EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — It's the closest road trip of the season, but it also has the most significance.
Linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive end Brian Robison have made the roughly 45-minute plane ride from Minnesota into Wisconsin a combined 19 times, with another trip coming in a few days.
As the Vikings and Packers get set for a noon (CT) kickoff on Saturday, each team is still trying to make a push for the playoffs.
While that is an added intensity, Robison said that the rivalry game would be charged up even if both teams didn't have a single win.
"It's always a challenge. You could throw the records out the window when you play this game," Robison said. "It's fun because it's two teams that have rich tradition, great history, it's bordering states.
"You can go down the line of what makes it special, but at the end of the day, when you get in between those white lines, it's just a different feel to the game," he added.
The respect is there on both sides, especially for two of the Vikings longest-tenured players.
Robison, who has played in Purple for 10 seasons, has 7.5 career sacks against the Packers. Greenway, meanwhile, is in his 11th season with the Vikings, the same amount of time Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy has been at the helm in Green Bay.
Know the Green Bay Packers key contributors on offense, defense and special teams heading into the first regular season game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
McCarthy is 112-61-1 in his 11th season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Nelson is the Packers leader in receptions (82), receiving yards (1,037) and receinving touchdowns (12) after missing all of last season with a torn ACL.
Rodgers has thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions during the Packers current four-game winning streak.
Cobb has 60 receptions, 610 receiving yards and has caught four touchdowns this season.
The 6-foot-3, 255-pound linebacker has 11.0 career sacks against the Vikings.
Third-year receiver Davante Adams has career-highs in targets (105), yards (922), and touchdowns (nine) this season.
Crosby is 24-28 (85.7%) on field goal attempts this season.
Clinton-Dix has five interceptions this season which is tied for first in the NFC.
Mike McCarthy revealed in his press conference Monday that Sam Shields has been placed on NFL's concussion protocol this week after making a tackle on running back T.J. Yeldon.
Julius Peppers is in his 15th NFL season and is first among active players on the NFL sacks leader list (143.5).
Michael has 104 rushing yards on 24 attempts with the Packers after being waived by the Seattle Seahawks and signed by Green Bay in November.
Guion was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Guion played for the Vikings from 2008-13, where he appeared in 68 games with 31 starts.
Montgomery has a career-high of 162 rushing yards last week against the Chicago Bears.
"I have a lot of respect for their football team, and with the veteran leadership and experience they have on defense, it definitely seems like it's gone fast," McCarthy said earlier this week. "I can remember Chad Greenway when he was drafted there. Brian Robison seems like he's been there forever and he's playing well.
"This is clearly one of the best defenses we play year in and year out," he added.
Greenway said wins and losses are of the utmost importance in the rivalry. But he added that he tries to soak in a different memory each time he travels to Green Bay.
"We usually stay at the same place, and they take good care of us even though they're all Packer fans," Greenway said. "It's like going into hostile territory, they are rabid fans, and you appreciate that from their perspective.
"But we have great fans, and the one thing we're always proud of is how many Vikings fans are in the stands and how they rally behind us," he added.
Quarterback Sam Bradford will make his first trip to Lambeau Field with the Vikings. Bradford's first start in Purple came against Green Bay in Week 2.
"It's a huge rivalry, I think I gained a sense of it in my first start, getting to play against them here at home," Bradford said. "You could just get a good sense of what the environment was that night – there was a lot of excitement.
"I think this game means a lot to everyone in this locker room, I think it means a lot to everyone in this town, and it's fun to be a part of games like that," he added.
Minnesota and Green Bay have combined to win seven of the past eight NFC North titles. The Vikings claimed the division with a Week 17 road win to close out the 2015 regular season.
The Vikings are 50-58-2 all-time against the Packers and have won two straight. Robison said Minnesota's mini win streak will only add fuel to the already burning fire of the rivalry.
"When you're on the other end of the stick, it's never a fun deal, but at the same time, it gives you motivation if you're on the other end of the stick, too," Robison said. "We know they're going to give us their best shot this week. They have lost two in a row to us, and that's the way it goes sometimes.
"Sometimes you get streaky, and sometimes you come back and upset a team," he added. "It's about who is going to win on that Saturday."
