Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
SEASON OPENER Opening Vikings-Packers matchups even
The Green Bay Packers have opened the season six times against their border rivals from Minnesota since the Vikings joined the National Football League in 1961.
Sunday marks the first time on Minnesota soil. All six meetings have come in Green Bay: five at Lambeau Field and one at City Stadium. Each team has won three games.
No. 1: Packers 34, Vikings 7 at City Stadium; Sept. 16, 1962
Minnesota had the unenviable task of facing the NFL champion Green Bay on the road to start the Vikings’ second season in the league. The Vikings won just three games in their inaugural campaign, and would finish 2-11-1 in 1962. Vince Lombardi’s veteran Packers team was arguably the best in franchise history and repeated with a 13-1 regular-season record and a hard-fought 16-7 title game victory over the Giants in New York.
The Packers overpowered the Vikings in the season-opener, with halfback Paul Hornung having a career day with three rushing touchdowns (6, 7, and 37 yards), two field goals, and four extra points. Talk about versatile: Hornung accounted for 28 points and also rushed for 67 yards, completed one pass for 41 yards, and caught two passes. The Green Bay defense created seven turnovers, intercepting Fran Tarkenton five times and recovering two fumbles. Bart Starr threw only 14 passes, including an 18-yard touchdown strike to tight end Ron Kramer.
No. 2: Vikings 32, Packers 17 at Lambeau Field; Sept. 15, 1974
In the 1970s, Minnesota was dominant while the Packers posted only two winning seasons. Head coach Bud Grant’s team went 12-2 in the 1973 regular season and lost to Miami, 14-7, in Super Bowl VIII. They entered the 1974 season on a mission.
The Packers struggled to a 5-7-2 record in 1973 with a revolving door at quarterback (Scott Hunter, Jim Del Gaizo, Jerry Tagge). Head coach Dan Devine, in his final season in Green Bay, named Tagge his starter against the NFC Central champion Vikings. The Packers played well for the first two quarters, entering halftime with a 10-10 tie. But the Vikings’ 1-2 running punch of Chuck Foreman and Oscar Reed proved to be too much. The duo accounted for 131 rushing yards and another 59 receiving, and Foreman scored two of his rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to break the game open.
No. 3: Vikings 23, Packers 20 in overtime at Lambeau Field; Sept. 6, 1992
It was a memorable head coaching debut for Mike Holmgren. Quarterbacks Don Majkowski for the Packers and Rich Gannon for the Vikings, both mobile and fearless runners, threw two touchdowns each as the game was knotted 10-10 at halftime and 20-20 at the end of regulation.
Kicker Fuad Reveiz, successful from 50 and 38 yards earlier, was the hero in overtime for Minnesota. He booted a 25yarder to send a sold-out Lambeau Field crowd home. Terry Allen gashed the Green Bay defense for 140 yards on 12 carries as the Vikings offense outgained the Packers 425-271. Both teams recorded three turnovers, but the Minnesota defense sacked Majkowski six times and pressured him throughout the game. The
Vikings won the NFC Central Division title with a 11-5 record that season, while Green Bay finished second with a 9-7 mark.
No. 4: Packers 16, Vikings 10 at Lambeau Field; Sept. 4, 1994
Green Bay avenged a 1992 overtime loss with a hard-fought triumph in a game they decisively led 13-0 at halftime.
But Minnesota hung around, finally getting on the scoreboard with a Reveiz 28-yard field goal in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings defense put the game within reach on James Harris’ 17-yard fumble return for a touchdown to close within 13-10 with 1:25 remaining.
But quarterback Brett Favre led the Packers on a final scoring drive, culminating with Chris Jacke’s 49-yard field goal to cement the victory. Six weeks later in the Metrodome, the Vikings pulled out a 13-10 win on their way to a 10-6 record and the NFC Central title. Green Bay finished second with a third straight 9-7 mark to secure another wild-card berth — the second consecutive under Holmgren.
No. 5: Vikings 30, Packers 25 at Lambeau Field; Sept 7, 2003
Minnesota ruined the baptism of newly renovated Lambeau Field, racing out to a 20-3 first half lead behind two Daunte Culpepper touchdown passes. The combination of Culpepper and Randy Moss connected nine times for 150 yards in the game, including several key third-down conversions as the Vikings converted eight of 14 attempts.
Favre, who threw four interceptions in the game, overcame a poor start to rally Green Bay late in the second half. Ahman Green was held to just 53 yards rushing, but had touchdown runs in the third and fourth quarters and Favre hit Javon Walker with a 24-yard touchdown strike to close within five points with 1:55 remaining.
Green Bay won the rematch in a 30-27 thriller in early November and claimed the division title with a 10-6 record, edging Minnesota by one game. The Packers advanced to the NFC divisional round before losing the infamous “4th and 26” game in Philadelphia.
No. 6: Packers 24, Vikings 19 at Lambeau Field; Sept. 8, 2008
It was a successful debut for Aaron Rodgers, who took over the starting reins for Favre in 2008.
After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota scored first on Ryan Longwell’s 37yard field goal. Rodgers answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Korey Hall and Mason Crosby booted a 42-yard field goal and the Packers were ahead, 10-3, at halftime.
In the third quarter, Longwell cut the Vikings’ deficit to four points with a 27yard field goal before the Packers special teams made the difference-making big play.
Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a 17-6 cushion, but Tarvaris Jackson mounted a fourth-quarter comeback with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice (conversion pass failed). Rodgers’ one-yard sneak increased the lead to 24-12 before Adrian Peterson’s 3-yard touchdown run with 2:39 remaining accounted for the final margin. Green Bay struggled to a 6-10 season while Minnesota won the NFC North with a 10-6 record.
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