2018 Minnesota Vikings season | |
---|---|
Owner | Zygi Wilf |
General manager | Rick Spielman |
Head coach | Mike Zimmer |
Home field | U.S. Bank Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 8–7–1 |
Division place | 2nd NFC North |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | 4
|
AP All-Pros | 2
|
Uniform | |
The 2018 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 58th in the National Football League (NFL), their third playing their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their fifth under head coach Mike Zimmer.
Following a Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the team could no longer improve on their 13–3 record from the 2017 season, in which they won the NFC North division and reached the NFC Championship before losing to the eventual Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Vikings failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three years when they lost to the division rival Chicago Bears coupled with the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Washington Redskins in the final week of the regular season.
2018 Minnesota Vikings draft | |||||||
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Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes | ||
Round | Selection | ||||||
1 | 30 | Mike Hughes | CB | UCF | 4 years / $9.867 million [1] | ||
2 | 62 | Brian O'Neill | OT | Pittsburgh | 4 years / $4.407 million [2] | ||
3 | 94 | Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers [upper-alpha 1] | |||||
4 | 102 | Jalyn Holmes | DE | Ohio State | from Buccaneers [upper-alpha 1] | ||
130 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles [upper-alpha 2] | ||||||
5 | 157 | Tyler Conklin | TE | Central Michigan | from Jets [upper-alpha 3] | ||
167 | Daniel Carlson | K | Auburn | from Vikings [upper-alpha 3] via Jets [upper-alpha 4] | |||
6 | 180 | Traded to the New York Jets [upper-alpha 4] | from Buccaneers [upper-alpha 1] | ||||
204 | Traded to the New York Jets [upper-alpha 4] | ||||||
213 | Colby Gossett | G | Appalachian State | Compensatory pick [upper-alpha 5] | |||
218 | Ade Aruna | DE | Tulane | Compensatory pick [upper-alpha 5] | |||
7 | 225 | Devante Downs | LB | California | from Broncos [upper-alpha 6] via Vikings [upper-alpha 3] and Jets [upper-alpha 4] | ||
248 | Traded to the Seattle Seahawks [upper-alpha 7] |
Draft trades
Date | Player name | Position | Contract terms |
---|---|---|---|
March 12 | Mack Brown | RB | 1 year / $630,000 [7] |
Anthony Harris | SS | 1 year / $705,000 [7] | |
March 16 | Dylan Bradley | DT | 1 year / $480,000 [8] |
March 20 | Kai Forbath | K | 1 year / $790,000 [9] |
March 28 | Marcus Sherels | CB | 1 year / $1.4 million [9] |
April 30 | Terence Newman | CB | 1 year / $1.105 million [10] |
Date | Player name | Position | Note | New team |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 14 | Sam Bradford | QB | UFA | Arizona Cardinals |
Tramaine Brock | CB | Denver Broncos | ||
Case Keenum | QB | Denver Broncos | ||
Jerick McKinnon | RB | San Francisco 49ers | ||
March 16 | Jarius Wright | WR | Released [11] | Carolina Panthers |
March 18 | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | UFA | New York Jets |
March 21 | Shaan Washington | LB | Waived [12] | |
Emmanuel Lamur | OLB | UFA | Oakland Raiders [13] | |
March 22 | Joe Berger | G | Retired [12] | |
March 23 | Tom Johnson | DT | UFA | Seattle Seahawks [14] |
Jeremiah Sirles | G | Carolina Panthers [14] | ||
March 24 | Shamar Stephen | DT | Seattle Seahawks [15] |
Date | Player name | Position | Previous team | Contract terms |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 12 | Josh Andrews | G | Philadelphia Eagles | [16] |
March 15 | Kirk Cousins | QB | Washington Redskins | 3 years / $84 million [9] |
March 16 | Sheldon Richardson | DT | Seattle Seahawks | 1 year / $8 million [9] |
March 19 | Trevor Siemian | QB | Denver Broncos | Trade [17] |
March 20 | Josiah Price | TE | Minnesota Vikings | [12] |
Nick Dooley | LS | [12] | ||
March 22 | Tom Compton | G | Chicago Bears | 1 year / $900,000 [9] |
March 29 | Reshard Cliett | LB | Kansas City Chiefs | [18] |
March 30 | Kendall Wright | WR | Chicago Bears | 1 year / $1 million [9] |
April 5 | Tavarres King | WR | New York Giants | [9] |
August 22 | George Iloka | S | Cincinnati Bengals | 1 year / $790,000 [19] |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
The Vikings' preliminary preseason schedule was announced on April 11.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 11 | at Denver Broncos | W 42–28 | 1–0 | Broncos Stadium at Mile High | 75,530 | Recap |
2 | August 18 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–14 | 1–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,637 | Recap |
3 | August 24 | Seattle Seahawks | W 21–20 | 2–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,676 | Recap |
4 | August 30 | at Tennessee Titans | W 13–3 | 3–1 | Nissan Stadium | 61,455 | Recap |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 14 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 42 |
Broncos | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Vikings | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seahawks | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
Vikings | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 21 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
Titans | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Game information | ||
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 9 | San Francisco 49ers | W 24–16 | 1–0 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,673 | Recap |
2 | September 16 | at Green Bay Packers | T 29–29 (OT) | 1–0–1 | Lambeau Field | 78,461 | Recap |
3 | September 23 | Buffalo Bills | L 6–27 | 1–1–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,800 | Recap |
4 | September 27 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 31–38 | 1–2–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 72,027 | Recap |
5 | October 7 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 23–21 | 2–2–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | 69,696 | Recap |
6 | October 14 | Arizona Cardinals | W 27–17 | 3–2–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,801 | Recap |
7 | October 21 | at New York Jets | W 37–17 | 4–2–1 | MetLife Stadium | 77,982 | Recap |
8 | October 28 | New Orleans Saints | L 20–30 | 4–3–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,801 | Recap |
9 | November 4 | Detroit Lions | W 24–9 | 5–3–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,825 | Recap |
10 | Bye | ||||||
11 | November 18 | at Chicago Bears | L 20–25 | 5–4–1 | Soldier Field | 61,651 | Recap |
12 | November 25 | Green Bay Packers | W 24–17 | 6–4–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,872 | Recap |
13 | December 2 | at New England Patriots | L 10–24 | 6–5–1 | Gillette Stadium | 65,878 | Recap |
14 | December 10 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 7–21 | 6–6–1 | CenturyLink Field | 69,007 | Recap |
15 | December 16 | Miami Dolphins | W 41–17 | 7–6–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,841 | Recap |
16 | December 23 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–9 | 8–6–1 | Ford Field | 61,641 | Recap |
17 | December 30 | Chicago Bears | L 10–24 | 8–7–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,878 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
49ers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
Vikings | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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The Vikings began the 2018 season with a home game against the San Francisco 49ers, their first home game since the Minneapolis Miracle in the divisional round of the 2017–18 NFL playoffs. The game saw quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson make their regular season debuts for the Vikings, [20] [21] as well as the return of second-year running back Dalvin Cook, who had torn his ACL early in the 2017 season. [22] The two teams traded punts to start the game, before the Vikings put a drive together on their second possession, culminating with a 48-yard field goal by rookie kicker Daniel Carlson. The 49ers then failed to pick up a first down on their next possession, giving the Vikings good field position on their own 47-yard line off the ensuing punt as the first quarter drew to a close. Runs by Latavius Murray and a 17-yard pass from Cousins to Cook gave the Vikings a third-and-3 situation on the San Francisco 22-yard-line, from where Cousins threw a 22-yard strike to Stefon Diggs, the 100th touchdown pass of his career. On the ensuing San Francisco possession, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo linked up with tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Trent Taylor to get them into Minnesota territory, before a pass interference penalty against Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes put the 49ers just outside the red zone; however, the Minnesota defense stood firm and allowed just a 42-yard Robbie Gould field goal; however, on the Vikings' next drive, Cook fumbled the ball at the end of a 15-yard run, allowing San Francisco to regain possession. They marched down to the Vikings' 1-yard line, only for defensive tackle Linval Joseph to force a fumble from running back Alfred Morris, which safety Harrison Smith subsequently recovered. The Vikings were able to get out from under the shadow of their own goalposts and closed out the half with a 10–3 lead.
The Vikings defense forced a three-and-out to begin the second half, but only managed one first down on their ensuing possession before having to punt; however, three plays later, with the 49ers at third-and-8 from their own 20-yard line, the Vikings' rookie cornerback Mike Hughes intercepted a pass from Garoppolo and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to put the Vikings up 17–3. Garoppolo responded immediately, however, completing a 56-yard pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk to put the 49ers inside the Vikings' 20. As in the first half, though, the Minnesota defense held up and limited the 49ers to a 33-yard field goal. Cousins focused his attention on his wide receivers to begin the next Vikings possession, completing passes of 11 and 34 yards to Adam Thielen, the latter being the Vikings' longest completed pass of the day, to get into 49ers territory. Cook continued to run the ball, while Cousins' attention shifted to his tight ends, first completing a nine-yard pass to David Morgan II before an 11-yard completion to Kyle Rudolph for the Vikings' third touchdown of the day. A 36-yard completion from Garoppolo to Kittle was the highlight of the subsequent San Francisco drive, which culminated in a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis with 30 seconds left in the quarter. The Vikings went three-and-out on their next possession; they soon had the ball back, as cornerback Xavier Rhodes intercepted Garoppolo, only to again have to punt, giving San Francisco the ball back at their own 14-yard line. A 39-yard pass from Garoppolo to Pettis got the 49ers into the Vikings' half, but a tackle for a five-yard loss by Smith led to another third-down situation for San Francisco; Garoppolo's third-down pass was incomplete, which should have meant them having to punt, only for Richardson to be flagged for roughing the passer, giving the 49ers a 15-yard advantage and an automatic first down. They were able to get down to the Vikings' 4-yard line, but were unable to get the ball into the end zone and again had to settle for a field goal, reducing the margin to 8 points. The Vikings again had to punt on their next possession, but a 10-yard sack by Smith on the next series meant San Francisco had to do the same, giving the Vikings the ball back with six minutes left to play. A combination of runs from Murray and Cook allowed the Vikings to take three minutes off the clock, but a scramble run from Cousins came up just short of another first down; however, the Vikings were able to draw the 49ers' defense offside, giving them a free five yards and the first down. They were able to take another minute off the clock before punting, giving the 49ers the ball with 1:49 to play. Needing a touchdown to stand a chance of taking the game to overtime, Garoppolo had to go for it, but was intercepted by Smith on the second play of the drive, allowing the Vikings to run out the clock and claim their first win of the season.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 7 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 29 |
Packers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 29 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game information | ||
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Week 2 saw the Vikings travel to Lambeau Field to take on their archrivals, the Green Bay Packers, against whom Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr effectively ended Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 2017 season with a hit that broke Rodgers' collarbone.
The Packers received the ball first and were forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, the Packers forced the Vikings to go three-and-out, but the punt from the Vikings' Matt Wile was blocked by Geronimo Allison and recovered by the Packers' Josh Jackson for a touchdown. On Minnesota's next drive, quarterback Kirk Cousins led the Vikings on an eight-play, 57-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7–7, with the scoring pass going to Laquon Treadwell for 14 yards. Green Bay followed that with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams early in the second quarter, making the game 14–7. After trading punts and a missed 48-yard field goal for the Vikings by rookie kicker Daniel Carlson, the Packers' Mason Crosby made a 37-yard field goal at the end of the first half to send the Packers to the locker room leading 17–7.
The Vikings received the ball after halftime, but their drive stalled and were forced to punt. Green Bay followed that up with a 40-yard field goal from Crosby with 6:32 left in the third quarter. After trading punts, the Vikings scored another touchdown on a three-yard pass to Stefon Diggs early in the fourth quarter to reduce the Packers' lead to six points. Green Bay followed that up with Crosby's third field goal of the day, this time from 31 yards, but the Vikings responded quickly on their next drive, as Cousins hit Diggs with a 75-yard touchdown pass to make it a 23–21 lead for the Packers. Crosby then made his fourth field goal of the day from 48 yards with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter. Cousins threw an interception on the first play of the Vikings' next drive, leading to a fifth Crosby field goal from 36 yards with 1:45 remaining, putting the Packers up 29–21. Cousins then led the Vikings 75 yards in eight plays, resulting in a 22-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen, but the Vikings needed a two-point conversion to tie the game. Cousins then connected with Diggs to tie the game at 29–29, with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. Green Bay was able to move down the field and into field goal range, but Crosby's 52-yard attempt missed left and the game went to overtime.
The Vikings won the overtime coin toss and received the ball. They moved 39 yards in seven plays, but Carlson's 49-yard attempt sailed wide right. Green Bay then was forced to punt after chewing 3:45 off the clock, and the Vikings started their next drive with 3:57 left to play. After moving 63 yards, the Vikings were at the Packers' 17-yard line with four seconds remaining in overtime, but Carlson missed his third field goal attempt of the game, this time from 35 yards, and again wide right. Carlson was waived the next day, replaced by veteran kicker Dan Bailey.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 7 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 31 |
Rams | 7 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 38 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Game information | ||
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This was the first NFL broadcast in history to have an all-female announcing team (accessible only to Amazon Prime viewers).
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
Eagles | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 21 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cardinals | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Vikings | 10 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 7 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 37 |
Jets | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 7 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
Vikings | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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This was a rematch of the Minneapolis Miracle from last year's divisional playoff game. There would be no miracle in this one however, as the Saints won 30-20 as the Vikings fell to 4-3-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lions | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 20 |
Bears | 3 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 25 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
Vikings | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
Patriots | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 21 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Vikings | 21 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 41 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
Lions | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 7 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 24 |
Vikings | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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NFC North | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(3) Chicago Bears | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 421 | 283 | W4 |
Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | 360 | 341 | L1 |
Green Bay Packers | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 1–4–1 | 3–8–1 | 376 | 400 | L1 |
Detroit Lions | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 324 | 360 | W1 |
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 [lower-alpha 1] | New Orleans Saints | South | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .482 | .488 | L1 |
2 [lower-alpha 1] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .480 | .428 | W2 |
3 | Chicago Bears | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .430 | .419 | W4 |
4 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .488 | .444 | W2 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .484 | .400 | W2 |
6 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .518 | .486 | W3 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
7 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .355 | L1 |
8 [lower-alpha 2] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .482 | .348 | W3 |
9 [lower-alpha 2] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .486 | .371 | L2 |
10 [lower-alpha 2] | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .508 | .518 | W1 |
11 | Green Bay Packers | North | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 1–4–1 | 3–8–1 | .488 | .417 | L1 |
12 | Detroit Lions | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .504 | .427 | W1 |
13 [lower-alpha 3] | New York Giants | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .527 | .487 | L3 |
14 [lower-alpha 3] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .506 | L4 |
15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .504 | .406 | L2 |
16 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .527 | .302 | L4 |
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 4] | |||||||||||
|
Four Vikings players were elected to the Pro Bowl when the rosters were announced on December 18, 2018, with both outside linebacker Anthony Barr and safety Harrison Smith named to their fourth Pro Bowls. Wide receiver Adam Thielen was named to his second Pro Bowl, having received his first nomination in 2017, while defensive end Danielle Hunter received his first Pro Bowl selection. [23]
Category | Player(s) | Total |
---|---|---|
Passing yards | Kirk Cousins | 4,298 |
Passing touchdowns | Kirk Cousins | 30 |
Rushing yards | Dalvin Cook | 615 |
Rushing touchdowns | Latavius Murray | 6 |
Receptions | Adam Thielen | 113 |
Receiving yards | Adam Thielen | 1,373 |
Receiving touchdowns | Stefon Diggs Adam Thielen | 9 |
Points | Dan Bailey | 93 |
Kickoff return yards | Ameer Abdullah | 258 |
Punt return yards | Marcus Sherels | 276 |
Tackles | Eric Kendricks | 108 |
Sacks | Danielle Hunter | 14.5 |
Interceptions | Anthony Harris Harrison Smith | 3 |
Forced fumbles | Anthony Barr Mike Hughes George Iloka Jaleel Johnson Linval Joseph Eric Kendricks Harrison Smith Stephen Weatherly | 1 |
Source: Minnesota Vikings' official website [24]
Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
---|---|---|---|
Passing offense | 3,497 | 269.0 | 8th |
Rushing offense | 1,110 | 85.4 | 30th |
Total offense | 4,607 | 354.4 | 17th |
Passing defense | 2,803 | 215.6 | 5th |
Rushing defense | 1,404 | 108.0 | 13th |
Total defense | 4,207 | 323.6 | 5th |
Source: NFL.com [25]
The 2006 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 46th in the National Football League (NFL). Under new head coach Brad Childress, the team finished with a 6–10 record; however, they led the league in rushing defense, surrendering only 985 rushing yards; they are one of only two franchises in NFL history to allow fewer than 1,000 rushing yards in a 16-game season.
The 1993 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League and the 34th overall. They improved on their 10–6 record from 1992 and won the AFC West and with an 11–5 record. Kansas City advanced all the way to the AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills 30–13, which started the Chiefs' 8-game playoff losing streak. It would be 22 years before the Chiefs would win another playoff game, and 25 years until they won another playoff game at Arrowhead.
The 2003 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 34th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall and their third under head coach Dick Vermeil.
The 2001 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 41st in the National Football League (NFL). Despite having a 12th ranked offense, the Vikings finished 5–11 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995. Before the end of the season, the team fired head coach Dennis Green, who had become a polarizing force among the Vikings fan base despite his successful coaching tenure with the team. Mike Tice coached the final game of 2001, a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The 2002 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 42nd in the National Football League, and the first under head coach Mike Tice. Tice was the third of the Vikings' six head coaches to be promoted from within the team's coaching ranks but the first to have actually played for the team.
The 2004 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 44th in the National Football League. The Vikings finished the 2004 season going 3–7 over the final 10 weeks, just like they did in 2003; however, they made the playoffs with an overall 8–8 record. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper amassed MVP-level statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards, 39 passing touchdowns and 5,123 total yards.
The 2005 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), and Mike Tice's fourth and final season as head coach. The Vikings finished the season with a 9–7 record and missed the playoffs despite going 8–3 over the final 11 weeks. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper was injured after seven games, resulting in Brad Johnson taking over as starter. The loss of Culpepper and the departure of Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders resulted in the Vikings dropping from 2nd in passing offense in 2004 to 20th in 2005.
The 2007 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 47th in the National Football League (NFL). The Vikings' 8–8 record under second-year head coach Brad Childress was an improvement on their 6–10 record in 2006; nonetheless, for the third straight year, the Vikings failed to make the playoffs.
The 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Brad Childress. They won their 17th NFC North division title with a 10–6 record, the first time since 2000 that they made the playoffs with a winning record; however, they finished behind the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers and had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs. They were paired with Childress's former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, who won 26–14. Second-year running back Adrian Peterson led the league in rushing with 1,760 yards.
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 2012 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), as well as their second full season under head coach Leslie Frazier. They looked to improve upon their 3–13 season the year before, and did so after defeating the Tennessee Titans in Week 5; their win over the Houston Texans in Week 16 made this their first winning season since 2009. The Vikings also made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 with a Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers to give them a 10–6 regular season record, but were defeated by the same opponents in the Wild Card playoff round the following week. Adrian Peterson was named the league's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 2,097 yards, just nine yards short of breaking the single-season record held by Eric Dickerson since 1984.
The 2013 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL). It also marked the Vikings' final season playing their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome; the team played their home games at TCF Bank Stadium for the 2014 and 2015 seasons while construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016, took place on the site of the Metrodome. Following a Week 9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Vikings were no longer able to match their 10–6 record from 2012, and their loss to the Baltimore Ravens five weeks later sealed their elimination from playoff contention.
The 2014 season was the New Orleans Saints' 48th in the National Football League (NFL), their 39th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their eighth under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2015 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 55th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Mike Zimmer. It marked the last season in which the Vikings played their home games at the University of Minnesota's on-campus TCF Bank Stadium, before moving into U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in July 2016, located on the site of the now-demolished Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
The 2017 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), and their fourth under head coach Mike Zimmer. With the team's home stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, scheduled to host Super Bowl LII at the end of the season, the Vikings attempted to make history as the first team to play the Super Bowl on their home field; in recording their best regular season record since 1998, they clinched a first-round bye for the first time since 2009 and became the eighth team in the Super Bowl era to qualify for the playoffs in a season in which their stadium hosted the Super Bowl. They defeated the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round 29–24 on a walk-off play referred to as the "Minneapolis Miracle", but lost 38–7 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
The 2019 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth playing home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their sixth under head coach Mike Zimmer. They improved on their 8–7–1 campaign from 2018 with a Week 14 win over the Detroit Lions, and returned to the playoffs following a one-year absence after the Los Angeles Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. That week, the Vikings were eliminated from contention for the NFC North division title, losing 23–10 to the Green Bay Packers. They defeated the New Orleans Saints 26–20 in overtime in the Wild Card round but lost 27–10 to the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
The 2019 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 70th in the National Football League (NFL), their 74th overall and their third under the head coach-general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. They finished their 2019 season with a 13–3 record, their best finish since 2011. Starting the season 8–0 for the first time since 1990, the 49ers surpassed their win totals from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons combined. The 49ers were the second straight NFC West team to start 8–0, with the other being the 2018 Rams. With a Week 11 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers clinched their first winning season since 2013. Despite a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15, the 49ers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 with a Los Angeles Rams loss. The 49ers beat the Cardinals for the first time since 2014, won in Seattle for the first time since 2011, and beat the Panthers in the regular season for the first time since 2001.
The 2019 season was the New Orleans Saints' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 13th under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2021 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 84th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 85th overall, their 55th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and their fifth under head coach Sean McVay.
The 2022 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 62nd in the National Football League (NFL), their seventh playing home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their first under new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and new head coach Kevin O'Connell, following the firings of Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer at the end of the 2021 season.