We were just poking around some Vikings history and discovered an interesting bit of symmetry: The Oct. 5 MNF game at the Dome -- THE GAME TO END ALL GAMES -- is exactly 11 years to the day after the 37-24 Vikings beatdown over the Packers on MNF at Lambeau. Just to make everyone feel good about 1998 again, here are the first several paragraphs of the game story from that 1998 game, as written by then-Strib Vikings beat guy Don Banks:

So much for mystique.

In a stunning display of passing offense and overall dominance, the Vikings told the Lambeau Field factor to take a flying leap Monday night, humbling the two-time defending NFC champion Green Bay Packers 37-24 in a showdown of Central Division unbeatens.

The Vikings, getting monster games from quarterback Randall Cunningham, receiver Randy Moss and their defense, improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1975, and only the fourth time in history. The Vikings scored on four of their first five drives, including 21 second-quarter points, and never trailed in handing Green Bay its first loss at Lambeau Field since the 1995 season opener.

A rain-soaked and shocked crowd of 59,849 witnessed the kind of history they wanted no part of.

"I know there's a lot of people around here mad because they lost a lot of money in this game," said Moss, who came up huge with five catches for 190 yards, embarrassing the Packers secondary on touchdowns of 52 and 44 yards.

The Packers had won 25 consecutive home games in the regular season, drawing within two of the 1971-74 Miami Dolphins' NFL record of 27. Green Bay's Lambeau winning streak was 29 games including playoffs, and 19 games against NFC Central opponents.

Cunningham completed 20 of 32 passes for 442 yards, no interceptions and four touchdowns, and led the Vikings to 545 yards of total offense. He has 10 touchdowns and no interceptions in just more than three games of work since relieving the injured Brad Johnson on Sept. 13 in St. Louis. Cunningham's 442 passing yards - the first 400-yard day by a Vikings quarterback since Warren Moon in 1994 - were the most ever allowed by a Packers defense. The record had been a 411-yard passing day by San Francisco legend Joe Montana, on Nov. 4, 1990.

"Oh, it's the greatest night in my football career," Cunningham said. "I'm really thankful for everything that's happened. To go from laying tile on my knees in Las Vegas and being humbled and being thankful for what I had, to come in and be on Monday Night Football; coming in to Green Bay beating a team that doesn't get beat at home. And they're the No. 1 defense in the league."

Ahhhhh.