Packers-Vikings rivalry has been one-sided lately Nov 19, 2015 
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Historically, the Vikings and Packers have been rivals. Lately, Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway said, the series hasn’t lived up to that description.
Since the start of the 2010 season, Green Bay is 9-1-1 against the Vikings, including a playoff win. So pardon Greenway if he’s not waxing poetic about the matchup entering Sunday’s meeting at TCF Bank Stadium.
“I don’t know if it makes it a good rivalry up to this point because they’ve been so dominant,” the 10-year veteran said Wednesday. “It’s been so one-sided in my tenure. So to me a rivalry has to come when the other team is actually winning some games. So we’ve got to go out and play better.”
The Vikings have won five straight and sit atop the NFC North at 7-2. Green Bay is a game back at 6-3, but the Packers have lost three in a row. That’s why most oddsmakers have Minnesota as a one-point favorite in Sunday’s 3:25 p.m. kickoff.
The last time the Vikings were favored against the Packers was Oct. 5, 2009, at the Metrodome on “Monday Night Football.” Quarterback Brett Favre, in his first game against his former team, led Minnesota to a 30-23 win.
“We’re still approaching it like we’re the underdogs,” Vikings cornerback Marcus Sherels insisted.
Told his team is the early favorite, Greenway said, “Talk is cheap” and pointed out that the Packers “handed it to us pretty hard” in a 42-10 win last season.
“Right now, the division goes through Green Bay and has for a couple of years ... so we have a lot of respect for those guys,” Greenway said. “But at the same time, we want to be that team. They’ve been a good football team for a number of years.
“We want to be a team that’s in the playoffs three, four, five, six years in a row, and we’re not there yet. The reality is, it’s the middle of the season. We’ve had a good little run, but that doesn’t give us anything. We’ve got to keep working for it.”
Right now we're more worried about the improved Chicago Bears 
Since Greenway was drafted by the Vikings in 2006, Green Bay has a 14-4-1 lead in the series.
Greenway, running back Adrian Peterson and defensive end Brian Robison are the only three Minnesota players left from when Favre last played for the Packers, in 2007. Aaron Rodgers took over at quarterback in 2008 and has gone 10-4 against the Vikings.
Rodgers said he expects the rivalry will become better as Vikings improve behind a young, stingy defense and second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
“It’s always been a great rivalry between the North teams,” he said, “but you can tell with a young
talented quarterback in Teddy, there’s some very young talent on defense, that this has the potential to be kind of the premier rivalry in the North, if things keep going the way they’re going.
“When the talent level is very even, it makes it even more exciting, I think, for the fans.”
Since the teams began playing when Minnesota entered the NFL in 1961, the Packers hold a 58-49-2 edge. Although the teams have combined to go to nine Super Bowls, they usually haven’t both been good at the same time.
When the Vikings made four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s, the Packers were never better than 8-6 in any of those seasons and had a combined record of 24-30-2. During Green Bay’s five Super Bowl years, the best the Vikings did was 9-7, and they had a combined mark of 31-41-4.
At least for now, expectations are that Minnesota’s resurgence could spice up the rivalry.
Vikings’ Kalil misses second practice but expected to play
Vikings tackle Matt Kalil missed a second straight day of practice Thursday because of a toe injury, but coach Mike Zimmer anticipates he will be in the lineup Sunday against Green Bay.
“I expect him to play,” Zimmer said.
Despite a number of nagging injuries, Kalil has not missed a game since entering the NFL in 2012, playing in 57 consecutive regular season games.
Zimmer said middle linebacker Eric Kendricks, who has missed the past two games with a rib injury, will return against the Packers at TCF Bank Stadium. Kendricks has been a full participant in practice all week.
“I’m very excited to get back,” Kendricks said. “I’m just going to keep doing what I do in the training room and keep practicing hard.”
For a second straight day, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (hamstring) and linebacker Anthony Barr (hand, knee) were limited in practice. After being listed as limited Wednesday, defensive tackles Sharrif Floyd (knee, ankle) and Tom Johnson (concussion) and running back Matt Asiata (quad) were all full participants.
Barr suffered a left hand injury Nov. 8 against St. Louis and played last week at Oakland wearing a soft cast.
“I’m getting there,” Barr said. “I’m still working to get to 100 percent, and I feel like I’m close.”
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Topic: vikings 2015 (Read 64785 times)
