Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers and Preston Smith walk off the field after an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 17-0. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In his eighth season directing the Minnesota Vikings, Mike Zimmer has become well-accustomed to the twice-annual headaches of trying to prepare for and play against Aaron Rodgers.

The angst has hardly been misplaced.

In 13 games against the Vikings since Zimmer was hired in 2014, the three-time NFL MVP has 24 touchdown passes and just three interceptions. The four wins Minnesota has under Zimmer against Green Bay in full games Rodgers has played are nowhere near enough for one of the league’s most renowned defensive strategists to feel some relief.

This year, Green Bay’s defense might actually be a bigger source of stress for the Vikings.

They’ll be up against a group Sunday that has not allowed an opponent to score for six straight quarters. That’s the longest such streak for the Packers since their Super Bowl championship season in 2010.

“I’ve been knowing it since training camp. I knew this was a good defense because, just seeing the leadership and seeing how different people think and all that stuff,” said rookie cornerback Eric Stokes, the first-round draft pick from Georgia who has helped the Packers withstand a slew of injuries and to rank third in the NFL in both yards (309.9) and points (18.0) allowed per game.

Despite the absence of 2020 Pro Bowl picks cornerback Jaire Alexander and outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith to long-term injuries, the Packers over their last three games surrendered only one touchdown pass and a total of 34 points with four interceptions against the following opposing quarterbacks: Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson. That’s quite a list.

Kirk Cousins, who has the best interception percentage (0.6) in the league and is sixth in passer rating (104.0), has his hands full this week.

“It’s really a great team defense. When you look at some of the players I have a lot of respect for who aren’t playing and then the production they have, it says a lot about their unit,” Cousins said.

Cousins is coming off a strong performance in a 27-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in which he more consistently looked to star wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen after a lull in the passing attack the previous two weeks.

“I do think that sometimes he needs to be aggressive with the football,” Zimmer said. “He’s got to trust everybody, and if he has to hum a couple in there and they get tipped or something, so be it. That’s why we’re a team.”

MUTUAL RESPECT

Zimmer has long been applauded by Rodgers for his schematic acumen, which was again on full display last week against the Chargers while missing five starters with a combined 19 selections for the Pro Bowl between them.

“Mike Zimmer, shoot, I think he’s one of the best in the game,” LaFleur said.

DIVISION DOMINANCE

The Packers (8-2) have a 3 1/2-game lead on the Vikings (4-5), well on their way to their third straight NFC North title and currently in control of the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

Green Bay is 13-1 against division opponents in three years under coach Matt LaFleur. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, LaFleur and Steve Mariucci are the only coaches to win 13 of their first 14 divisional games. Mariucci won 16 of his first 17 against the NFC West with San Francisco from 1997-99.

The Vikings handed LaFleur his only divisional loss thus far, when Dalvin Cook had 226 yards and four touchdowns from scrimmage in a 28-22 victory at Lambeau Field.

DILLON DELIVERING

The Packers will likely be without 2020 Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones, who sprained his knee last week. Jones, who has rushed for 336 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games against the Vikings, also missed the loss to Minnesota last year because of a calf injury.

A.J. Dillon has shown recently he’s capable of carrying the load. The 247-pound second-year player scored both touchdowns against Seattle and has 218 total yards over the last two games.

FOR KICKS

Since setting a franchise record with 27 consecutive successful field-goal attempts, Green Bay’s Mason Crosby has made just five of his last 12 tries while working with a new holder (punter Corey Bojorquez) and snapper (Steven Wirtel).

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s special teams have been on a roll after a few rough years. Greg Joseph is 6 for 6 on field goals and 8 for 8 on extra points over the past three games. Dede Westbrook had a 45-yard punt return last week, the second longest in the NFL this season. Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff for a touchdown two games ago.

Green Bay (8-2) at Minnesota (4-5)

Noon, Sunday, FOX

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 63-55-3.

LAST MEETING: Vikings beat Packers 28-22 in Green Bay on Nov. 1, 2020.

LAST WEEK: Packers beat Seahawks 17-0; Vikings beat Chargers 27-20

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (20), RUSH (19), PASS (19), SCORING (19).

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (13), PASS (3), SCORING (3).

VIKINGS OFFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (9), PASS (9), SCORING (14).

VIKINGS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (28), PASS (14), SCORING (16).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Packers plus-7; Vikings plus-6.

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB A.J. Dillon. The second-year player has temporarily taken over the lead role in the backfield with Aaron Jones down with a minor knee injury. Dillon had two of his four career rushing TDs last week against Seattle. The only two opponents the Vikings have held under 100 rushing yards have come in their last three games: the Cowboys (78) on Oct. 31 and the Chargers (82) last week.

VIKINGS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Justin Jefferson. After getting lost in the shuffle with only nine total targets for five receptions in the first two games after the bye week against Dallas and Baltimore, Jefferson came roaring back last week at Los Angeles with nine catches for 143 yards in a concerted effort by QB Kirk Cousins and the coaches to get him the ball. The Packers have not allowed a 100-yard receiver in four weeks since Washington’s Terry McLaurin.

KEY MATCHUP: Packers OLB Preston Smith vs. Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw. With the status of OLB Rashan Gary uncertain because of an elbow injury and another key pass rusher, OLB Whitney Mercilus, out for the season with a torn biceps, the Packers will lean heavily on Smith to pressure Cousins and hold the edge against RB Dalvin Cook. Smith, a former teammate of Cousins in Washington, has three sacks this year. The rookie Darrisaw will make his fifth career start.

SERIES NOTES: The Packers have won their last two games at U.S. Bank Stadium after losing in their first three visits. … QB Aaron Rodgers is 7-6 as the starter at Minnesota and 15-9-1 against the Vikings overall. … Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is 6-7-1 against Green Bay. … Cousins is 2-3-1 against the Packers as Vikings starter and 3-4-1 in his career overall.

STATS AND STUFF: Packers LB De’Vondre Campbell is the only player in the league with 85-plus tackles, multiple interceptions and multiple forced fumbles. … Packers WR Davante Adams has nine TD catches over his last eight games against the Vikings. … Eight of Minnesota’s nine games have been decided by seven points or less. … The Vikings’ defense has forced 10 turnovers in the last five games. … The Vikings lead the league in fourth-down conversions (8 for 11) at 73%, but rank just 26th in third-down rate (45 for 126) at 36%.