Division rivals Green Bay, Minnesota expect close one

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Ryan Longwell expects today's showdown between the evenly matched Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers to come down to a last-second field goal.

And why not? Both times they played in the regular season, Green Bay won 34-31 on field goals by Longwell as time expired, capping impressive 2-minute drives by Brett Favre.

Longwell nailed a 33-yarder on Nov. 14 at Lambeau Field and a 29-yarder on Christmas Eve at Minneapolis that gave the Packers their third straight NFC North crown.

The difference in today's playoff game could be a kicker's toe yet again.

"I think so," Longwell said. "You look at them, the talent is very equal. They had a tough stretch at the end, but we had a tough stretch at the beginning. So, you look at our seasons and they're very similar. I just think it sets up for an interesting game because you just don't know what you're going to get from a rivalry like this."

Despite their sweep, the Packers aren't overconfident about the matchup. They know they easily could have lost both times to Minnesota because the difference between the teams is so thin.

Both have prolific passing games with star wide receivers, superior pass protection and multitalented offensive backfields to keep opponents guessing. Each also sports a banged-up defense, a suspect secondary, a tendency to tackle poorly and a penchant for penalties.

Green Bay ranks first in the NFC in total offense and second in passing. Minnesota ranks first in the NFC in passing and second in total offense.