The most underappreciated rivalry in each NFL division

NFC North: Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Even though the Green Bay Packers have a longer and more storied rivalry with the Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings have formed a strong rivalry with the Packers since coming into the league as an expansion franchise back in 1961. Since Minnesota’s arrival in the league, you could argue these have been the two most consistently teams in their respective divisions.

To date, they have met 119 times on the gridiron. Green Bay holds the rivalry series lead at 62-54-3 with both teams winning a postseason game over the other. Many players have gone on to play for both franchises, including quarterback Brett Favre, wide receiver Greg Jennings and kicker Ryan Longwell. In almost all cases, the former Packer becomes a Viking.

In the Super Bowl era, Green Bay has been to five, winning four. While Minnesota has played in four Super Bowls, the Vikings have never won one and haven’t been to one since the 1970s. They are one of the most tortured fanbases in North American professional sports with the Packers often being the foil in their plans.

This is one of those handful of rivalries where this is one team’s biggest rival, while it’s only the other team’s No. 2. While the one the Packers have with the Bears is more entrenched in tradition, the Vikings have been a more competitive and compelling rival for the better part of the last 30 years. The Vikings are rarely down and the Packers haven’t been down since the 1980s.