Minnesota is 57-64-3 all-time in 124 games (includes 1-1 in NFC Playoff games) against Green Bay, which won 10 of the first 12 games (1961-66) before the Vikings hired Bud Grant.
The Vikings are 7-5-1 in the past 13 games (since start of 2016 season).
Phillips on benefit of returning Irv Smith, Jr., to practice and potentially games:
“I think Irv is just another piece that we can add. Potentially you can mix some of the 11 personnels, he can be a guy that can come in. Some of the 12 personnels. You can mix some of the personnels and perhaps do different things with Johnny Mundt and T.J. [Hockenson], T.J. and Irv, and then potentially Johnny and Irv. You can just kind of mix and match. You have another guy who can make plays. You have 13 personnel [that] potentially comes alive. We’ve run some 22 stuff with C.J. [Ham], but 13 is a good personnel, as well. Add another gap, and teams generally don’t have a lot of inventory of defensive calls to 13. They’re not spending a lot of time on those types of things, so sometimes you can get regulated front coverage, things that you kind of know where they’re going to align based on how you align, and attack them that way, whether it’s run game or pass game. So there’s a lot of things you can do, just having another good player coming into the mix.”
Donatell on defensive veterans being taken out for some snaps in final few games:
“There’s a reason for it, and it’s two-fold. This is a 17-game season. We do know we’re in the tournament with…
