Packers-Vikings Will Be One of Coldest in Lambeau History

When the Green Bay Packers host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, it's going to be downright frigid.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When the Green Bay Packers host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, it will be one of the coldest games in Lambeau Field history.

At kickoff, according to the National Weather Service, it will be 6 degrees with a wind chill of minus-4. By game’s end, it could be 0 with a wind chill of minus-12. According to Luke Sampe of Green Bay TV station WFRV, it will be 6 with a wind chill of minus-10 at kickoff.

In games played at Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers boasts a regular-season record of 26-4 with 65 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 112.0 passer rating. However, he is 0-3 with a kickoff temperature of 7 or colder, though it’s been a long time since he’s played in a game this cold.

“The colder, the better,” he said this week.

The Packers are 13-0 in regular-season games in December and January under coach Matt LaFleur.

“It’s going to be very cold and this’ll be probably one of the coldest games I’ve ever been a part of, so that’s going to be a little bit new,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “But I think we’re lucky because we have a veteran group that has been here for so long. You look at Aaron, he’s been in so many cold games, Davante (Adams), he’s been in a bunch of cold games, so I think those two critical pieces are so important. As you kind of get a feel for how the guys are handling it, that’s where you’ll be able to kind of fluctuate what you’re going to be doing. Really, it’s just about how much you can handle how cold it’s going to be, and I think we’ve got guys that can handle it and actually embrace it.”

Going back to the Ice Bowl, there have been only 11 games at Lambeau Field with a kickoff temperature colder than 10 degrees, according to Stathead. Here are those games:

Dec. 8, 2013: Packers 22, Falcons 21

Kickoff temperature: 9. The Packers trailed 21-10 at halftime but rallied in the second half behind Matt Flynn, who finished 24-of-32 passing for 258 yards and the winning touchdown to Andrew Quarless. Jarrett Bush’s interception clinched the victory.

Dec. 11, 1988: Packers 18, Vikings 6

Kickoff temperature: 6. Don Majkowski came off the bench and threw the clinching touchdown pass to Patrick Scott. Perry Kemp caught six passes for 108 yards and Tim Harris had two sacks, including a safety, as Green Bay ruined the Vikings' NFC Central championship hopes.

Dec. 4, 1977: Packers 10, Lions 9

Kickoff temperature: 6. The Packers ran the ball 52 times and threw nine passes (two of which were intercepted). Nate Simpson carried 22 times for 76 yards and Willard Harrell scored Green Bay’s only touchdown, a 2-yarder in the first quarter.

Jan. 5, 2014: 49ers 23, Packers 20

Kickoff temperature: 5. For the second consecutive postseason, Colin Kaepernick crushed the Packers. He threw for 277 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 98 yards. In the fourth quarter, he threw a 28-yard touchdown to Vernon Davis and drove the Niners to a walk-off, 33-yard field goal.

Jan. 12, 1997: Packers 30, Panthers 13

Kickoff temperature: 3. The Panthers struck first but the Packers crushed the Panthers thereafter to win the NFC Championship and get to Super Bowl XXXI. Brett Favre threw touchdown passes to Dorsey Levens and Antonio Freeman. Favre finished with 292 passing yards and Edgar Bannett and Levens led Green Bay to 201 rushing yards.

Dec. 7, 2008: Texans 24, Packers 21

Kickoff temperature: 3. Matt Schaub threw for 414 yards and two touchdowns and Steve Slaton rushed for 120 yards. Starting at their 3 with 1:49 to go, the Texans cruised down the field to set up Kris Brown’s 40-yard field goal on the final play.

Dec. 22, 1990: Lions 24, Packers 17

Kickoff temperature: 3. The Lions scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter – a 22-yard fumble return by Ray Crockett and a 6-yard run by Barry Sanders – to rally past the Packers. Sanders rushed for 133 yards; Ed West had 103 receiving yards for Green Bay.

Nov. 28, 1976: Bears 16, Packers 10

Kickoff temperature: 2. Carlos Brown threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Payne to tie the score in the third quarter, but Bob Thomas booted two short field goals for the decisive points. Walter Payton outrushed John Brockington 110-15.

Dec. 26, 1993; Packers 28, Raiders 0

Kickoff temperature: 0. Green Bay’s defense led the charge with eight sacks and four takeaways and scored a rather famous touchdown by LeRoy Butler – the first-ever Lambeau Leap. Sterling Sharpe had seven catches for 119 yards and one touchdown.

Jan. 20, 2008: Giants 23, Packers 20 (OT)

Kickoff temperature: minus-1. Donald Driver’s 90-yard touchdown catch helped Green Bay lead 10-6 at halftime. After Lawrence Tynes kicked a 36-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to force overtime, Brett Favre was intercepted on the second play of the extra period. Tynes booted a 47-yard field goal a few plays later to win the game.

Brett Favre is ushered off the field following what would be his final game as Packers quarterback.

Dec. 31, 1967: Packers 21, Cowboys 17

Kickoff temperature: minus-13. In the most famous game in NFL history, the Packers won their third consecutive championship on Bart Starr’s quarterback sneak. Green Bay led 14-0 on Starr’s touchdown passes of 8 and 46 yards to Boyd Dowler but fell behind 17-14 on Dan Reeves’ 50-yard touchdown pass to Lance Rentzel.

By temperature, the Ice Bowl was the coldest game in NFL history. Minus-13 was downright tropical compared to the minus-18 by game's end.

Two weeks later, the Packers beat the Oakland Raiders 33-14 in Super Bowl II.