The Green Bay Packers are set to open the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday for the 132nd matchup in the history of the storied rivalry. I’m going to try something fun this season and look back on a random game every week by picking a number between 1 and however many times the Packers have played that team. This week’s number? 76. Let’s look back on the Packers 76th meeting against the Minnesota Vikings, a game which took place on September 26th, 1999.
Entering the Game
It was Week 3 of the 1999 season,
and the Packers were 1-1, fresh off a 23-15 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was the team’s first year with HC Ray Rhodes, who was hired after Mike Holmgren resigned to accept the HC job in Seattle, which essentially offered him full control of the team as GM and VP of Football Operations. Rhodes was immediately hired by the Packers after being the only candidate to interview.
The season prior, QB Brett Favre led the league in completions (347), completion percentage (63%), and passing yards (4,212). The team ended up going 11-5, and losing in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers (pardon me while I briefly experience a war flashback). It was time to get back to the Super Bowl.
Key Moments
Down 7-3 in the 2nd quarter, rookie DB Antuan Edwards picked off Vikings QB Randall Cunningham and took it to the house for a 26-yard return.
After this, the game briefly became The Field Goalapalooza after 4 straight FGs between the two teams. With 1:56 left to go in the game, the Vikings were on top again, 20-16, after a 10 yard Randy Moss TD. It was time for the Packers to put together a game-winning drive, and they didn’t have much time left.
27 years later, watching this final drive still stresses me out. Brett Favre marched the team down the field, completing passes to players like WR Corey Bradford, RB Dorsey Levens, and WR Bill Schroeder along the way. And suddenly, it was 4th and 1, with 12 seconds left on the clock. Favre found Bradford, who made his way to the end zone, and the game was over. Packers win at home, 23-20, and move to 2-1 on the year.
The Outcome
The team headed into their Week 4 bye on a high note and won their next matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well. Things started to get a bit bumpy after this, and the Packers would go on to lose three straight games, two separate times. The team finished 4th in the NFC Central at 8-8, and narrowly missed the playoffs in what would end up being their only non-winning season between 1992 and 2004. Ray Rhodes was fired the day after the 1999 season ended and replaced by some guy named Mike Sherman.
The 132nd matchup between the Packers and Vikings kicks off in Minnesota at 3:25 local time.
