Tensions are rising between Vikings and Packers fans ahead of the 129th chapter in this storied rivalry, which brings some of the biggest stakes possible for a regular-season game.
‘We hate them, they hate us,’ and this chapter of Vikings-Packers carries even more weight
“They’re nice and everything,” Sam Darnold said about Packers fans, “but when you start to talk about football, they’re not shy about speaking their mind about who they think the better team is.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 27, 2024 at 2:39PM
A victory for the Vikings (13-2) maintains their control over pursuing the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC that comes with a first-round bye in the playoffs, home-field advantage and a division title. A Packers victory locks Green Bay into at least the No. 6 seed, avoiding current No. 2 seed Philadelphia in their opening round.
So, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold isn’t expecting to hear from a childhood friend who grew up a Packers fan. This buddy, whom Darnold prefers to leave unnamed, reached out before Darnold’s first game against the Packers: a 31-29 victory at Green Bay on Sept. 29.
“He’s probably not going to reach out to me this week,” Darnold said Thursday. “He’s thinking maybe that’ll change something. No, but he’s a great buddy. Hopefully he’ll reach out, but if not, I won’t be surprised.”
Darnold, the face of the Vikings’ unexpected success with a career-high 32 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, has become familiar with Packers fans treating him a little differently now.
“It’s the whole entire NFC North, man,” Darnold said. “It’s an incredible kind of rivalries or bitterness, I guess you could say. It’s awesome to be able to run into Packers fans. And I’m not going to lie — they’re nice and everything, but when you start to talk about football, they’re not shy about speaking their mind about who they think the better team is. It’s just fun, man. It makes everything more fun, makes the game more fun. That’s the reason we play.”
This will be Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson’s 10th game against the Packers in his NFL career, and while his teams are 5-4 since he arrived, they are 0-3 in December and January.
Where does Sunday’s matchup fall on Jefferson’s list of top Vikings-Packers games?
“It’s definitely high,” Jefferson said, “especially with us still competing for the No. 1 spot. Detroit is still a dominant team; Green Bay is also still a dominant team as well as us. This year has definitely been crazy just to see the talent we have in our side of the division. …
“Going against Green Bay, everybody knows we hate them, they hate us. The fans know. Just the whole rivalry in general is something to be juiced up about. So, I definitely want this one.”
The Packers (11-4) are rolling with back-to-back blowout victories, including pitching the NFL season’s first shutout, 34-0 over the Saints on Monday night. Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs has the full attention of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores; only four players have more than Jacobs’ 313 touches and 1,556 yards from scrimmage this year.
“We’ve done a good job of tackling,” Flores said. “Josh Jacobs makes me feel like we need to talk about tackling more. He’s a very, very good back. One of the best in the league.”
The Vikings’ Aaron Jones isn’t far behind, ranking 10th with 1,394 yards from scrimmage in his first year away from Green Bay. After seven seasons with the Packers, which ended with Jones refusing a second pay cut in as many years, he is motivated to help the Vikings sweep the season series for the first time since 2017.
“I’m not gonna give no bulletin-board material,” Jones said. “They respect you because you were on their team and they see the work you put in, but you want to gain their respect in another way by playing against them — ‘This dude is really as good as I thought he was.’”
Jones relished the upper hand in his victorious return to Green Bay in September, when he had 139 yards from scrimmage. He said this is the “most fun” he’s ever had in a season, and that his fourth 1,000-yard rushing campaign is better than the previous three.
But that’s because of his age, not what jersey he’s wearing.
“This will mean even more with me turning 30 [on Dec. 2],” Jones said, “and people [with], ‘All the backs age at this time, that’s when they decline, this, that, and the other.’ … Just show I got a lot of juice and prove people wrong.”
This unexpected joy ride of a Vikings season will crescendo on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, where they can take another step toward the loftiest of goals that they don’t yet dare talk much about.
“Not thinking about playoffs right now,” Jefferson said. “Not thinking about a Super Bowl right now. We’re thinking about Green Bay. We’re thinking about this week and what we can do to change this week. That’s the main thing. I feel like it’s working very well.”
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The 13-2 Vikings will be the NFC’s No. 1 seed if they win their final two regular season games. First up is a high-stakes matchup against another playoff-bound team: their biggest rival.
