EAGAN, Minn. — There is no love lost here, not when the 116th Border Battle is on the horizon.
The Vikings and Packers will renew their longstanding rivalry Sunday in Green Bay as Minnesota gets set for its first road game of the season.
Both teams were victorious in their respective season openers.
The Vikings earned a 24-16 win over San Francisco, marking the third straight season in which Minnesota has won its opener at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Packers fell behind early but rallied for a 24-23 win against the Bears at Lambeau Field.
Here's a look at Minnesota's road opener against Green Bay:
Passing: Kirk Cousins **was a winner** in his Vikings regular-season debut, completing 20 of 36 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
He had a passer rating of 95.1 in his Vikings debut, which would have been higher had he not misfired on his final eight passes of the day, including a ball deliberately thrown out of bounds after time expired on the final snap of the game.
That rating was the best in a season opener for Cousins, who had ratings of 68.7, 72.7 and 72.9 in the past three Week 1 games with Washington.
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a flair for the dramatic Sunday night as he left the game with an injury, only to return and lead the Packers back from a double-digit deficit.
Rodgers completed 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 130.7.
Packers backup DeShone Kizer completed four of seven passes for 55 yards and had an interception returned for a touchdown while Rodgers was out.
Rushing: Minnesota surpassed the 100-yard mark as a team as the Vikings had 116 rushing yards on 32 carries.
Dalvin Cook had a solid **return to action** as he gained 40 yards on 16 carries in his first regular-season game since Week 4 of the 2017 season. The second-year running back tallied 95 total yards on 22 touches.
Running back Latavius Murray rushed 11 times for 42 yards, and Cousins had 26 yards on four rushes.
Green Bay had 69 yards on 18 attempts. Jamaal Williams led the way with 47 yards on 15 carries.
Receiving: Adam Thielen picked up right where he left off after an All-Pro season in 2017, catching six passes for 102 yards to lead Minnesota.
Thielen has 23 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns in his past three meetings with the Packers.
Cook got involved with 55 yards on six receptions. Stefon Diggs had three receptions for 43 yards and a score. Diggs has a touchdown catch in three straight games against Green Bay.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph had an 11-yard touchdown and was one of seven Vikings to catch a pass from Cousins.
Randall Cobb led the Packers with nine catches for 142 yards and a score, and Davante Adams had five receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown of his own. Geronimo Allison added five receptions for 69 yards and a score.
Defense: Led by safety Harrison Smith, the Viking defense rose to the challenge on multiple occasions on Sunday.
Smith had a fumble recovery, interception and a sack in the win. He now is the Vikings franchise leader among defensive backs with 10 career sacks.
Danielle Hunter had a sack, and Everson Griffen and Sheldon Richardson split one. Linval Joseph forced the fumble at the goal line that Smith recovered.
Mike Hughes also had a **splendid rookie debut**, recording his first career interception and taking it back 28 yards for a touchdown. Xavier Rhodes also had a pick, the 10th of his career.
Minnesota allowed 327 total yards and limited the 49ers to five of 13 tries on third downs.
Green Bay allowed 294 yards to Chicago, including 139 on the ground on 27 carries (5.1 yards per attempt).
The Packers did not have an interception but had one takeaway on a fumble recovery. Kentrell Brice, Mike Daniels and Nick Perry had sacks for Green Bay.
Special Teams: The Vikings turned in a solid special teams performance in the opener as they erased an up-and-down preseason performance.
Rookie kicker Daniel Carlson made a 48-yard field goal in his debut, and hit all three of his extra point tries. He also had touchbacks on all five of his kickoffs.
Punter Matt Wile, with the Vikings for just a week before the Week 1 game, landed four of six punts inside the 20-yard line and had a long of 56 yards. He averaged 38.3 yards per punt. Minnesota allowed just 14 yards on a pair of punt returns.
Packers kicker Mason Crosby hit a 42-yard field goal and added three extra points. Punter JK Scott averaged 48 yards on four punts.
Over The Years
This will be the 116th overall meeting between the Vikings and Packers, which is the most games against one opponent in Minnesota's franchise history. Minnesota is 53-60-2 all-time against Green Bay.
The Vikings are 52-59-2 in the regular season against their heated rivals from the NFC North. The teams have also met twice in the playoffs, and each have a postseason win.
Minnesota has had the upper hand of late, winning four of the past five meetings. That includes winning both games in 2017, the Vikings first sweep in the series since 2009.
Last meeting: Vikings 16, Packers 0, Dec. 23, 2017, in Green Bay
The Vikings defense pitched a historic shutout on a bitterly cold night, holding Green Bay to just 239 total yards in the win. It was only the second time in franchise history that Minnesota held Green Bay scoreless, and the first time since a 3-0 home win on Nov. 14, 1971.
Smith had a pair of interceptions while Trae Waynes had a sack in the win. The Vikings limited Green Bay to just four third-down conversions on 16 tries.
Diggs scored the only touchdown of the game on a 4-yard pass from Case Keenum. Kai Forbath kicked three field goals in the win.
The Vikings, who had clinched the NFC North title the week before, moved to 12-3 on the season with the win.
