“We can’t stand them, and they feel the same way about us,” making this latest Vikings-Packers matchup even more intense.
“They’re nice and all,” Sam Darnold said of Packers fans, “but when it comes to football, they’re not afraid to speak their minds about who they think is the better team.” Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard made contact with Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks earlier this season at Lambeau Field.
With the 129th meeting of these historic teams approaching, tensions are high, and the stakes are as high as they get for a regular-season game.
A win for the Vikings (13-2) would strengthen their hold on the NFC’s top seed, granting them a first-round playoff bye, home-field advantage, and a division title. A Packers win would secure Green Bay at least the No. 6 seed, avoiding a potential first-round matchup with the current No. 2 seed, Philadelphia.
Thus, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold doesn’t expect to hear from a childhood friend who’s a Packers fan. This friend, whom Darnold prefers to keep unnamed, reached out before Darnold’s first game against Green Bay: a 31-29 win at Lambeau on September 29.
“He’s probably not going to reach out to me this week,” Darnold said Thursday. “He might think that’ll change something. But no, he’s a great buddy. Hopefully, he’ll get in touch, but if not, I won’t be surprised.”
Darnold, having emerged as the leader of the Vikings’ surprising success with a career-high 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, is starting to notice Packers fans treating him a bit differently.
“It’s the whole NFC North, man,” Darnold said. “There’s just this incredible rivalry, or bitterness, I guess you could call it. It’s awesome running into Packers fans. And I’m not going to lie — they’re nice and everything, but once the football talk starts, they’re not shy about saying who they think the better team is. It just makes it all more fun — the game, the rivalry. That’s why we play.”
Access Vikings podcast: This Vikings-Packers game could be the most important in recent memory.
This will be Justin Jefferson’s 10th game against the Packers in his NFL career. While his teams are 5-4 since he entered the league, they’ve struggled in December and January, going 0-3 in those months.
Where does Sunday’s matchup rank for Jefferson among the top Vikings-Packers games?