In honor of Packers vs. Vikings weekend, News Talk 830 WCCO put together a “Top 4” of moments between these two franchises.
#4- Vikings win the North in Week 17 at Lambeau
It’s always special to make the playoffs, especially in those do-or-die games to end the regular season. To do it at your biggest rivals home? Boy is that super special!
2015 was coach Mike Zimmer’s second season in Minnesota. It was a team built on a strong defense, a running game with Adrian Peterson, and a young QB trying to figure out life in the NFL, Teddy Bridgewater. Week 17 meant a trip to Green Bay. Both teams were 10-5. The winner won the division. If the Vikings lost, season over (Green Bay could make the playoffs still as a Wild Card). Could this young team win such a big game on the road?
Defense again lead the way for the Purple. It was only field goals in the first half, a 6-3 Viking advantage. In the 3rd Quarter, AP got in from 3 yards out, then Captain Munnerlyn returned a fumble 55 yards for TD and it was 20-3. Rodgers threw a touchdown pass early in the 4th Quarter followed by a late field goal by Mason Crosby. But, the Vikings would hold on to win 20-13 and were into the playoffs for the first time since 2012!
The playoffs, however didn’t end so well. A brutally cold game at TCF Bank Stadium (as US Bank Stadium was still under construction) against Seattle was an old-school, throwback battle between great defenses. With game time temps of -6, it was a battle of attrition. Fans showed up in droves for a game that brought back memories of Metropolitan Stadium and the Purple People Eaters. The old coach, Bud Grant even showed up. In short sleeves.
A late drive by Bridgewater set up a chip-shot field goal for Blair Walsh, who had already made three. 27 yards, no problem, right? Wrong. Wide left. Seattle won 10-9.
Oh well. At least they beat Green Bay.
#3- The Purple Beats Green Bay in Lambeau in first-ever playoff matchup between the rivals
In 2004, the Packers swept the season series against the Vikings. Both losses ended on Ryan Longwell (as a Packer) field goals, and both games were 34-31. Ugh.
But, the Purple still snuck into the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Only problem was they were heading to Green Bay for the first ever postseason meeting between the two teams.
This time though, it was Culpepper and Moss to the rescue (plus some solid defense from a team that didn’t play solid too often on that side of the ball, finishing 28th in total defense that season). The Vikes got off to a quick start and lead the game 17-0 halfway into the first quarter.
This game has become awfully famous (an infamous) because of a Moss TD late in the game.
Up 24-17 with After scoring, Moss did a little booty shake by the goalpost and pretended to “moon” the Packer fans. Something FOX announcer Joe Buck had a real problem with, howling “that’s a disgusting act by Randy Moss! And it’s unfortunate we had that on our air live. That is disgusting by Randy Moss.” Viking fans disagreed. So did Troy Aikman who proceeded to say, “Let’s get back to the play.”
The Viking would go on to win 31-17, intercepting Favre four times.
#2- Favre and the Vikings Sweep Green Bay in 2009
After years of tormenting Minnesota fans, Favre was out in Green Bay. A rushed retirement, a stint with the Jets didn’t pan out. Then, suddenly in August of 2009, a circus showed up at Winter Park. Brett Favre was signing with the Vikings.
But, was #4 washed up? In weeks 1 and 2, Favre didn’t show that he had much left in the tank, both wins anyway. But it was a week 3 win over San Francisco that showed the magic was still there. Favre threw a bullet to the back of the end zone to win the game in the last second to Greg Lewis. That set up week 4 in Lambeau. And a return home for #4.
Boos met the Hall of Fame QB as he took the field. New Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers was quickly becoming a star. The Viking defense played terrific in the first half, holding Green Bay to just 3 points. An AP TD and a Favre TD pass had the Vikings up 17-3 at the half.
In the second half, a long TD pass to Percy Harvin put the Vikings up 24-3. Rodgers wasn’t done though. He rallied the Pack to 24-20. This was a day Favre wouldn’t be denied though. He threw his 3rd TD early in the 4th Quarter. But here came Rodgers again. Another TD made it 31-26. Back came Favre with his 4th TD to Bernard Berrian as the back-and-forth battle raged on. The Viking D then mounted a stand, holding Green Bay on 4th down for the win. Phew! What a game.
Week 8 was another great game, this one on Monday Night Football. Favre had one of the best games of his career in an extremely loud Metrodome. He threw two TD’s in a terrifically played first half the Vikings lead 21-14. The second half was more of the same, with Favre and the Vikings moving the ball at-will. Four touchdowns for Favre and a 38-26 win to sweep the season series.
“Brett Favre has disoriented the Packer defense”, analyst Ron Jaworski said. He sure did.
It was a magical year (until it wasn’t, thanks for nothing New Orleans), and those two Packer games were extra special for Brett Favre.
#1- Green Bay, meet Randy Moss
The 90’s tended to be a back-and-forth between the two teams at Lambeau (or County Stadium in Milwaukee), with the Packers holding a slight 5-3 edge in matchups heading into the 1998 season. It seemed like those Packer teams with #4 at Quarterback never lost at home during that era, but the Vikings always gave them trouble.
In 1998, the Pack was coming off three straight NFC Central championships, a Super Bowl win in ’96, and a Super Bowl loss to Denver in ’97. Now, looking to get back to their third straight, Super Bowl, they were clear favorites in the NFC Central again. The Vikings had been solid under coach Dennis Green, but never could get over the hump in the postseason.
But on a rainy Monday Night game in week 5, a rookie wide receiver tipped the scales WAY over to the Vikings. The Vikings were 4-0 and Green Bay hadn’t lost at home since September 3rd, 1995! What a matchup.
Randy Moss had a few coming-out parties in that special season, none bigger than MNF in Lambeau. The “Freak” caught 5 balls, for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns from Randall Cunningham. He even caught a 75 yard TD pass that didn’t count because of a holding penalty. The Vikings went on to win 37-24 (it was 37-10 late into the 4th), shocking the Packers with their explosive offense that went on to score more points than any other in NFL history.
“Randy Moss is the best young receiver I have seen….maybe ever”, Monday Night Football analyst Dan Dierdorf said after a Moss TD in the 2nd Quarter. By the 4th Quarter, Al Michaels was yelling “he’s unstoppable!”
But more than the numbers, it looked like Green Bay had no clue how to handle Moss, as he proved again in week 12 with 8 catches and 154 yards in that one.
Need proof that the Packers were overwhelmed by Moss? They spend the first three picks of the 199 NFL Draft on defensive backs. They didn’t help much either. For Vikings fans tired of Favre’s dominance of the NFL, that Monday Night Football game was sweet revenge.
