EAGAN, Minn. — The 132^nd meeting between the Vikings and Packers is on the way.

"It doesn't get better than this, to be opening up the season at home against our neighbors," hometown linebacker Blake Cashman said. "This obviously is a really important game for the people in this building, but it's also a very important game to our fans and the state of Minnesota.

"The atmosphere, the energy is going to be electric," Cashman added, "and everybody here, everyone in this locker room is going to be juiced up, ready to go, and I think you're going to see all of us Minnesota Vikings putting our best foot forward on Sunday and rocking and rolling out there."

The Vikings will sport their Classic unis as they try to go 1-0 for the third consecutive season and fourth in five tries under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell. His debut game with Minnesota was a 23-7 home romp over Green Bay, and he is 5-3 against the rivals despite a minus-17 point differential.

Additionally, the thematically inspired atmosphere will feature James Brown, Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Cowher, Super Bowl champion QB Russell Wilson and All-Pro T Kyle Long broadcasting THE NFL TODAY at 11 a.m. (CT) from near the Legacy Ship outside U.S. Bank Stadium.

This matchup marks the third opener in a row playing against a newly hired defensive coordinator. Former Vikings assistant and Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon gets to face his former quarterback Kyler Murray. This follows Dennis Allen with the Bears in 2025 and Shane Bowen with the Giants in 2024. That presents some unknowns and emphasizes the fundamentals.

Here are details on how to watch. Kickoff is slated for 3:25 p.m. (CT). Now, let's preview Week 1.

3 Prominent Topics

1. Murray's Vikings debut

Factoring in high school, college and dual-threat achievements over his first seven NFL seasons, Murray is extremely decorated. It's unfair to overvalue his 38-48-1 record since it's arguably a better indication of where a franchise stands than a QB stat. It's also unfair to undervalue Murray's ability to elevate an offense that has major investments up front and one of the scariest casts of skillsters.

In six career Week 1 games, Murray has completed almost 65% of his passes for an average of 224.2 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He's also rushed 38 times for 248 yards (6.5 avg.) and 13 first downs and a pair of scores. His combined passer rating in openers is 93.1.

Murray's supreme confidence is eternal, and he rarely reveals his inner feelings, so his candidness speaking with reporters on Thursday felt significant. Sunday will be his first real game in 343 days.

"This has got to be right up there for the most anticipated (game)," shared Murray, weighing his complete football career. "I can't tell you how excited and ready I am to just be on the field again."

Asked about nerves, he spun a positive: "Honestly, I've been playing football my whole life. If I didn't have those anxious butterflies — those nerves — I feel like maybe I shouldn't be doing it anymore."

The skill players, namely Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones, Sr., and Jordan Mason and the system surrounding Murray should maximize some of his best traits: throwing with accuracy and anticipation and turning the mundane into the magnificent if the game depends on it.

2. Running toward an identity

This section can be brief because it's been a hot topic since locker room cleanout interviews in January. The Vikings are deploying a revamped run game this season that's spearheaded by new Assistant Head Coach Frank Smith and promoted Offensive Line Coach Keith Carter — oh, and a healthy and fearsome starting five of Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Blake Brandel, Will Fries and Brian O'Neill. They want to be tone-setters. Fast, physical and aggressive. They want to carve room for Jones, Mason and Co. to operate, and they want to reset the line of scrimmage downfield.

"All the things that they bought into, I want to see it come to life, and go ahead and let it loose," Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips said. "We understand as coaches, it's not going to be perfect; it never is, so don't let that change the way that we've been playing. Go out there and let it loose."

3. Blitzes & banged-up front

One thing feels certain: The Vikings are likely to continue sending storms of pressure. They blitzed on 44.3% of opponent dropbacks last season, 38.9% in 2024, and 51.5% in 2023. They ranked atop the NFL in that category each year. One thing feels less certain: the readiness of Green Bay's o-line.

Packers left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele were limited participants during the most important practices (Wednesday, Thursday) this week, as well as on Friday. They were listed on the final injury report as questionable for the game. Left tackle Jordan Morgan also began the week practicing in a limited capacity before being upgraded, and he doesn't carry a designation.

Dallas Turner, who had a rock-solid training camp before his third pro season, and a long list of effective pass-rushers, including Andrew Van Ginkel, Cashman and Eric Wilson — from all over the field — and Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez on the interior will challenge their protection.

Two other things feel less certain but likely: Packers QB Jordan Love will handle the blitz better than most do. Last season, he compiled the No. 3 EPA (plus-46.7) and No. 5 passer rating (109.8) versus the blitz. Love didn't dramatically speed up his time to throw, though. Versus extra-man pressures, it was 2.78 seconds on average, and overall, it was 2.89. He does a nice job of navigating the blitz and has a knack for making some fadeaway-type throws that generally cost other offenses possessions.

The other less certain but likely aspect is the drop-off in pressure for Green Bay's defense without Micah Parsons, who is still recovering from ACL surgery in late December. With the All-Pro in the mix last season, the Packers boasted a 7.3% sack rate, per Next Gen Stats. Without him? 3.7%.

2 Talented Packers

1. No. 85 Tucker Kraft

The fourth-year tight end tore his ACL a day before his 25^th birthday last season. Ten months later, he's off Green Bay's injury report and could step back into a meaty role in the offense this weekend.

Kraft led all NFL tight ends through their first seven games of 2025 with 469 receiving yards (14 more than Brock Bowers on nine fewer catches). He also scored six touchdowns before his Week 8 injury.

A third-round pick out of South Dakota State in 2023, Kraft told Packers media members that Sunday's matchup is like a home game for him since U.S. Bank Stadium is a drivable distance for family and fans. Kraft has gathered his most receptions (14) and yards (154) against a single opponent in four games vs. Minnesota, granted he's only at 42 career games.

He's a tackle-breaker and run-after-the-catch beast; his 336 YAC last year ranked fourth through players' first seven games, regardless of position. Only Christian McCaffrey (402), Bijan Robinson (386) and Rashee Rice (367) recorded more. Also, Kraft's passer rating when targeted since '23 is 135.0, which is No. 2 among tight ends in that span (min. 75 targets). Minnesota's Josh Oliver is first at 141.3.

2. No. 56 Edgerrin Cooper

Cooper was a second-round pick out of Texas A&M in 2024 and rotated on defense as a rookie. He had his biggest game of the season in Week 17 that year, posting 11 tackles and four for a loss in the Packers two-point loss to the Vikings. In 2025, Cooper's instincts turned him into a stalwart 'backer. He logged 118 tackles, defended four passes and forced a pair of fumbles while playing 99% of the possible snaps on defense over the course of 16 games. He was inactive in the 2025 finale at Minnesota as many starters rested.

Beyond his nose for the football and sound techniques in space, we're listing Cooper over other impactful returnees on defense such as ball hawks Xavier McKinney, Keisean Nixon and Evan Williams, as well as new linebacker Zaire Franklin, who replaced Quay Walker as Green Bay's "Green Dot" communicator and paces the NFL with 644 tackles since 2022, because Cooper may be utilized off the edge in certain packages to offset operating without Parsons.

Cooper is well-versed lining up off the ball, hanging over the slot and walking up on the edge; he's handled snaps at each position for the Packers (and Aggies), according to Pro Football Focus data.

1 More Thing to Know

"The Hitman" officially returned this week, so all's right with Minnesota. Coaches and teammates can't say enough good things about what Harrison Smith's decision to play a 15^th season in Purple means. There's the leadership aspect. Smith noted a part of why he came back is to "give as much as I can to the next wave" of Vikings. Young players, like rookie safeties Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas, can ask him questions and imitate his routines.

There's the continuity aspect, too. Smith and Joshua Metellus are like two peas in a pod. They know each other's styles and tendencies, and Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is part of their connection, as well.

And, last but not least, there is Smith's gamesmanship. The mental and physical ability he possesses — still. At 37 years old, he admitted he is in the final stage of his career (hence the retirement questions proliferating the past three offseasons), but there's evidence of him playing fantastically, recently, like on Christmas Day when he had an interception, a sack, two tackles for loss and three pass breakups against Detroit.

With only a few practices banked before Sunday it would take a superhuman effort for Smith to play his typical Iron Man role against the Packers. His calming presence will be felt, though, whatever is his snap count, like it's always been, on the sideline and in the defensive backfield and locker room.

Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels had a great quote Thursday about Smith's layered impact:

"I think it's joy. It's true joy. You're talking about a guy that's done it at an elite level for going on now Year 15. I mean, shoot, me and Harry came in together (to the NFL) back in 2012," he said, smiling. "To see him still doing it — it's crazy. It's crazy. There's a level of preparation and taking care of your body that goes into it. But to have guys like Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas now be able to have Harrison Smith within the room with them and being able to just be a sponge to that guy speaks volumes. And that's something that is invaluable is what I would say; the leadership, the character, how he goes about his business day-in and day-out. All you can do is sit back and just learn from it."

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