The reason we clicked on a recent, ambiguously headlined ESPN article about this game was on the off chance that it had been written by hissable former 49ers coach George Seifert, who always looked like a bad guy in a Michael Bay movie and would almost certainly have written the article while wearing aviator sunglasses. It wasn’t. Instead, it was written by Kevin Seifert, who is an accomplished, experienced football journalist and presumably does not type in sunglasses.

It’s his accomplishment and experience that leads us to believe Kevin Seifert must’ve just hated writing this article. It’s not that it’s bad: it’s not, and is well-reported, written with some pep, and filled with useful data. The quotes are in the right place — Vikings DT Pat Williams talking about “coming after” Packers QB Aaron Rodgers; front office figures on both sides huffing and puffing with goofy grandiosity about tampering and conspiracies and “family business” — and the article moves, but the whole thing just feels tired. The Vikings and the Packers have a storied rivalry, in the sense that it’s in every story your author has ever read about the two teams. But…what is that?

Seifert keeps it current, touching on this summer’s Brett Favre-related ridiculousness and getting crusty quotes from Vikes owner Zygi Wilf, whom you might remember as William H. Macy’s father-in-law in Fargo. But at some point, after all the “no love lost” and “were livid” stuff, there’s just no story there. Or, rather, it’s just a pumped-up, trumped-up reflection of a reflection. We, for instance, are now at that point. Which is too bad, because despite all the corny trumped-up “tension” surrounding it, this is going to be a pretty interesting football game.

The most interesting match-up, and the one that will probably determine the game’s outcome, is Green Bay’s excellent defense against a Minnesota offensive line that is easily tops in the NFL. The Packers have excellent but undersized pass-rushers, brilliant linebackers, and a comparatively vulnerable run defense. The Vikings have a huge, tough offensive line anchored by an All-Pro left side, and the staggeringly awesome Adrian Peterson running behind it. That the team’s quarterback is Tarvaris Jackson and that his receiving corps is still a fantasy league autodraft-malfunction nightmare is worthy of mention, though — although of course we congratulate new Viking WR Bernard Berrian on finding a passer worse than Rex Grossman to underthrow him.

The Packers’ recent success in this rivalry (they’ve won the last four match-ups) has been a direct result of their effective passing game, especially last year. That’s how teams beat the Vikings in ’07, since Minnesota gave up a ton of passing scores but had — and presumably will still have — the NFL’s premier run defense. Aerial action would be the way to win again, if Green Bay’s new quarterback wasn’t Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will make mistakes, and has the misfortune of looking like Keanu Reeves In The Role of Aaron Rodgers, but was actually pretty effective as a sub for Brett Favre last year and has a terrific receiving corps to work with. Minnesota’s revamped pass rush — led by newly acquired 2007 AFC sack leader Jared Allen — will make things difficult, but the Vikings’ lame secondary and Packers receivers who are super-slippery after the catch should give the Packers an edge.

Which is all, you know, kind of “yawn,” relative to the potential international incident Kev-Seif does his best to dredge up. The idea that it’s news when two NFL teams don’t like each other is silly, since NFL players are conditioned not to like anyone, at least during the season. And any quote from NFL front office goofs should pretty much come with a “may negatively impact brain function/do not operate heavy machinery” warning.

Still, it’s presumably more compelling than two not-so-great quarterbacks lobbing helicoptering anti-spirals towards opposing safeties, two unfailingly polite fan bases divided by a border but united by their love for fried cheese curds (they’re delicious) and two units of enormous grunts beating the crap out of each other on the line. It’s a long season, this we know, and we don’t begrudge Kev-Seif his attempts to find some drama here. We just imagine the game will have enough on its own.

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