TimesFour

Packers vs Vikings night is almost upon us, as the Packers vs Vikings finally get to play each other. But it isn’t Packers vs Vikings, as much as it is Ted Thompson vs Brett Favre. The first Packers vs Vikings Super Bowl has Brett Favre finally set to make Packers GM Ted Thompson pay for not taking him back.

As for the Packers and Vikings themselves, Green Bay wants to stake their claim in the NFC North, while Minnesota seek to take an early stranglehold on the division. At 7:30 p.m., the Packers vs Vikings game will finally settle all these storylines – until November 1, that is.

The first of two Packers vs Vikings Super Bowl-esq showdowns is technically an undercard, for all the hype. If people are sick of hearing about Favre, the Vikings and Packers now, they will go completely insane in the week leading up to their game in Green Bay on November 1.

Though Favre takes on his old team tonight, he won’t be back in front of betrayed Packers fans until November 1. By comparison, this Packers vs Vikings clash is just a warmup until that massive day.

Before that day of reckoning comes, the two teams have to get through today’s big game. For the Vikings, they hope to go 4-0 and prove they are for real as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and not a beneficiary of Favre hype. Favre needed an impossible touchdown pass to beat the 49ers last week, but the Vikings hope they don’t need to be bailed out like that again.

The Packers vs Vikings game is also crucial for the Packers, beyond the need to beat Favre. Green Bay comes in at 2-1, and trying to establish their own identity. Aaron Rodgers has held down the fort with Favre gone, but a win over Favre tonight could truly endure him to Green Bay for good.

Of course, the Packers vs Vikings may not even come down to Favre or Rodgers. Adrian Peterson has gone pretty much unnoticed in discussions for the game, despite being the most dangerous weapon in football. The 49ers largely contained Peterson last week and would have won if not for Favre. If the Packers do the same, they have a better chance – although if Favre beats them like he beat the Niners, they will never be allowed to live it down.

Soon enough, the Packers vs Vikings hype will give way to actual action on the field – though the city of Minnesota might be a bit distracted by the Twins-Tigers playoff the next day. Vikings fans, Packers fans, Favre fans, and everyone beaten into submission by the hype should be able to stay focused, however.

At long last, ESPN will cover the Packers vs Vikings at 8:30 p.m. EST tonight, 7:30 Green Bay time