CS Knowledge Base

The 2011 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), and the first full season under head coach Leslie Frazier, who served as the team's interim head coach for the final six games of the 2010 season. The team failed to improve on their 6–10 record from 2010, going 2–6 before their bye week, before being eliminated from playoff contention in week 12 with a 2–9 record. The team also suffered its first six-game losing streak since the 1984 season.

The team started the season with a new starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb, who had enjoyed great success with the Eagles but had a subpar year with the Redskins in 2010. McNabb played respectably, having a passer rating of 82.9 and only turning the ball over twice, but his 1–5 record as starter led to him being benched in favor of rookie Christian Ponder in Week 6, and McNabb was later waived on December 1, 2011. Despite a poor year for the team as a whole, Jared Allen set a franchise record for most sacks in a season with 22. The team led the league in sacks with 50, but also tied a team record for fewest interceptions caught in a season with only eight.

Offseason

Players Additions

Michael Jenkins-signed from the Atlanta Falcons.
Scott Kooistra-signed from the Baltimore Ravens.
Donovan McNabb-signed from the Washington Redskins.

Players lost

Ryan Cook-signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Ray Edwards-signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
Brett Favre-Announced to retire.
Heath Farwell-signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Tarvaris Jackson-signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Jimmy Kennedy-signed with the New York Giants.
Ben Leber-signed with the St. Louis Rams.
Bryant McKinnie-signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
Sidney Rice-signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Lito Sheppard-signed with the Oakland Raiders.
Frank Walker-signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Madieu Williams-signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Pat Williams-Announced to retire.

2011 draft

After finishing with a 6–10 record in the 2010 season, the Vikings were allocated the 12th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

	Pro Bowler

2011 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Contract	Notes
Round	Overall	Player name	Position	College	Contract	Notes
1	12	Christian Ponder	QB	Florida State	4 years
2	43	Kyle Rudolph	TE	Notre Dame	4 years
3	74	Traded to the New England Patriots^[A]
4	106	Christian Ballard	DE	Iowa	4 years
5	139	Brandon Burton	CB	Utah	4 years
5	150	Traded to the Cleveland Browns^[B]				From Giants^[C]
6	168	DeMarcus Love	OT	Arkansas	4 years	From Broncos, via Browns^[B]
	170	Mistral Raymond	S	South Florida	4 years	From Browns^[B]
	172	Brandon Fusco	C	Slippery Rock	4 years
	200	Ross Homan	LB	Ohio State	4 years	Compensatory pick^[D]
7	215	D'Aundre Reed	DE	Arizona	4 years
7	236	Stephen Burton	WR	West Texas A&M	4 years	Compensatory pick^[D]

Notes:

↑ The Vikings traded their third-round selection (74th overall) to the Patriots in exchange for WR Randy Moss and a 2012 seventh-round selection (223rd overall).
1 2 3 The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (150th overall) to the Browns in exchange for two sixth-round selections (168th and 170th overall).
↑ The Vikings traded RB Darius Reynaud and QB Sage Rosenfels to the Giants in exchange for the a fifth-round selection (150th overall) and a conditional 2012 seventh-round selection, which was not exercised.
1 2 The Vikings were awarded two compensatory picks for the loss of free agent G Artis Hicks and RB Chester Taylor.

Undrafted free agents

Player	Position	College
Chris Adingupu	Safety	Prairie View A&M
David Akinniyi	Defensive end	North Carolina State
Conan Amituiana	Guard	Arizona
Matt Asiata	Running back	Utah
Larry Dean	Linebacker	Valdosta State
Marcell Gipson	Cornerback	Wyoming
Ryan Hill	Safety	Miami (FL)
Andre Holmes	Wide receiver	Hillsdale
Rod Huntley	Guard	Texas-El Paso
Byron Isom	Guard	Auburn
Dominique Johnson	Wide receiver	Cal Poly
Allen Reisner	Tight end	Iowa
Devon Torrance	Cornerback/Safety	Ohio State
Nathan Whitaker	Kicker	Stanford

Staff

Minnesota Vikings 2011 staff

Front office

Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf
Owner/president – Mark Wilf
Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf
Vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski
Vice president of player personnel – Rick Spielman
Director of player personnel – George Paton
Director of college scouting – Scott Studwell
Assistant director of college scouting – Jamaal Stephenson

Head coaches

Head coach – Leslie Frazier
Assistant to the head coach – Cameron Turner

Offensive coaches

Offensive coordinator – Bill Musgrave
Quarterbacks – Craig Johnson
Assistant quarterbacks – Kevin Stefanski
Running backs – James Saxon
Wide receivers – George Stewart
Assistant wide receivers – Ryan Ficken
Tight ends – Jimmie Johnson
Offensive line – Jeff Davidson
Assistant offensive line – Ryan Silverfield

Defensive coaches

Defensive coordinator – Fred Pagac
Defensive line – Karl Dunbar
Assistant defensive line – Diron Reynolds
Linebackers – Mike Singletary
Defensive backs/secondary – Joe Woods
Assistant defensive backs/secondary – Matt Sheldon
Defensive assistant – Jeff Imamura

Special teams coaches

Special teams coordinator – Mike Priefer
Assistant special teams – Chris White

Strength and conditioning

Head athletic trainer/director of sports medicine – Eric Sugarman
Strength and conditioning – Tom Kanavy
Assistant strength and conditioning – Juney Barnett
Assistant strength and conditioning – Martin Streight
Assistant strength and conditioning – Chaz Mahle

Roster

**2011 Minnesota Vikings roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 7 Christian Ponder 18 Sage Rosenfels 14 Joe Webb Running backs (RB) 27 Lorenzo Booker KR 44 Ryan D'Imperio FB 32 Toby Gerhart 38 Caleb King 29 Jordan Todman Wide receivers (WR) 16 Emmanuel Arceneaux 19 Devin Aromashodu 85 Greg Camarillo 12 Percy Harvin KR Tight ends (TE) 40 Jim Kleinsasser 82 Kyle Rudolph 81 Visanthe Shiancoe 86 Mickey Shuler		Offensive linemen (OL) 61 Joe Berger C/G 79 Patrick Brown T 63 Brandon Fusco G 64 Anthony Herrera G 74 Charlie Johnson T 71 Phil Loadholt T 75 DeMarcus Love T 65 John Sullivan C Defensive linemen (DL) 69 Jared Allen DE 92 Remi Ayodele DT 99 Christian Ballard DT 90 Fred Evans DT 97 Everson Griffen DE 98 Letroy Guion DT 91 D'Aundre Reed DE 96 Brian Robison DE 93 Kevin Williams DT		Linebackers (LB) 57 Xavier Adibi MLB 51 Larry Dean OLB 52 Chad Greenway OLB 56 E. J. Henderson MLB 50 Erin Henderson OLB 55 Kenny Onatolu OLB Defensive backs (DB) 21 Asher Allen CB 36 Brandon Burton CB 31 Chris Cook CB 37 Eric Frampton SS 23 Cedric Griffin CB 24 Jarrad Page FS 41 Mistral Raymond FS 33 Jamarca Sanford SS 22 Benny Sapp CB 34 Andrew Sendejo FS 35 Marcus Sherels Special teams (ST) 48 Matt Katula LS 4 Chris Kluwe P 8 Ryan Longwell K		Practice squad 17 Kris Adams WR 72 Chris DeGeare G 20 Reggie Jones CB 68 Butch Lewis T 59 Tyrone McKenzie LB 89 Allen Reisner TE 15 Kerry Taylor WR Reserve 39 Husain Abdullah FS (IR) 54 Jasper Brinkley MLB (IR) 11 Stephen Burton WR (IR) 76 Steve Hutchinson G (IR) 84 Michael Jenkins WR (IR) 25 Tyrell Johnson S (IR) 73 Scott Kooistra T (IR) 46 Cullen Loeffler LS (IR) 28 Adrian Peterson RB (IR) 26 Antoine Winfield CB (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 10 reserve, 7 practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

The Vikings' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 13	at Tennessee Titans	L 3–14	0–1	LP Field	Recap
2	August 20	at Seattle Seahawks	W 20–7	1–1	CenturyLink Field	Recap
3	August 27	Dallas Cowboys	L 17–23	1–2	Mall of America Field	Recap
4	September 1	Houston Texans	W 28–0	2–2	Mall of America Field	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: at Tennessee Titans

Preseason Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	3	0	3
Titans	0	14	0	0	14

at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

Date: August 13
Game time: 19:00
Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
Game attendance: 69,143
Referee: Scott Green (19)
TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

TEN – Yamon Figurs 45-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), 4:55. Titans 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 45 yards, 0:08.
TEN – Jamie Harper 2-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 1:47. Titans 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:36.

Third quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 9:32. Titans 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:28.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

MIN – Christian Ponder – 8/13, 84 yards
TEN – Jake Locker – 7/10, 89 yards, TD

Top rushers

MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 9 rushes, 47 yards
TEN – Jamie Harper – 8 rushes, 27 yards, TD

Top receivers

MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 3 rec, 32 yards
TEN – Yamon Figurs – 1 rec, 45 yards, TD

Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

Preseason Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	6	0	7	20
Seahawks	0	0	0	7	7

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Date: August 20
Game time: 21:00
Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
Game attendance: 65,599
Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Marcus Sherels 64-yard interception return (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:35. Vikings 7–0.

Second quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 36-yard field goal, 6:33. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 7:19.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 34-yard field goal, 1:47. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 2:25.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

SEA – Anthony McCoy 3-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (Jeff Reed kick), 14:54. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 16 plays, 89 yards, 8:40.
MIN – Tristan Davis 35-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:09. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:15.

Top passers

MIN – Donovan McNabb – 6/8, 81 yards
SEA – Charlie Whitehurst – 14/19, 97 yards, TD

Top rushers

MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 7 rushes, 37 yards
SEA – Josh Portis – 4 rushes, 46 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 rec, 30 yards
SEA – Dominique Byrd – 4 rec, 32 yards

Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Preseason Week 3: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	14	3	3	23
Vikings	7	3	7	0	17

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: August 27
Game time: 19:00
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,800
Referee: John Parry (132)
TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Bernard Berrian 49-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:58. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:47.
DAL – Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 2:52. Vikings 7–3. 'Drive:

Second quarter

DAL – Alan Ball 20-yard return of blocked field goal (Shayne Graham kick), 14:36. Cowboys 10–7.
DAL – Felix Jones 5-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 6:53. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:10.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 44-yard field goal, 3:43. Cowboys 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:10.

Third quarter

DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 8:05. Cowboys 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:11.
MIN – Joe Webb 10-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:06. Cowboys 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 2:59.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 1:07. Cowboys 23–17. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:49.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo – 15/20, 141 yards
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 12/18, 164 yards, TD

Top rushers

DAL – DeMarco Murray – 7 rushes, 32 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 14 rushes, 81 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Dez Bryant – 5 rec, 67 yards
MIN – Bernard Berrian – 2 rec, 64 yards, TD

Week 4: vs. Houston Texans

Preseason Week 4: Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	0	0	0	0
Vikings	0	7	7	14	28

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: September 1
Game time: 19:00
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,148
Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

MIN – Kyle Rudolph 5-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:39.

Third quarter

MIN – Alexander Robinson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:19. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:16.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Caleb King 7-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:47. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:53.
MIN – Caleb King 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:47. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:26.

Top passers

HOU – Matt Leinart – 13/16, 145 yards
MIN – Christian Ponder – 10/16, 83 yards, TD

Top rushers

HOU – Chris Ogbonnaya – 14 rushes, 62 yards
MIN – Caleb King – 19 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

HOU – Garrett Graham – 6 rec, 71 yards
MIN – Jaymar Johnson – 2 rec, 28 yards

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 11	at San Diego Chargers	L 17–24	0–1	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 20–24	0–2	Mall of America Field	Recap
3	September 25	Detroit Lions	L 23–26 (OT)	0–3	Mall of America Field	Recap
4	October 2	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 17–22	0–4	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
5	October 9	Arizona Cardinals	W 34–10	1–4	Mall of America Field	Recap
6	October 16	at Chicago Bears	L 10–39	1–5	Soldier Field	Recap
7	October 23	Green Bay Packers	L 27–33	1–6	Mall of America Field	Recap
8	October 30	at Carolina Panthers	W 24–21	2–6	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 14	at Green Bay Packers	L 7–45	2–7	Lambeau Field	Recap
11	November 20	Oakland Raiders	L 21–27	2–8	Mall of America Field	Recap
12	November 27	at Atlanta Falcons	L 14–24	2–9	Georgia Dome	Recap
13	December 4	Denver Broncos	L 32–35	2–10	Mall of America Field	Recap
14	December 11	at Detroit Lions	L 28–34	2–11	Ford Field	Recap
15	December 18	New Orleans Saints	L 20–42	2–12	Mall of America Field	Recap
16	December 24	at Washington Redskins	W 33–26	3–12	FedExField	Recap
17	January 1	Chicago Bears	L 13–17	3–13	Mall of America Field	Recap

LEGEND: Team names in bold indicate Vikings' home games.

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	10	0	0	17
Chargers	7	0	7	10	24

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Date: September 11
Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) Sunny
Game attendance: 66,716
Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Percy Harvin 103-yard kickoff return (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15.
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 11:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 1:21.

Second quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 12:56. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:34.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 3-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:44. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:28.

Third quarter

SD – Mike Tolbert 7-yard run (Mike Scifres kick), 10:43. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:17.

Fourth quarter

SD – Mike Scifres 40-yard field goal, 10:05. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:45.
SD – Mike Tolbert 19-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 5:01. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:10.

Top passers

MIN – Donovan McNabb – 7/15, 39 yards, TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 33/48, 335 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 98 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 12 rushes, 45 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 rec, 26 yards, TD
SD – Antonio Gates – 8 rec, 74 yards

Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	10	14	24
Vikings	7	10	0	3	20

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: September 18
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,461
Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:02. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:41.

Second quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 22-yard field goal, 5:06. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:45.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:52. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:47.

Third quarter

TB – LeGarrette Blount 27-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 10:59. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:40.
TB – Connor Barth 36-yard field goal, 0:29. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:59.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 29-yard field goal, 9:41. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:48.
TB – Arrelious Benn 25-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 6:39. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:02.
TB – LeGarrette Blount 4-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 0:31. Buccaneers 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:41.

Top passers

TB – Josh Freeman – 22/31, 243 yards, TD
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 18/30, 228 yards

Top rushers

TB – LeGarrette Blount – 13 rushes, 71 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 25 rushes, 120 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

TB – Preston Parker – 6 rec, 98 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 76 yards

Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 3: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Lions	0	0	10	13	3	26
Vikings	6	14	0	3	0	23

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: September 25
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,466
Referee: Ron Winter (14)
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 9:38. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:22.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal, 5:19. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 2:36.

Second quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:01. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:04.
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 8-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:09. Vikings 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 0:41.

Third quarter

DET – Calvin Johnson 32-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 9:22. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:39.
DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 3:14. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:58.

Fourth quarter

DET – Calvin Johnson 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 14:55. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:53.
DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, 5:20. Tied 20–20. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:13.
DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, 2:30. Lions 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:43.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 1:11. Tied 23–23. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 1:19.

Overtime

DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, 13:01. Lions 26–23. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:59.

Top passers

DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/46, 378 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 22/36, 211 yards, TD

Top rushers

DET – Jahvid Best – 12 rushes, 14 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 78 yards, 1 TD

Top receivers

DET – Brandon Pettigrew – 11 rec, 112 yards
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 9 rec, 88 yards

Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	0	3	7	17
Chiefs	3	6	6	7	22

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Date: October 2
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) Sunny
Game attendance: 72,931
Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Tim Brewster
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

KC – Ryan Succop 40-yard field goal, 7:16. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 21 yards, 5:56.
MIN – Devin Aromashodu 34-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:47. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:29.

Second quarter

KC – Ryan Succop 24-yard field goal, 5:15. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:32.
KC – Ryan Succop 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 9–7. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 2:22.

Third quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 9:15. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:50.
KC – Ryan Succop 54-yard field goal, 5:18. Chiefs 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:57.
KC – Ryan Succop 22-yard field goal, 0:09. Chiefs 15–10. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:52.

Fourth quarter

KC – Dwayne Bowe 52-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 13:51. Chiefs 22–10. Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:46.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 1-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:50. Chiefs 22–17. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 8:01.

Top passers

MIN – Donovan McNabb – 18/30, 202 yards, 2 TD
KC – Matt Cassel – 18/29, 260 yards, TD

Top rushers

MIN – Adrian Peterson – 23 rushes, 80 yards
KC – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 37 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe – 6 rec, 58 yards
KC – Dwayne Bowe – 5 rec, 107 yards, TD

Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 5: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	3	7	0	10
Vikings	28	0	3	3	34

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: October 9
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,479
Referee: Scott Green (19)
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Tim Ryan
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:18. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:35.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 24-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:55. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:07.
MIN – Donovan McNabb 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:50.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 14-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:41. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:01.

Second quarter

ARI – Jay Feely 51-yard field goal, 10:29. Vikings 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:25.

Third quarter

ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:23. Vikings 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:41.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 3:35. Vikings 31–10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 4:48.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 53-yard field goal, 2:09. Vikings 34–10. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 4:33.

Top passers

ARI – Kevin Kolb – 21/42, 232 yards
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 10/21, 169 yards

Top rushers

ARI – Beanie Wells – 20 rushes, 60 yards, TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 122 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

ARI – Early Doucet – 8 rec, 92 yards
MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 rec, 81 yards

Week 6: at Chicago Bears

Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	3	7	0	10
Bears	16	10	10	3	39

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Date: October 16
Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) Clear
Game attendance: 62,322
Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CHI – Devin Hester 48-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 12:17. Bears 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:13.
CHI – Donovan McNabb sacked in the end zone by Stephen Paea for a safety, 6:52. Bears 9–0.
CHI – Marion Barber 3-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 3:39. Bears 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:13.

Second quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 12:37. Bears 16–3. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:02.
CHI – Dane Sanzenbacher 13-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:41. Bears 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:23.
CHI – Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal, 0:28. Bears 26–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 1:27.

Third quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:23. Bears 26–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:24.
CHI – Devin Hester 98-yard kickoff return (Robbie Gould kick), 10:09. Bears 33–10. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14.
CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 5:44. Bears 36–10. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:35.

Fourth quarter

CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yard field goal, 14:50. Bears 39–10. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:13.

Top passers

MIN – Donovan McNabb – 19/24, 177 yards
CHI – Jay Cutler – 21/31, 267 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Adrian Peterson – 12 rushes, 39 yards, TD
CHI – Matt Forté – 17 rushes, 87 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 78 yards
CHI – Devin Hester – 5 rec, 91 yards, TD

Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	6	20	0	33
Vikings	7	10	0	10	27

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: October 23
Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 63,946
Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 2-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:58. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:02.
GB – John Kuhn 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 8:34. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:24.

Second quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:43. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:39.
GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, 4:55. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:48.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 52-yard field goal, 0:55. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:00.
GB – Mason Crosby 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:55.

Third quarter

GB – Greg Jennings 79-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:09. Packers 20–17. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:51.
GB – Jermichael Finley 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:29. Packers 27–17. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 2:19.
GB – Mason Crosby 24-yard field goal, 3:18. Packers 30–17. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:44.
GB – Mason Crosby 58-yard field goal, 0:18. Packers 33–17. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 1:59.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 13:48. Packers 33–20. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:30.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 24-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:49. Packers 33–27. Drive: 10 plays, 93 yards, 4:41.

Top passers

GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/30, 335 yards, 3 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 13/32, 219 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 75 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 24 rushes, 175 yards, TD

Top receivers

GB – Greg Jennings – 7 rec, 147 yards, TD
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 rec, 111 yards, TD

Week 8: at Carolina Panthers

Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	7	7	3	24
Panthers	0	14	7	0	21

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: October 30
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) Sunny
Game attendance: 72,095
Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Percy Harvin 10-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:34. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:39.

Second quarter

CAR – Jeremy Shockey 1-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 13:22. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:27.
CAR – Greg Olsen 39-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 10:18. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:41.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 19-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:42. Tied 14–14. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:21.

Third quarter

CAR – Steve Smith 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 11:07. Panthers 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:53.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:58. Tied 21–21. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 5:41.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 31-yard field goal, 2:43. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:10.

Top passers

MIN – Christian Ponder – 18/28, 236 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 22/35, 290 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 rushes, 86 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 6 rushes, 53 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Adrian Peterson – 5 rec, 76 yards, TD
CAR – Steve Smith – 7 rec, 100 yards, TD

Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	7	0	7
Packers	14	3	14	14	45

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Date: November 14
Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 70,519
Referee: Mike Carey (94)
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Rachel Nichols
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

GB – Randall Cobb 80-yard punt return (Mason Crosby kick), 13:42. Packers 7–0.
GB – Greg Jennings 24-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:02. Packers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:53.

Second quarter

GB – Mason Crosby 25-yard field goal, 12:04. Packers 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:10.

Third quarter

GB – Jordy Nelson 17-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:45. Packers 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:15.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 3-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:41. Packers 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:29.
GB – John Kuhn 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 6:21. Packers 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:20

Fourth quarter

GB – Jordy Nelson 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:59. Packers 38–7. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:30.
GB – Matt Flynn 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 4:27. Packers 45–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 6:03.

Top passers

MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/34, 190 yards
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 23/30, 250 yards, 4 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Adrian Peterson – 14 rushes, 51 yards, TD
GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 63 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 52 yards
GB – Jermichael Finley – 3 rec, 67 yards

After being swept by the Packers, the Vikings dropped to 2–7. As of 2025, this is the Vikings' most lopsided loss to the Packers.

Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 11: Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	3	21	3	0	27
Vikings	7	0	0	14	21

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: November 20
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,748
Referee: Jerome Boger (23)
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 12-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:17. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:24.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 29-yard field goal, 0:57. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:20.

Second quarter

OAK – Chaz Schilens 11-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:10. Raiders 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:50.
OAK – Michael Bush 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:20. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:22.
OAK – Carson Palmer 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:08. Raiders 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:06.

Third quarter

OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 26-yard field goal, 0:51. Raiders 27–7. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:27.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Percy Harvin 26-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:52. Raiders 27–14. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:59.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:08. Raiders 27–21. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:50.

Top passers

OAK – Carson Palmer – 17/23, 164 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 19/33, 211 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

OAK – Michael Bush – 30 rushes, 109 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 5 rushes, 71 yards

Top receivers

OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 4 rec, 43 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 73 yards, TD

Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 12: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	7	7	14
Falcons	7	10	0	7	24

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: November 27
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 68,115
Referee: Alberto Riveron (57)
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Harry Douglas 27-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:08. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:39.

Second quarter

ATL – Roddy White 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:04. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:01.
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 0:37. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 1:23.

Third quarter

MIN – Toby Gerhart 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:58. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:53.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Percy Harvin 39-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:13. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 0:52.
ATL – Michael Palmer 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:40. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:59.

Top passers

MIN – Christian Ponder – 17/25, 186 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 27/34, 262 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Toby Gerhart – 17 rushes, 44 yards, TD
ATL – Michael Turner – 19 rushes, 60 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 95 yards, TD
ATL – Roddy White – 10 rec, 120 yards, TD

Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 13: Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	14	14	35
Vikings	5	10	7	10	32

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: December 4
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,939
Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Willis McGahee tackled in end zone by Jared Allen for a safety, 12:39. Vikings 2–0.
DEN – Mario Haggan 16-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 5:42. Broncos 7–2.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 40-yard field goal, 1:24. Broncos 7–5. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:21.

Second quarter

MIN – Kyle Rudolph 19-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:33. Vikings 12–7. Drive: 12 plays, 96 yards, 5:57.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 25-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 15–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 0:39.

Third quarter

DEN – Demaryius Thomas 21-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 11:18. Vikings 15–14. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:42.
MIN – Percy Harvin 52-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:12. Vikings 22–14. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:23.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 41-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 2:48. Vikings 22–21. Drive: 1 play, 41 yards, 0:24.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Percy Harvin 48-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:41. Vikings 29–21. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:36.
DEN – Willis McGahee 24-yard run (Tim Tebow run), 8:52. Tied 29–29. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:49.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 39-yard field goal, 3:06. Vikings 32–29. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:46.
DEN – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal, 1:33. Tied 32–32. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:33.
DEN – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 35–32. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 1:25.

Top passers

DEN – Tim Tebow – 10/15, 202 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 29/47, 381 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

DEN – Willis McGahee – 20 rushes, 111 yards, TD
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 21 rushes, 91 yards

Top receivers

DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 4 rec, 144 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 156 yards, 2 TD

With the loss, the Vikings were swept by the AFC West & fell to 2-10, resulting in them being eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight time. This game was also notable for being the first NFL on Fox regular season game to have an NFC vs AFC match-up despite the AFC team (Denver) being the road team and the last until 2014. The game was originally meant to be on CBS. However, because of the Colts-Patriots match-up was flexed out of Sunday Night Football for Lions-Saints, FOX got the rights to air this game since CBS wasn't able to air due to not having enough members to air 7 1PM games involving AFC road teams.

Week 14: at Detroit Lions

Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	7	7	7	28
Lions	21	10	0	3	34

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Date: December 11
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 63,988
Referee: John Parry (132)
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

DET – Stephen Tulloch fumble recovery in end zone (Jason Hanson kick), 12:56. Lions 7–0.
DET – Titus Young 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 9:45. Lions 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:43.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 5:54. Lions 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:52.
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:51. Lions 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:03.

Second quarter

DET – Alphonso Smith 30-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 12:33. Lions 28–7.
MIN – Percy Harvin 6-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:36. Lions 28–14. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:57.
DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, 1:05. Lions 31–14. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:15.

Third quarter

MIN – Joe Webb 65-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 4:21. Lions 31–21. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 3:41.

Fourth quarter

DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, 12:17. Lions 34–21. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 7:04.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 2-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:54. Lions 34–28. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:23.

Top passers

MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/21, 115 yards, 2 TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/29, 227 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Joe Webb – 7 rushes, 109 yards, TD
DET – Keiland Williams – 12 rushes, 43 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 rec, 69 yards, TD
DET – Titus Young – 4 rec, 87 yards, TD

With the loss, the Vikings were swept by the Lions for the first time since 1997 and fell to 2-11.

Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 15: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	14	14	7	42
Vikings	3	10	0	7	20

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: December 18
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,623
Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 44-yard field goal, 12:20. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:20.
NO – Lance Moore 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 2:51. Saints 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:36.

Second quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 13:13. Saints 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:09.
NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:04. Saints 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:09.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 10-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:59. Saints 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:05.
NO – Darren Sproles 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 1:33. Saints 21–13. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:26.

Third quarter

NO – John Gilmore 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 12:15. Saints 28–13. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:44.
NO – Lance Moore 47-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:18. Saints 35–13. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:56.

Fourth quarter

NO – Pierre Thomas 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 12:50. Saints 42–13. Drive: 19 plays, 87 yards, 10:36.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 16-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:12. Saints 42–20. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:13.

Top passers

NO – Drew Brees – 32/40, 412 yards, 5 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 14/31, 120 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

NO – Chris Ivory – 18 rushes, 74 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 10 rushes, 60 yards

Top receivers

NO – Marques Colston – 8 rec, 91 yards
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 4 rec, 46 yards, 2 TD

Week 16: at Washington Redskins

Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	7	13	10	33
Redskins	0	10	10	6	26

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Date: December 24
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C) Sunny
Game attendance: 68,370
Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 36-yard field goal, 7:11. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:23.

Second quarter

MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:56. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:52.
WAS – Donté Stallworth 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 10:46. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:10.
WAS – Graham Gano 26-yard field goal, 1:02. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:34.

Third quarter

WAS – Graham Gano 53-yard field goal, 10:40. Redskins 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 4 yards, 2:39.
MIN – Joe Webb 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:23. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:17.
WAS – Jabar Gaffney 4-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 5:57. Redskins 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:26.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 17-yard pass from Joe Webb (kick missed), 2:41. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:16.

Fourth quarter

WAS – Graham Gano 25-yard field goal, 12:41. Tied 23–23. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:00.
MIN – Percy Harvin 8-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:06. Vikings 30–23. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:35.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 23-yard field goal, 4:05. Vikings 33–23. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:27.
WAS – Graham Gano 47-yard field goal, 1:25. Vikings 33–26. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 2:40.

Top passers

MIN – Joe Webb – 4/5, 84 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Rex Grossman – 26/41, 284 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Toby Gerhart – 11 rushes, 109 yards
WAS – Evan Royster – 19 rushes, 132 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Percy Harvin – 5 rec, 65 yards, TD
WAS – Jabar Gaffney – 6 rec, 77 yards, TD

With the win, the Vikings improved to 3-12 & finished 2-6 on the road.

Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	14	0	3	17
Vikings	10	3	0	0	13

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: January 1
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 62,867
Referee: Mike Carey (94)
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 8:53. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:38.
MIN – Percy Harvin 5-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:43.

Second quarter

CHI – Roy Williams 22-yard pass from Josh McCown (Robbie Gould kick), 14:19. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:23.
CHI – Charles Tillman 22-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 13:37. Bears 14–10.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 0:55. Bears 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:17.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

CHI – Robbie Gould 27-yard field goal, 10:19. Bears 17–13. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:19.

Top passers

CHI – Josh McCown – 15/25, 160 yards, TD
MIN – Joe Webb – 17/32, 200 yards

Top rushers

CHI – Kahlil Bell – 17 rushes, 54 yards
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 15 rushes, 67 yards

Top receivers

CHI – Roy Williams – 4 rec, 60 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 rec, 115 yards

With the loss, the Vikings finished their season at 3-13 (0-6 against the NFC North), their worst record since 1984, and they finished 1-7 at home.

Standings

NFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽¹⁾ Green Bay Packers	15	1	0	.938	6–0	12–0	560	359	W2
⁽⁶⁾ Detroit Lions	10	6	0	.625	3–3	6–6	474	387	L1
Chicago Bears	8	8	0	.500	3–3	7–5	353	341	W1
Minnesota Vikings	3	13	0	.188	0–6	3–9	340	449	L1

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Christian Ponder	1,853
Passing touchdowns	Christian Ponder	13
Rushing yards	Adrian Peterson	970
Rushing touchdowns	Adrian Peterson	12
Receiving yards	Percy Harvin	967
Receiving touchdowns	Percy Harvin	6
Points	Ryan Longwell	104
Kickoff return yards	Percy Harvin	520
Punt return yards	Marcus Sherels	277
Tackles	Chad Greenway	154
Sacks	Jared Allen	22.0 *
Interceptions	Jamarca Sanford	2
Forced fumbles	Jared Allen	4

*Led the league and a new Vikings single-season record.

League rankings

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 32)
Passing offense	2,957	184.8	28th
Rushing offense	2,318	144.9	4th
Total offense	5,275	329.7	18th
Passing defense	4,019	251.2	26th
Rushing defense	1,712	107.0	11th
Total defense	5,731	358.2	12th

Notes and references

[1] The Vikings traded their third-round selection (74th overall) to the Patriots in exchange for WR Randy Moss and a 2012 seventh-round selection (223rd overall).

[Browns_trade-2] 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (150th overall) to the Browns in exchange for two sixth-round selections (168th and 170th overall).

[3] The Vikings traded RB Darius Reynaud and QB Sage Rosenfels to the Giants in exchange for the a fifth-round selection (150th overall) and a conditional 2012 seventh-round selection, which was not exercised.

[Compensatory_pick-4] 1 2 The Vikings were awarded two compensatory picks for the loss of free agent G Artis Hicks and RB Chester Taylor.

[A]

[B]

[C]

[D]

Minnesota Vikings
Founded in 1961 Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota
Franchise	Franchise History Expansion draft All-time roster First-round draft picks Quarterbacks Head coaches Seasons Records Draft Broadcasters Ownership Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center
Stadiums	Metropolitan Stadium Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome TCF Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium
Culture	Purple People Eaters "Skol, Vikings" How I Met Your Mother "Little Minnesota" "Tailgate" Cheerleaders Alan Roach Truth Hurts (song) Quarterback "Higher" (Creed song)
Lore	The Wrong Way Run Hail Mary Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident Miracle at the Met Herschel Walker trade Gary Anderson's missed field goal Love Boat scandal Minneapolis Miracle Minneapolis Miracle II (33-0) 65 Toss Power Trap
Rivalries	Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints
Division championships (21)	1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1980 1989 1992 1994 1998 2000 2008 2009 2015 2017 2022
Conference championships (4)	1969 1973 1974 1976
League championships (1)	1969
Retired numbers	10 53 70 77 80 88
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: North Division