The Green Bay Packers (7-8) return home for a division clash against the Minnesota Vikings (12-3) this Sunday.
- It will be just the third January matchup for the Packers and Vikings during the regular season (2015, 2021 seasons).
- Three of the last four matchups between the two in Green Bay have been decided by six points or less, including a tie in 2018.
- The Packers have won four of the last five meetings.
- Green Bay has scored 22-plus points in 13 of the last 16 home games vs. Minnesota, including 37 last season.
- Green Bay will end the regular season with back-to-back NFC North games for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.
- It is the first time ever that Green Bay will play two regular-season home games in January.
- Of the past 40 regular-season meetings between the teams, 25 of those games have been decided by seven points or less.
- Through 123 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 64-57-3 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series.
- Since 2000, the Packers are 26-17-2 (.600) in regular-season contests versus the Vikings.
- The Packers have won 15 consecutive games in December, the second-longest such streak in NFL history. The only team with a longer streak of December wins was the Chargers, who won 18 straight in the calendar's final month in 2006-2009 (Elias Sports Bureau).
- Green Bay has 789 regular-season victories, the most in the history of the NFL.
WITH THE CALL
CBS will broadcast the game with play-by-play man Jim Nantz and analyst Tony Romo in the booth with Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines.
- All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 49 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and South Dakota. This year, the Packers transitioned to a new flagship station in Milwaukee, iHeartRadio Milwaukee's 97.3 The Game WRNW. For a 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 28th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 24th 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 Packers' radio broadcast is also available on a mobile device through the Packers app or packers.com for anyone that lives in the state of Wisconsin. If you live outside the state, you can stream the game broadcast from a desktop computer through packers.com. It is also available via subscription on Sirius Satellite Radio or NFL Plus (nfl.com/plus).
- You can also find the Packers radio broadcast on SiriusXM channels 85 or 225, and on the SXM App under the "NFL Play-by-Play" tab.
- Sports USA radio will also broadcast the game, with Josh Appel (play-by-play) and Mark Carrier (analyst) on the call.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Packers vs Vikings:
- Regular season, all-time: 63-56-3
- All-time, postseason: 1-1
- All-time, at home (regular season): 33-25-3 (24-19-3 at Lambeau Field)
- Streaks: The Packers have won two of the last three at Lambeau Field.
- Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 11, 2022, U.S. Bank Stadium, Vikings won, 23-7
COACHES CAPSULES
- Matt LaFleur: 48-21-0, .696; (2-3 postseason); 4th NFL season
- Kevin O'Connell: 12-3-0, .800; (0-0 postseason); 1st NFL season
- Head to Head: LaFleur 0-1 vs. O'Connell
- vs. Opponent: LaFleur 4-3 vs. Vikings; O'Connell 1-0 vs. Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his fourth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- In his 14th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (L.A. Rams, 2017; Tennessee, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington, 2010-13; Atlanta, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston, 2008-09).
- With a 13-4 record in 2021, led the Packers to a third straight NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season.
- Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed George Seifert (38) for the most wins by a head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias Sports Bureau). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in NFL history, trailing only Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears 1985-87.
- Guided the Packers to a 22-2 record (.917) in the regular season at Lambeau Field in 2019-21, the top mark in the NFL over that span and the best home winning percentage by a Packers head coach in his first three seasons. His 22 wins at home were also the most in NFL history by a coach in his first three seasons.
- 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).
KEVIN O'CONNELL…In his first season as the Vikings' 10th head coach.
- Joined the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams the past two seasons.
- Led the Rams to a No. 9 ranking in total offense (372.1 ypg.) last season while also helping his unit rank No. 2 in plays of 50-plus yards (10) and No. 4 in yards per play (5.98).
- Helped QB Matthew Stafford set the single-season team record for passing yards (4,886) and WR Cooper Kupp earn NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 from The Associated Press after leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving TDs (16).
- Prior to joining the Rams, served as Washington's QBs coach in 2017-18 and the offensive coordinator in 2019.
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 26-17-2 (.600) in regular-season contests versus the Vikings.
- The Packers are 33-25-3 at home all-time versus the Vikings.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell played at the University of Minnesota from 2013-15…Packers LB Eric Wilson played for the Vikings for four seasons (2017-20)...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…Vikings LB Za'Darius Smith played for Green Bay for three seasons (2019-21) and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection…Vikings CB Chandon Sullivan played for the Packers from 2019-21…Packers defensive backs/passing game coordinator Jerry Gray coached the defensive backs in Minnesota from 2014-19...Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine was Green Bay's defensive coordinator from 2018-20...Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell held the same position with Green Bay from 2000-03...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 assistant linebackers coach Sam Siefkes was born in Oconomowoc, Wis., and coached at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (2012-14), the University of Wisconsin (2015) and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (2016-17)...Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones coached the same position at the University of Wisconsin in 2015…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was Vikings QB Kirk Cousins' position coach in Washington for two seasons (2012-13)…LaFleur and Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell coached on the staff in Washington together in 2010-11...Cousins and Packers LB Preston Smith played together in Washington from 2015-17...Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia were both on the coaching staff in San Diego in 2012 when Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was with the Chargers as a quarterback during the 2012 preseason...Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti coached with O'Connell on the staff in Washington in 2017-18 and with Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips in Washington from 2014-18...Packers player personnel executive Lee Gissendaner spent time on the Vikings' practice squad in 1996...Former NFL teammates include: Packers S Rudy Ford and Vikings CB Patrick Peterson (Arizona, 2017-18); Packers CB Rasul Douglas and Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (Philadelphia, 2017-18); Ford and Vikings WR Jalen Reagor (Philadelphia, 2019-20); Campbell and Peterson (Arizona, 2020); Packers WR Randall Cobb and Vikings DL Ross Blacklock (Houston, 2020)...Former college teammates include: Packers DL Jarran Reed and Vikings DL Dalvin Tomlinson (Alabama); Packers WR Allen Lazard and Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu (Iowa State); Packers DL Johnathan Ford, LB Jonathan Garvin and Vikings WR K.J. Osborn (Miami); Packers G Jon Runyan and Vikings S Josh Metellus (Michigan); Packers LB Justin Hollins, Vikings LB Troy Dye and TE Johnny Mundt (Oregon); Packers LB Kingsley Enagbare, Vikings TE Nick Muse and OLB D.J. Wonnum (South Carolina); Packers S Innis Gaines, Blacklock, Reagor and Vikings G/C Austin Schlottmann (TCU); Packers DL Kenny Clark and Kendricks (UCLA); Packers T Yosh Nijman, T Luke Tenuta and Vikings T Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech); Packers OL Zach Tom and Vikings OLB Luiji Vilain (Wake Forest).
