imarjaye Albury attended the Packers' 2017 rookie minicamp as a tryout player…Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine was Green Bay's defensive coordinator from 2018-20...Vikings tight ends/passing game coordinator Brian Angelichio served as the Packers' tight ends coach from 2016-18...Vikings outside linebackers coach/pass rush specialist Mike Smith coached outside linebackers for Green Bay from 2019-21...Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones coached the same position at the University of Wisconsin in 2015…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell coached on the staff together in Washington in 2010-11...McCardell played for Tampa Bay when Packers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry were part of the Buccaneers' coaching staff...Barry, Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and head coach Kevin O'Connell all served on Washington's staff at various times between 2015-17…Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans was on the Rams' staff when Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels played for the team (2012-14)…LaFleur, Barry and Vikings assistant inside linebackers coach Thad Bogardus were all on the Rams' staff in 2017…Bisaccia and Phillips coached together for Dallas in 2013 while Packers special teams QC coach Kyle Wilber was a player for the Cowboys…Barry and Bisaccia were both on the coaching staff in San Diego in 2012 when O'Connell was with the Chargers as a quarterback during the 2012 preseason...Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich was on San Francisco's staff when Vikings QB Nick Mullens was with the team…Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, O'Connell and Angelichio were on Pettine's staff when he served as head coach for Cleveland in 2015…Packers WRs/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich and Pettine were on the Bills' staff together in 2013…Bogardus joined Vrable and Rebrovich on Buffalo's staff in 2014…Vikings LB Jordan Hicks played with Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell in Arizona in 2020…Vikings TE Johnny Mundt, WR Brandon Powell, Packers LS Matt Orzech, CB Robert Rochell and CB David Long Jr. were teammates for the Rams…Former college teammates include: Packers LB Rashan Gary, G Jon Runyan, Long and Vikings S Josh Metellus (Michigan); Packers CB Eric Stokes, LB Quay Walker, DL Devonte Wyatt and Vikings S Lewis Cine (Georgia); Packers WR Jayden Reed and Vikings WR Jalen Nailor (Michigan State); Packers LB Kristian Welch and Vikings TE T.J Hockenson (Iowa); DL T.J. Slaton and Vikings WR Brandon Powell (Florida); Packers LB Kingsley Enagbare, Vikings TE Nick Muse and OLB D.J. Wonnum (South Carolina); Packers T Yosh Nijman and Vikings T Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech).
