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News | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com

Early Look: Packers at Vikings

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings are 1-0 after their 25-16 win in the season opener against Tennessee. Down 10-0 at the half, the Vikings responded with 25 unanswered points, including a pair of defensive touchdowns.

Green Bay also won its Week 1 game, holding off a late charge by Jacksonville for a 27-23 victory.

Now Minnesota gets ready for one of its biggest games of the season — a prime time game against the Packers in the regular-season opener of new U.S. Bank Stadium. The tilt is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (CT) on NBC's Sunday Night Football.

Here's an early look:

Passing: Shaun Hill got the starting nod over Kyle Rudolph after Stefon Diggs went down with a season-ending knee injury on Aug. 30. Hill was steady in the win, completing 18 of 33 passes for 236 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Hill might not have lit up the stat sheet, but he played the way Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer wanted, a mistake-free game that led to a win.

The 36-year-old Hill has one career start against Green Bay, which came in 2010 while with Detroit. He completed 34 of 54 passes for 331 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 28-26 loss.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 20 of 34 passes for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Sunday's win over the Jaguars. Rodgers has 15 career starts against Minnesota and has thrown for 3,993 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Rushing: The Vikings struggled to run the ball against a Tennessee defense that routinely stacked the box with at least eight players. Adrian Peterson ran for 31 yards on 19 yards with a long run of nine yards as the Vikings accounted for just 65 rushing yards on 28 attempts.

Peterson has fared well in 16 career games against Green Bay, rushing for 1,760 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Packers running back Eddie Lacy carried 14 times for 61 yards against Jacksonville with a long of 28 yards. Rodgers added 16 yards on the ground and had a touchdown run.

Receiving: Wide receiver Stefon Diggs led the Vikings with seven catches for 103 yards against the Titans.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph caught four passes and 65 yards, and wide receiver Adam Thielen had four catches for 54 yards.

The Packers also had a balanced passing attack against the Jaguars, with Randall Cobb leading the way with six catches for 57 yards. Davante Adams had three receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown, and Jordy Nelson caught six passes for 32 yards and a score.

Defense: Minnesota's defense put on a monstrous Week 1 performance as Zimmer's unit scored a pair of defensive touchdowns. Eric Kendricks returned an interception 77 yards for a score, and Danielle Hunter scooped up a fumble and raced 24 yards to the end zone.

The Vikings also recorded a pair of sacks and had three total takeaways on the day.Minnesota limited Tennessee to just 64 rushing yards. 

The Packers defense used a late stand to preserve a win, keeping the Jaguars out of the end zone with under a minute left in the game. Linebacker Joe Thomas had an interception in the win.

Special Teams: With the Vikings down 10-0 at halftime, Cordarrelle Patterson sparked the team with a 61-yard kickoff return to inject momentum into the Vikings.

Kevin McDermott kicked a 50-yard field goal after Patterson's return, the first of four second-half field goals for Walsh. He also converted kicks of 33, 45 and 30 yards.

Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby made a pair of field goals in Green Bay's win.

View exclusive images shot by the team photographer from the Jan. 3 game against Green Bay.

Over The Years 

The Vikings and Packers have met 109 times in the regular season, which ties the most games against one team in franchise history. Minnesota has also played Chicago and Detroit 109 times.

Minnesota is 49-58-2 against their heated rivals from the NFC North. The teams have also met twice in the playoffs, and each have a postseason win.

Last Meeting: Vikings 20, Packers 13, Jan. 3, 2016 at Green Bay

The Vikings clinched the NFC North title by beating Green Bay at Lambeau Field in Week 17. It was both Minnesota's first win in Wisconsin and first division crown since 2009. Everson Griffen had a pair of sacks in the win and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Minnesota built a 20-3 lead entering the fourth quarter behind a pair of Walsh field goals, a 3-yard touchdown run by Peterson and Mackensie Alexander's 55-yard fumble return for a score.

Green Bay rallied for 10 points in the fourth quarter before Xavier Rhodes picked off Rodgers in the end zone with just more than five minutes left. The Vikings then knocked away a last-second pass at the goal line.

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