Has it been that long since Brett Favre donned purple and gold and beat the crap out of the Packers in 2009?
According to The Ringers‘ Danny Kelly, the Vikings-Packers rivalry is fading because the Vikings can’t keep up.
“No rivalry in football comes close. Sure, the league still has a few historical feuds to lean on: The Bears-Packers battle dates back to 1921 with a storied history that features nearly 200 games, but that rivalry just doesn’t resonate on a national level at this point. Chicago has gone to the postseason just once in the past decade and is in rebuild mode, while Green Bay has enjoyed sustained success, with trips to the playoffs in nine of the past 10 seasons, and heads into 2017 as a favorite to win the division once again. The Vikings-Packers rivalry of old has suffered the same fate, and though Minnesota has gone to the playoffs four times in the past 10 years, the Vikings haven’t been able to mount a sustained challenge.”
Mr. Kelly clearly lives in a vacuum. Since when does a slightly lopsided decade decide the rise or fall of a 56-year rivalry?
The Vikings are 51-60-2 in the 113-game history with Green Bay. Here’s a decade-by-decade look at their record against the Packers since 1961.
- 6-14-1 (2007-2016)
- 9-12 (1997-2006)
- 10-9 (1987-1996)
- 7-10-1 (1977-1986)
- 16-4 (1967-1976)
- 2-10 (1961-1966)
Again, the last 10 years have favored the Packers but it cannot be discounted that the rivalry reached a fever pitch with Favre playing for the Vikings for two seasons within that decade. Plus, the Vikings have won two of the last three, with all three being exciting and dramatic.
