Coming off a 4-game winning streak, Packers to meet rival Vikings on Christmas Eve at Lambeau!
GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers game vs. the rival Chicago Bears on a bitterly cold Sunday, December 18th at Soldier Field ended with a 60-yard bomb from Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson, and a successful field goal by kicker Mason Crosby. The Packers won, 30-27. The Packers face another NFC North rival Saturday, December 24th -- Christmas Eve -- when the Minnesota Vikings head to Lambeau Field.
Kickoff is set for noon -- and it's a game you'll be able to watch ONLY ON FOX6!
The Green Bay Packers are 8-6 on the season -- the Vikings 7-7.
After that win Sunday vs. the Bears, the Packers moved ahead of Minnesota for sole possession of second place in the NFC North and pulled within a game of division leader Detroit, with the Vikings getting pounded by Indianapolis and the Lions losing to the New York Giants on Sunday.
Saturday marks the Packers' final home game of the season. They head into Saturday's game coming off a four-game winning streak. According to Packers.com, Green Bay is the only team in the NFL to have a winning streak of four-plus games in each of the last eight seasons (2009-16).
The Christmas Eve matchup with the Vikings will be the Packers' first time playing on a Saturday during the regular season since 1997! It will be the third time the Packers and Vikings have played on a Saturday during the regular season (1973, 1991). It'll be the Packers' first time playing on Christmas Eve since 2004. They won 34-31 in 2004 at Minnesota to clinch the NFC North title.
According to the Packers, of the past 29 regular-season meetings between the Packers and Vikings, 20 of those games have been decided by seven points or less, including a three-point differential in the first meeting this season. Through 112 meetings, which includes two postseason contests (1-1), the Packers hold a 59-51-2 edge over the Vikings in the all-time series. The Packers are 10-3-1 in the last 14 games between the teams during the regular and postseason.
The Packers and Vikings last met earlier this season -- on September 18th. The Vikings won 17-14 at U.S. Bank Stadium. During that game, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson mustered 19 yards on 12 carries (1.6 avg.) before leaving with an injury in the third quarter. RB Ty Montgomery partially blocked a Jeff Locke punt in the first quarter, which helped the ensuing drive result in a 1-yard TD pass from QB Aaron Rodgers to WR Jordy Nelson. LB Julius Peppers led all players with 1.5 sacks. Minnesota had five sacks, including strip-sacks by DE Everson Griffen and DE Danielle Hunter. Rodgers (three attempts for 29 yards, 9.7 avg.) almost out-performed the Minnesota ground attack (24 attempts for 30 yards, 1.4 avg.).
The Packers began the series vs. the Vikings with six straight wins before Minnesota rattled off 22 victories in 32 contests from 1964-79. Green Bay began a run of its own in 1979 that saw 16 wins over 21 games and lasted until 1990. Since winning Super Bowl XXXI, Green Bay has a 25-15-1 record against the Vikings.
This is the second of three straight games against division opponents. It is the first time since 2006 that the Packers will finish the regular season with three straight games against NFC North opponents.
Next week, the Packers will finish the regular season in Detroit for the first time since 1993. That game is Sunday, January 1st at noon.
CLICK HERE for more on this week's matchup via Packers.com.