GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the Green Bay Packers about to embark on the biggest three-game stretch of the season, coach Matt LaFleur has a message for fans ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Don’t do business with the enemy.

“Hopefully our fans will show up in droves and not sell their tickets to the Vikings fans, because we’ve seen that happen before,” LaFleur said on Monday, a day after a 27-20 victory at the Giants.

The Vikings have won their last two trips to Lambeau Field, and there have been a lot of purple shirts in the stands for both games.

Because it’s a rivalry game and border battle, tickets are expensive. The cheapest ticket in Section 120, which is located behind the Packers’ bench – is $470. That’s a nice profit ahead of the Christmas shopping season. While a season-ticket holder might not want to sell to a Vikings fan, there’s no control over who buys tickets on NFL Ticket Exchange. That’s through Ticketmaster, the league’s official reseller of tickets.

The Packers, coming off back-to-back losses at Lambeau, are 6-3-1 after edging the Giants. Their next three games are against NFC North rivals.

The Vikings are 4-6 after losing four of their five games after their Week 6 bye. They are 3-2 on the road, though. That will be followed by a short-week game at the Detroit Lions (6-4) on Thanksgiving. After that, the division-leading Chicago Bears (7-3) will come to Lambeau following their Black Friday game at the Eagles.

“Obviously, the divisional games are absolutely critical,” LaFleur said. “You talk about this three-game stretch, but really all that matters is this one game for us right now. We just got to focus on what’s right in front of us and that’s to try to put together the best plan to go out and play a team that I think is an extremely tough football team and, shoot, they put it on us twice last year.”

The Packers were swept last year by the Vikings. The scores were only 31-29 at home and 27-25 on the road, but neither game was particularly close. At Lambeau in Week 4, the Vikings led 28-0 in the second quarter. At U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 17, the Vikings took a 27-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Packers also lost to the Vikings at home in 2023, 24-10. It was 24-3 midway through the third quarter of that game.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur argues a call on a muffed punt with field judge Aaron Santi last year vs. the Vikings. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Our guys will be motivated. They’ll be ready to roll,” LaFleur said. “But we got to put in the work and have a great week of practice in order because we know this game, it’s going to come down to a couple plays. That’s how most of the games are in this league. I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys over in Minnesota. I think they got a great roster, I think they got a great coaching staff, so it should be a great football game.”

It seems like every Packers game comes down to a couple plays. That was the case against the Giants, with Jordan Love’s third-down heave to Savion Williams setting up Love’s go-ahead touchdown pass to Christian Watson, and Evan Williams’ end-zone interception essentially clinching the game.

Since a pair of statement victories over the Lions and Commanders to start the season, the Packers are 4-3-1. The three losses were all by three points. The only games not decided by one score were against Cincinnati, thanks to a late insurance field goal, and Pittsburgh, when the Packers trailed entering the fourth quarter before dominating the final 15 minutes.

Teams, obviously, would rather not peak in September. Are the Packers any better now than they were in Weeks 1 and 2?

LaFleur initially punted on the question.

“Who knows,” he said, “we just got to continue to get better and we got to do it one day at a time by putting the work in. I told the guys we’re going to have a tough week of practice, so get your mind right for that.”

But is LaFleur seeing that steady, day-at-a-time growth that will be necessary for a team to play its best at the end of the season, when a series of high-stakes games will determine whether the Packers win the NFC North or miss the playoffs altogether?

“I think there’s been some good and some not so good,” LaFleur said, “so that’s why you got to continue just to battle and fight, and I do like that about our guys. I don’t think they run away from hard work. I don’t think they ever turn down a battle. And so, I think our guys will continue to get better, and that’s ultimately the goal.”

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