2023 Minnesota Vikings season

The 2023 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 63rd in the National Football League (NFL), their eighth playing their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

2023 Minnesota Vikings season
Owner	Zygi Wilf
General manager	Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Head coach	Kevin O'Connell
Home stadium	U.S. Bank Stadium
Results
Record	7–10
Division place	3rd NFC North
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	LS Andrew DePaola (2nd team)
Pro Bowlers	FB C. J. Ham (alternate) OLB Danielle Hunter (starter) LS Andrew DePaola (starter)
Uniform
← 2022 Vikings seasons 2024 →

They started 0–3 for the second time in the past four seasons. They failed to improve upon their 13–4 record from 2022 after a Week 5 loss to the eventual back to back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and match that record with a Week 11 loss to the Broncos. However, after having a 1–4 record, the Vikings would win 5 games straight, going to a 6–4 record. During Minnesota's Week 8 game against their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, starting quarterback Kirk Cousins ruptured his achilles tendon, ruling him out for the rest of the season.^[1] They went through a quarterback carousel for the rest of the season, going 1–6 in their last 7 games including 4 straight losses to end the season. In Week 16, they were knocked out of division contention following a loss to the Detroit Lions, and in Week 18, they were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Lions again.

For the first time since 2012, wide receiver Adam Thielen was not on the roster, as he was released on March 10.^[2] Additionally, for the first time since 2016, four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook was not on the roster, as he was released on June 9.^[3] This was also the first season after the death of legendary coach and team advisor Bud Grant on March 11.^[4]

Offseason

Additions

Position	Player	Former team	Date
WR	Brandon Powell	Los Angeles Rams	Signed on March 22
LB	Troy Reeder	Los Angeles Chargers	Signed on March 22
TE	Josh Oliver	Baltimore Ravens	Signed on March 15
DE	Dean Lowry	Green Bay Packers	Signed on March 20
OLB	Marcus Davenport	New Orleans Saints	Signed on March 15
CB	Byron Murphy	Arizona Cardinals	Signed on March 15
CB	Joejuan Williams	New England Patriots	Signed on April 17

Subtractions

Position	Player	New team	Date
WR	Adam Thielen	Carolina Panthers	Released on March 10
LB	Eric Kendricks	Los Angeles Chargers	Released on March 6
TE	Irv Smith Jr.	Cincinnati Bengals
CB	Kris Boyd	Arizona Cardinals
CB	Cameron Dantzler	Washington Commanders
CB	Chandon Sullivan	Pittsburgh Steelers
CB	Patrick Peterson	Pittsburgh Steelers
CB	Duke Shelley	Las Vegas Raiders
OLB	Za'Darius Smith	Cleveland Browns	Traded on May 16
DT	Dalvin Tomlinson	Cleveland Browns
C	Greg Mancz	Buffalo Bills	Released on January 14
RB	Dalvin Cook	New York Jets	Released on June 9

2023 draft

Main article: 2023 NFL draft

2023 Minnesota Vikings draft selections Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 23 Jordan Addison WR USC 2 55 Traded to the Detroit Lions[A] 3 87 Traded to the San Francisco 49ers[B] 102 Mekhi Blackmon CB USC From 49ers[B] 4 119 Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs[C] From Lions[A] 126 Traded to the Cleveland Browns[D] 134 Jay Ward S LSU From Chiefs[C] 5 141 Jaquelin Roy DT LSU From Colts[E] 158 Traded to the Indianapolis Colts[E] 164 Jaren Hall QB BYU From 49ers[B] 6 201 Traded to the Houston Texans[F] 211 Traded to the Indianapolis Colts[E] Compensatory pick 7 219 Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles[G] From Texans[F] 222 DeWayne McBride RB UAB From 49ers[B] 241 Traded to the Denver Broncos[H]

2023 Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agents Name Position College Ref. Junior Aho OLB SMU (IPP) [6] Alan Ali C TCU [7] Calvin Avery DT Illinois Abraham Beauplan MLB Marshall Andre Carter II OLB Army Jacky Chen OT Pace C. J. Coldon CB Oklahoma Wilson Huber MLB Cincinnati Cephus Johnson WR Southeastern Louisiana Malik Knowles Kansas State Garett Maag North Dakota [8] Zach Ojile FB Minnesota Duluth [9] Ivan Pace Jr. MLB Cincinnati [7] Jack Podlesny K Georgia Ben Sims TE Baylor Thayer Thomas WR NC State NaJee Thompson CB Georgia Southern Jaylin Williams Indiana

Draft trades

1. The Vikings traded a second-round selection (55th overall) and a 2024 third-round selection to the Detroit Lions in exchange for TE T. J. Hockenson, a fourth-round selection (119th overall) and a conditional 2024 fourth-round selection which would have become a 2024 fifth-round selection if the Vikings won a playoff game in 2022.
2. The Vikings traded a third-round selection (87th overall) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for third-, fifth- and seventh-round selections (102nd, 164th and 222nd overall).^[5]
3. The Vikings traded a fourth-round selection (119th overall) to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round selection (134th overall) and a 2024 fifth-round selection.^[5]
4. The Vikings traded a fourth-round selection (126th overall) and a 2022 fifth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round selection.
5. The Vikings traded a fifth- and sixth-round selection (158th and 211th overall) to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a fifth-round selection (141st overall).^[5]
6. The Vikings traded a sixth-round selection (201st overall) to the Houston Texans in exchange for DE Ross Blacklock and a seventh-round selection (219th overall).
7. The Vikings traded a seventh-round selection (219th overall) and a conditional 2024 fourth-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for WR Jalen Reagor.
8. The Vikings traded DE Stephen Weatherly and a seventh-round selection (241st overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round selection.

Staff

2023 Minnesota Vikings staff

Front office Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf Owner/president – Mark Wilf Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf Chief operating officer – Andrew Miller General manager – Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Executive vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski Senior vice president of player personnel – Ryan Grigson Vice president of football operations – Demitrius Washington Director of player personnel – Ryan Monnens Assistant director of player personnel – Chisolm Opara Senior assistant director of pro personnel – Sam DeLuca Director of college scouting – Mike Sholiton Assistant director of college scouting – Pat Roberts Senior personnel executive – Jamaal Stephenson Head coaches Head coach – Kevin O'Connell Assistant head coach – Mike Pettine Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Wes Phillips Quarterbacks – Chris O'Hara Assistant quarterbacks/chief of special projects – Grant Udinski Pass game specialist/game management coordinator – Ryan Cordell Running backs/running game coordinator – Curtis Modkins Wide receivers – Keenan McCardell Assistant wide receivers – Tony Sorrentino Tight ends/passing game coordinator – Brian Angelichio Offensive line – Chris Kuper Assistant offensive line – Justin Rascati Quality control/offense – Derron Montgomery Offensive assistant – Ben Ellefson

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Brian Flores Defensive line – Chris Rumph Assistant defensive line – Patrick Hill Outside linebackers/pass rush specialist – Mike Smith Inside linebackers – Mike Siravo Assistant inside linebackers – Thad Bogardus Defensive pass game coordinator – Daronte Jones Assistant defensive backs – Michael Hutchings Defensive assistant – Imarjaye Albury Defensive quality control – Lance Bennett Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Matt Daniels Assistant special teams – Dalmin Gibson Strength and conditioning Director of player performance – Josh Hingst Assistant director of player performance – Derik Keyes Assistant player performance – Marquis Johnson

Final roster

2023 Minnesota Vikings roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 15 Josh Dobbs 16 Jaren Hall 12 Nick Mullens Running backs (RB) 32 Ty Chandler 30 C. J. Ham FB  2 Alexander Mattison 26 Kene Nwangwu Wide receivers (WR)  3 Jordan Addison 81 Lucky Jackson 18 Justin Jefferson 17 K. J. Osborn  4 Brandon Powell Tight ends (TE) 86 Johnny Mundt 34 Nick Muse 84 Josh Oliver

Offensive linemen (OL) 78 Hakeem Adeniji T 56 Garrett Bradbury C 64 Blake Brandel G 71 Christian Darrisaw T 67 Ed Ingram G 75 Brian O'Neill T 76 David Quessenberry T 62 Chris Reed G 66 Dalton Risner G 65 Austin Schlottmann C Defensive linemen (DL) 90 Jonathan Bullard DE 52 Sheldon Day DE 97 Harrison Phillips NT 93 Jaquelin Roy DE 50 T. J. Smith NT 95 Khyiris Tonga NT

Linebackers (LB) 33 Brian Asamoah ILB 54 Anthony Barr ILB 55 Andre Carter II OLB 58 Jordan Hicks ILB 99 Danielle Hunter OLB 91 Patrick Jones II OLB 40 Ivan Pace Jr. ILB 59 Nick Vigil ILB Defensive backs (DB)  5 Mekhi Blackmon CB 23 Andrew Booth Jr. CB 24 Camryn Bynum FS  6 Lewis Cine FS 21 Akayleb Evans CB 25 Theo Jackson FS 44 Josh Metellus SS  7 Byron Murphy CB 22 Harrison Smith SS 11 NaJee Thompson CB 20 Jay Ward SS Special teams (ST) 42 Andrew DePaola LS  1 Greg Joseph K 14 Ryan Wright P

Practice squad 73 Junior Aho NT (IPP) 39 Abraham Beauplan ILB 41 Austin Bryant OLB 68 Henry Byrd G 63 Coy Cronk RT 82 Troy Fumagalli TE 37 Myles Gaskin RB 13 N'Keal Harry WR  9 Trishton Jackson WR 27 DeWayne McBride RB 48 Quincy Roche OLB 79 Tyrese Robinson G 89 Thayer Thomas WR 38 Jaylin Williams CB 29 Joejuan Williams CB Reserve 31 Cam Akers RB (IR)  8 Kirk Cousins QB (IR)  0 Marcus Davenport OLB (IR) 45 Troy Dye ILB (IR) 87 T. J. Hockenson TE (IR) -- Malik Knowles WR (IR) 47 William Kwenkeu ILB (IR) 94 Dean Lowry DE (IR) 92 James Lynch NT (IR) 83 Jalen Nailor WR (IR) 74 Oli Udoh LT (IR) 98 D. J. Wonnum OLB (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 12 reserve, 15 practice squad

Preseason

The Vikings' preseason schedule was announced on May 11, 2023, along with the regular season schedule. They will first travel to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks, before returning to Minnesota for their remaining two games, first against the Tennessee Titans and then the Arizona Cardinals.^[10]

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 10	at Seattle Seahawks	L 13–24	0–1	Lumen Field	Recap
2	August 19	Tennessee Titans	L 16–24	0–2	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
3	August 26	Arizona Cardinals	L 17–18	0–3	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	7	3	0	13
Seahawks	0	7	10	7	24

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: August 10
• Game time: 7:05 p.m. PDT
  9:05 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Mostly sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,179
• Referee: Ronald Torbert (62)
• TV: Fox 9
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 26-yard field goal, 5:20. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:47. Second quarter MIN – Nick Muse 4-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 11:26. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:37. SEA – Easop Winston 13-yard pass from Drew Lock (Jason Myers kick), 4:16. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 3:20. Third quarter SEA – Jason Myers 35-yard field goal, 11:08. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:52. MIN – Greg Joseph 54-yard field goal, 3:25. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:41. SEA – Jake Bobo 19-yard pass from Drew Lock (Jason Myers kick), 0:03. Seahawks 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:02. Fourth quarter SEA – Matt Landers 30-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Jason Myers kick), 7:47. Seahawks 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:08. Top passers MIN – Nick Mullens – 14/20, 139 yards, TD SEA – Drew Lock – 17/24, 191 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Ty Chandler – 11 rushes, 41 yards SEA – Bryant Koback – 6 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers MIN – Jalen Reagor – 4 receptions, 55 yards SEA – Jake Bobo – 3 receptions, 55 yards, TD

Week 2: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 2: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	7	0	10	7	24
Vikings	0	9	0	7	16

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: August 19
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,689
• Referee: Clay Martin (19)
• TV: Fox 9
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter TEN – Tyjae Spears 33-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick), 1:06. Titans 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:03. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 45-yard field goal, 13:21. Titans 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:45. MIN – Greg Joseph 33-yard field goal, 6:50. Titans 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:23. MIN – Greg Joseph 26-yard field goal, 0:16. Vikings 9–7. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 1:34. Third quarter TEN – Trey Wolff 24-yard field goal, 9:53. Titans 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:53. TEN – Julius Chestnut 5-yard run (Trey Wolff kick), 4:11. Titans 17–9. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:01. Fourth quarter TEN – Julius Chestnut 1-yard pass from Malik Willis (Trey Wolff kick), 12:21. Titans 24–9. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:45. MIN – DeWayne McBride 1-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 5:50. Titans 24–16. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 6:31. Top passers TEN – Malik Willis – 10/17, 85 yards, TD, INT MIN – Nick Mullens – 13/23, 151 yards Top rushers TEN – Julius Chestnut – 13 rushes, 98 yards, TD MIN – Ty Chandler – 11 rushes, 24 yards Top receivers TEN – Mason Kinsey – 4 receptions, 37 yards MIN – Nick Muse – 3 receptions, 46 yards

Week 3: vs Arizona Cardinals

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	0	6	9	18
Vikings	14	3	0	0	17

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: August 26
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,641
• Referee: Tra Blake (3)
• TV: Fox 9
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – DeWayne McBride 1-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 10:26. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:34. MIN – Abram Smith 5-yard pass from Jaren Hall (Greg Joseph kick), 9:04. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05. ARI – Matt Prater 38-yard field goal, 5:10. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:54. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 26-yard field goal, 0:20. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:13. Third quarter ARI – Davion Davis 26-yard pass from David Blough (kick failed, hit left upright), 7:54. Vikings 17–9. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:06. Fourth quarter ARI – David Blough 5-yard run (pass failed), 10:50. Vikings 17–15. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:24. ARI – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 6:20. Cardinals 18–17. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:05. Top passers ARI – David Blough – 11/22, 93 yards, TD MIN – Jaren Hall – 16/27, 178 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Corey Clement – 14 rushes, 79 yards MIN – DeWayne McBride – 8 rushes, 37 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – Davion Davis – 3 receptions, 43 yards, TD MIN – Blake Proehl – 5 receptions, 45 yards

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 10	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 17–20	0–1	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
2	September 14	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 28–34	0–2	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
3	September 24	Los Angeles Chargers	L 24–28	0–3	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
4	October 1	at Carolina Panthers	W 21–13	1–3	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
5	October 8	Kansas City Chiefs	L 20–27	1–4	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
6	October 15	at Chicago Bears	W 19–13	2–4	Soldier Field	Recap
7	October 23	San Francisco 49ers	W 22–17	3–4	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
8	October 29	at Green Bay Packers	W 24–10	4–4	Lambeau Field	Recap
9	November 5	at Atlanta Falcons	W 31–28	5–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
10	November 12	New Orleans Saints	W 27–19	6–4	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
11	November 19	at Denver Broncos	L 20–21	6–5	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
12	November 27	Chicago Bears	L 10–12	6–6	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
13	Bye
14	December 10	at Las Vegas Raiders	W 3–0	7–6	Allegiant Stadium	Recap
15	December 16	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 24–27 (OT)	7–7	Paycor Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	Detroit Lions	L 24–30	7–8	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
17	December 31	Green Bay Packers	L 10–33	7–9	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
18	January 7	at Detroit Lions	L 20–30	7–10	Ford Field	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	7	7	3	20
Vikings	0	10	0	7	17

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: September 10
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,741
• Referee: Scott Novak (1)
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan and AJ Ross
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter TB – Chase McLaughlin 36-yard field goal, 3:23. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:35. Second quarter MIN – Jordan Addison 39-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 11:15. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:53. MIN – Greg Joseph 25-yard field goal, 5:41. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:43. TB – Mike Evans 28-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 1:09. Tied 10–10 Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 1:30. Third quarter TB – Trey Palmer 7-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 6:01. Buccaneers 17–10 Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:59. Fourth quarter MIN – Alexander Mattison 4-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 13:37. Tied 17–17. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:24. TB – Chase McLaughlin 57-yard field goal, 5:10. Buccaneers 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:46. Top passers TB – Baker Mayfield – 21/34, 173 yards, 2 TD MIN – Kirk Cousins – 33/44, 344 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers TB – Rachaad White – 17 rushes, 39 yards MIN – Alexander Mattison – 11 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers TB – Mike Evans – 6 receptions, 66 yards, TD MIN – Justin Jefferson – 9 receptions, 150 yards

Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	7	7	14	28
Eagles	3	10	14	7	34

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT/7:15 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 72 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 69,879
• Referee: Clay Martin (19)
• TV announcers (KMSP/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter PHI – Jake Elliott 24-yard field goal, 9:48. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 5:12. Second quarter MIN – T. J. Hockenson 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 10:39. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 5:03. PHI – Jalen Hurts 1-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 2:44. Eagles 10–7. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:55. PHI – Jake Elliott 61-yard field goal, 0:00. Eagles 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 0:34. Third quarter PHI – Jalen Hurts 1-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 13:53. Eagles 20–7. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:33. PHI – DeVonta Smith 63-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (Jake Elliott kick), 10:54. Eagles 27–7. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:35. MIN – Jordan Addison 62-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 9:09. Eagles 27–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:45. Fourth quarter MIN – K. J. Osborn 10-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 7:41. Eagles 27–21. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 3:38. PHI – D'Andre Swift 2-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 4:13. Eagles 34–21. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:28. MIN – T. J. Hockenson 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 1:10. Eagles 34–28. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:03. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 31/44, 364 yards, 4 TD PHI – Jalen Hurts – 18/23, 193 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 8 rushes, 28 yards PHI – D'Andre Swift – 28 rushes, 175 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Justin Jefferson – 11 receptions, 159 yards PHI – Dallas Goedert – 6 receptions, 22 yards

Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 3: Los Angeles Chargers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	7	7	7	28
Vikings	0	10	7	7	24

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,878
• Referee: Shawn Smith (14)
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter LAC – Donald Parham 3-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 2:51. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 5:41. Second quarter MIN – Josh Oliver 4-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 7:27. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:46. MIN – Greg Joseph 23-yard field goal, 2:08. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 40 yards, 3:54. LAC – Donald Parham 1-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 0:47. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 1:21. Third quarter LAC – Mike Williams 49-yard pass from Keenan Allen (Cameron Dicker kick), 5:53. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:11. MIN – K. J. Osborn 36-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 3:01. Chargers 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:52. Fourth quarter MIN – Justin Jefferson 52-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 11:20. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 3:47. LAC – Josh Palmer 30-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 8:05. Chargers 28–24. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:15. Top passers LAC – Justin Herbert – 40/47, 405 yards, 3 TD MIN – Kirk Cousins – 32/50, 367 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers LAC – Joshua Kelley – 11 rushes, 12 yards MIN – Alexander Mattison – 20 rushes, 93 yards Top receivers LAC – Keenan Allen – 18 receptions, 215 yards MIN – Justin Jefferson – 7 receptions, 149 yards, TD

Week 4: at Carolina Panthers

Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	7	14	0	21
Panthers	7	6	0	0	13

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 72,842
• Referee: Tra Blake (3)
• TV announcers (Fox): Alex Faust, Brady Quinn and Megan Olivi
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CAR – Sam Franklin 99-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:27. Panthers 7–0. Second quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 26-yard field goal, 14:56. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 8:26. MIN – Justin Jefferson 4-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 9:43. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:13. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 56-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 0:34. Third quarter MIN – D. J. Wonnum 51-yard fumble return (Greg Joseph kick), 3:58. Vikings 14–13. MIN – Justin Jefferson 30-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 0:00. Vikings 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:44. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 12/19, 139 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT CAR – Bryce Young – 25/32, 204 yards Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 17 rushes, 95 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 14 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers MIN – Justin Jefferson – 6 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD CAR – Adam Thielen – 7 receptions, 76 yards

Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	6	14	0	27
Vikings	3	10	0	7	20

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 67,003
• Referee: Land Clark (130)
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter KC – Isiah Pacheco 1-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 10:00. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:50. MIN – Greg Joseph 40-yard field goal, 4:02. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 5:58. Second quarter KC – Harrison Butker 38-yard field goal, 12:46. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 6:16. MIN – Greg Joseph 29-yard field goal, 8:02. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:44. MIN – Jordan Addison 6-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 1:39. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 5:24. KC – Harrison Butker 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 1:39. Third quarter KC – Rashee Rice 8-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 10:10. Chiefs 20–13. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:50. KC – Travis Kelce 4-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 2:45. Chiefs 27–13. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:27. Fourth quarter MIN – Alexander Mattison 9-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 12:11. Chiefs 27–20. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:34. Top passers KC – Patrick Mahomes – 31/41, 281 yards, 2 TD MIN – Kirk Cousins – 29/47, 284 yards, 2 TD Top rushers KC – Isiah Pacheco – 16 rushes, 56 yards, TD MIN – Alexander Mattison – 8 rushes, 26 yards Top receivers KC – Travis Kelce – 10 receptions, 67 yards, TD MIN – Jordan Addison – 6 receptions, 64 yards, TD

Week 6: at Chicago Bears

Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	9	7	0	19
Bears	0	6	0	7	13

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,167
• Referee: Brad Allen (122)
• TV announcers (Fox): Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 53-yard field goal, 6:24. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:47. Second quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 22-yard field goal, 13:41. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:43. MIN – Greg Joseph 51-yard field goal, 8:56. Vikings 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:45. CHI – Cairo Santos 53-yard field goal, 3:18. Tied 6–6. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:48. MIN – Jordan Addison 10-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (kick blocked), 0:12. Vikings 12–6. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 1:35. Third quarter MIN – Jordan Hicks 42-yard fumble return (Greg Joseph kick), 6:44. Vikings 19–6. Fourth quarter CHI – Tyson Bagent 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 7:46. Vikings 19–13. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:56. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 21/31, 181 yards, TD CHI – Tyson Bagent – 10/14, 83 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 18 rushes, 44 yards CHI – D'Onta Foreman – 15 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers MIN – T. J. Hockenson – 6 receptions, 50 yards CHI – D. J. Moore – 5 receptions, 51 yards

Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 7: San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	7	7	3	17
Vikings	7	9	6	0	22

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 7:15 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,975
• Referee: Carl Cheffers (51)
• TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Jordan Addison 20-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 4:48. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 6:06. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 21-yard field goal, 7:33. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:20. SF – Christian McCaffrey 3-yard run (Jake Moody kick), 1:01. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:32. MIN – Jordan Addison 60-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (kick failed, wide right), 0:07. Vikings 16–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:54. Third quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 20-yard field goal, 6:59. Vikings 19–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:46. SF – Christian McCaffrey 35-yard pass from Brock Purdy (Jake Moody kick), 5:54. Vikings 19–14. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:05. MIN – Greg Joseph 54-yard field goal, 0:20. Vikings 22–14. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:34. Fourth quarter SF – Jake Moody 55-yard field goal, 13:21. Vikings 22–17. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:59. Top passers SF – Brock Purdy – 21/30, 272 yards, TD, 2 INT MIN – Kirk Cousins – 35/45, 378 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SF – Christian McCaffrey – 15 rushes, 45 yards, TD MIN – Alexander Mattison – 8 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers SF – George Kittle – 5 receptions, 78 yards MIN – Jordan Addison – 7 receptions, 124 yards, 2 TD

Week 8: at Green Bay Packers

Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

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

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,113
• Referee: Shawn Hochuli (83)
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Cam Akers 6-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 1:34. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 4:33. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 25-yard field goal, 10:13. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:40. GB – Anders Carlson 30-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 4:56. Third quarter MIN – T. J. Hockenson 2-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 9:25. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:35. MIN – Jordan Addison 20-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 7:48. Vikings 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 20 yards, 0:05. GB – Romeo Doubs 1-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 2:39. Vikings 24–10. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 5:09. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 23/31, 274 yards, 2 TD GB – Jordan Love – 24/41, 229 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 16 rushes, 31 yards GB – Jordan Love – 4 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers MIN – K. J. Osborn – 8 receptions, 99 yards GB – Jayden Reed – 4 receptions, 83 yards

Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	7	11	10	31
Falcons	3	8	10	7	28

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Clear, 70 °F (21 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 69,715
• Referee: Shawn Smith (14)
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 52-yard field goal, 7:06. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 1:53. MIN – Greg Joseph 19-yard field goal, 2:20. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:46. Second quarter ATL – Joshua Dobbs sacked in the end zone by Calais Campbell for a safety, 14:04. Falcons 5–3. ATL – Younghoe Koo 43-yard field goal, 8:57. Falcons 8–3. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 5:07. ATL – Younghoe Koo 23-yard field goal, 5:32. Falcons 11–3. Drive: 4 plays, −4 yards, 2:01. MIN – Alexander Mattison 2-yard pass from Joshua Dobbs (Greg Joseph kick), 0:55. Falcons 11–10. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:37. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 54-yard field goal, 12:15. Falcons 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, −6 yards, 1:32. MIN – Greg Joseph 32-yard field goal, 8:13. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:02. ATL – Jonnu Smith 60-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Younghoe Koo kick), 6:54. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:19. MIN – Joshua Dobbs 18-yard run (Joshua Dobbs–Trishton Jackson pass), 2:20. Tied 21–21. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:34. Fourth quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 31-yard field goal, 14:18. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 2:54. ATL – Tyler Allgeier 5-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 2:08. Falcons 28–24. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:58. MIN – Brandon Powell 6-yard pass from Joshua Dobbs (Greg Joseph kick), 0:22. Vikings 31–28. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:46. Top passers MIN – Joshua Dobbs – 20/30, 158 yards, 2 TD ATL – Taylor Heinicke – 21/38, 268 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Joshua Dobbs – 7 rushes, 66 yards, TD ATL – Bijan Robinson – 11 rushes, 51 yards Top receivers MIN – T. J. Hockenson – 7 receptions, 69 yards ATL – Jonnu Smith – 5 receptions, 100 yards, TD

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 10: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	0	8	8	19
Vikings	3	21	3	0	27

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,933
• Referee: Adrian Hill (29)
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 40-yard field goal, 10:47. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:13. NO – Blake Grupe 48-yard field goal, 1:19. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:58. Second quarter MIN – Ty Chandler 2-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 10:14. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05. MIN – Josh Dobbs 7-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 3:30. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 4:41. MIN – T. J. Hockenson 28-yard pass from Josh Dobbs (Greg Joseph kick), 0:16. Vikings 24–3. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 1:31. Third quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 33-yard field goal, 10:09. Vikings 27–3. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:47. NO – Chris Olave 14-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Alvin Kamara run), 5:26. Vikings 27–11. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:43. Fourth quarter NO – A. T. Perry 15-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Alvin Kamara run), 11:40. Vikings 27–19. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:15. Top passers NO – Jameis Winston – 13/25, 122 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIN – Josh Dobbs – 23/34, 268 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 9 rushes, 42 yards MIN – Ty Chandler – 15 rushes, 45 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Chris Olave – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD MIN – T. J. Hockenson – 11 receptions, 134 yards, TD

Week 11: at Denver Broncos

Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	10	7	3	20
Broncos	3	6	0	12	21

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST/6:20 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 76,848
• Referee: Ronald Torbert (62)
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DEN – Wil Lutz 31-yard field goal, 10:28. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 3:02. Second quarter MIN – Josh Oliver 3-yard pass from Joshua Dobbs (Greg Joseph kick), 14:53. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:08. MIN – Greg Joseph 34-yard field goal, 8:09. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 5:08. DEN – Wil Lutz 31-yard field goal, 4:08. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 4:01. DEN – Wil Lutz 52-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 1:11. Third quarter MIN – Joshua Dobbs 10-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 7:55. Vikings 17–9. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:38. Fourth quarter DEN – Wil Lutz 37-yard field goal, 12:40. Vikings 17–12. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 5:08. DEN – Wil Lutz 28-yard field goal, 10:37. Vikings 17–15. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:53. MIN – Greg Joseph 30-yard field goal, 3:17. Vikings 20–15. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:20. DEN – Courtland Sutton 15-yard pass from Russell Wilson (run failed), 1:03. Broncos 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:14. Top passers MIN – Joshua Dobbs – 20/32, 221 yards, TD, INT DEN – Russell Wilson – 27/35, 259 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 18 rushes, 81 yards DEN – Javonte Williams – 11 rushes, 37 yards Top receivers MIN – T. J. Hockenson – 4 receptions, 55 yards DEN – Samaje Perine – 7 receptions, 60 yards

Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 12: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	3	0	3	6	12
Vikings	0	3	0	7	10

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,843
• Referee: Alex Kemp (55)
• TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 25-yard field goal, 13:35. Bears 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:39. MIN – Greg Joseph 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:51. Third quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 39-yard field goal, 6:59. Bears 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:08. Fourth quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 55-yard field goal, 14:15. Bears 9–3. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 3:24. MIN – T. J. Hockenson 17-yard pass from Joshua Dobbs (Greg Joseph kick), 5:54. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:52. CHI – Cairo Santos 30-yard field goal, 0:10. Bears 12–10. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 2:19. Top passers CHI – Justin Fields – 27/37, 217 yards MIN – Joshua Dobbs – 22/32, 185 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers CHI – Justin Fields – 12 rushes, 59 yards MIN – Alexander Mattison – 10 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers CHI – D. J. Moore – 11 receptions, 114 yards MIN – Jordan Addison – 6 receptions, 39 yards

Week 14: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	0	3	3
Raiders	0	0	0	0	0

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,626
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad (4)
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 36-yard field goal, 1:57. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 3:22. Top passers MIN – Nick Mullens – 9/13, 83 yards LV – Aidan O'Connell – 21/32, 171 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 10 rushes, 66 yards LV – Josh Jacobs – 13 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers MIN – T. J. Hockenson – 5 receptions, 53 yards LV – Davante Adams – 7 receptions, 53 yards

The Vikings scored the only points of the game after both teams went over 58 minutes without scoring, in the lowest scoring NFL game since 2007.^[11] The Vikings improved to 7–6 and remained in the playoff race.

Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 15: Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Vikings	7	0	10	7	0	24
Bengals	3	0	0	21	3	27

at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 66,376
• Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
• TV announcers (WCCO/NFLN): Chris Rose, Jason McCourty and Steve Wyche
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CIN – Evan McPherson 34-yard field goal, 8:41. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:19. MIN – Ty Chandler 1-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 2:23. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:18. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter MIN – Jordan Addison 37-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 10:46. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 4:14. MIN – Greg Joseph 39-yard field goal, 4:32. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 4:36. Fourth quarter CIN – Tee Higgins 13-yard pass from Jake Browning (Evan McPherson kick), 14:56. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:36. CIN – Joe Mixon 1-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 7:46. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:36. MIN – Jordan Addison 1-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 3:48. Vikings 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:58. CIN – Tee Higgins 21-yard pass from Jake Browning (Evan McPherson kick), 0:39. Tied 24–24. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:09. Overtime CIN – Evan McPherson 29-yard field goal, 3:11. Bengals 27–24. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:01. Top passers MIN – Nick Mullens – 26/33, 303 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT CIN – Jake Browning – 29/42, 324 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Ty Chandler – 23 rushes, 132 yards, TD CIN – Joe Mixon – 10 rushes, 47 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Jordan Addison – 6 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD CIN – Ja'Marr Chase – 4 receptions, 64 yards

Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 16: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	10	6	7	30
Vikings	7	7	7	3	24

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,932
• Referee: Land Clark (130)
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 7:13. Lions 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:47. MIN – Ty Chandler 2-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 2:51. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:22. Second quarter DET – Michael Badgley 37-yard field goal, 5:05. Lions 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:58. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 14-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 1:48. Lions 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:50. MIN – Justin Jefferson 26-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 0:29. Lions 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:19. Third quarter MIN – K. J. Osborn 6-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 11:56. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 3:04. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (kick blocked), 4:38. Lions 23–21. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:18. Fourth quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 3-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 11:07. Lions 30–21. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 6:54. MIN – Greg Joseph 26-yard field goal, 5:19. Lions 30–24. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 2:12. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 30/40, 257 yards, TD MIN – Nick Mullens – 22/36, 411 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Top rushers DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 15 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD MIN – Ty Chandler – 8 rushes, 17 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 12 receptions, 106 yards, TD MIN – Justin Jefferson – 6 receptions, 141 yards, TD

Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 17: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	10	13	7	3	33
Vikings	0	3	0	7	10

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: December 31
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 67,003
• Referee: Clay Martin (19)
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter GB – Anders Carlson 34-yard field goal, 6:43. Packers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:53. GB – Jayden Reed 33-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 5:10. Packers 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 33 yards, 0:48. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 54-yard field goal, 9:25. Packers 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:54. GB – Jordan Love 2-yard run (Anders Carlson kick), 3:59. Packers 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:26. GB – Jarran Reed 25-yard pass from Jordan Love (kick failed, wide left), 0:08. Packers 23–3. Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, 0:18. Third quarter GB – Bo Melton 9-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 0:49. Packers 30–3. Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 8:00. Fourth quarter MIN – Johnny Mundt 6-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 14:06. Packers 30–10. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:44. GB – Anders Carlson 37-yard field goal, 6:11. Packers 33–10. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 7:55. Top passers GB – Jordan Love – 24/33, 256 yards, 3 TD MIN – Nick Mullens – 13/22, 113 yards, TD Top rushers GB – Aaron Jones – 20 rushes, 120 yards MIN – Ty Chandler – 10 rushes, 40 yards Top receivers GB – Bo Melton – 6 receptions, 105 yards, TD MIN – Justin Jefferson – 5 receptions, 59 yards

Week 18: at Detroit Lions

Week 18: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	6	7	7	20
Lions	13	0	7	10	30

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: January 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,233
• Referee: Brad Rogers (126)
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DET – Sam LaPorta 2-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 8:06. Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 2:01. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 3-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 2:12. Lions 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:53. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 39-yard field goal, 9:20. Lions 13–3. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 7:52. MIN – Greg Joseph 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 13–6. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:12. Third quarter DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 7:14. Lions 20–6. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:15. MIN – Justin Jefferson 38-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 0:20. Lions 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:17. Fourth quarter DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 70-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 14:45. Lions 27–13. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:35. MIN – Jordan Addison 42-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 13:22. Lions 27–20. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:23. DET – Michael Badgley 39-yard field goal, 8:14. Lions 30–20. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:08. Top passers MIN – Nick Mullens – 30/44, 396 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DET – Jared Goff – 23/32, 320 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Ty Chandler – 12 rushes, 69 yards DET – David Montgomery – 10 rushes, 40 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Justin Jefferson – 12 receptions, 192 yards, TD DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 7 receptions, 144 yards, TD

With this loss, the Vikings finished the season on a four-game losing streak, their first since 2016. They were also swept by the Lions for the first time since that same season. Their 7–10 record was their first double-digit losing season since 2013, which also saw the Vikings go through a quarterback carousel driven by injuries and poor play.

Standings

Division

NFC North
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(3) Detroit Lions	12	5	0	.706	4–2	8–4	461	395	W1
(7) Green Bay Packers	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	383	350	W3
Minnesota Vikings	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	344	362	L4
Chicago Bears	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	360	379	L1

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	San Francisco 49ers	West	12	5	0	.706	5–1	10–2	.509	.475	L1
2[a][b]	Dallas Cowboys	East	12	5	0	.706	5–1	9–3	.446	.392	W2
3[a][b]	Detroit Lions	North	12	5	0	.706	4–2	8–4	.481	.436	W1
4[c]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	.481	.379	W1
Wild cards
5	Philadelphia Eagles	East	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	.481	.476	L2
6	Los Angeles Rams	West	10	7	0	.588	5–1	8–4	.529	.453	W4
7[d][e]	Green Bay Packers	North	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	.474	.458	W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[d][e]	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	8	0	.529	2–4	7–5	.512	.392	W1
9[c][d]	New Orleans Saints	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	.433	.340	W2
10[f][g]	Minnesota Vikings	North	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.509	.454	L4
11[g][h]	Chicago Bears	North	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.464	.370	L1
12[f][h]	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	10	0	.412	3–3	4–8	.429	.462	L2
13	New York Giants	East	6	11	0	.353	3–3	5–7	.512	.353	W1
14[i]	Washington Commanders	East	4	13	0	.235	0–6	2–10	.512	.338	L8
15[i]	Arizona Cardinals	West	4	13	0	.235	0–6	3–9	.561	.588	L1
16	Carolina Panthers	South	2	15	0	.118	1–5	1–11	.522	.500	L3
Tiebreakers[j]
San Francisco finished ahead of Dallas and Detroit based on conference record, claiming the No. 1 seed. Dallas claimed the No. 2 seed over Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Tampa Bay finished ahead of New Orleans in the NFC South based on common record. (Tampa Bay is 8–4 against Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, while New Orleans is 6–6 against the same teams.) Green Bay and Seattle finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record. Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on strength of victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot. Minnesota finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below). Minnesota finished ahead of Chicago based on common record. (Minnesota is 5–7 against Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and Detroit, while Chicago is 4–8 against the same teams.) Chicago finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Washington finished ahead of Arizona based on head-to-head victory. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Total
Passing yards	Kirk Cousins	2,331
Passing touchdowns	Kirk Cousins	18
Rushing yards	Alexander Mattison	700
Rushing touchdowns	Ty Chandler Joshua Dobbs	3
Receptions	T. J. Hockenson	95
Receiving yards	Justin Jefferson	1,074
Receiving touchdowns	Jordan Addison	10
Points	Greg Joseph	108
Kickoff return yards	Kene Nwangwu	380
Punt return yards	Brandon Powell	289
Tackles	Camryn Bynum	137
Sacks	Danielle Hunter	16.5
Interceptions	Byron Murphy	3
Forced fumbles	Danielle Hunter Josh Metellus	4

Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com^[12]

League rankings

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 32)
Passing offense	4,359	256.4	5th
Rushing offense	1,553	91.4	29th
Total offense	5,912	347.8	10th
Passing defense	3,986	234.5	24th
Rushing defense	1,678	98.7	8th
Total defense	5,664	333.2	16th

Source: ProFootballReference.com^[13][14]