2018 Minnesota Vikings season

Last updated

2018 Minnesota Vikings season
Owner Zygi Wilf
General manager Rick Spielman
Head coach Mike Zimmer
Home field U.S. Bank Stadium
Results
Record8–7–1
Division place2nd NFC North
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers
AP All-Pros
2
Uniform
Vikings 2017-2022 (cropped).png
Minnesota in action at Detroit Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions 2018 22 (Minnesota on offense).jpg
Minnesota in action at Detroit

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.

Contents

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.

Roster changes

Draft

2018 Minnesota Vikings draft
Draft orderPlayer namePositionCollegeContractNotes
RoundSelection
1 30 Mike Hughes CB UCF 4 years / $9.867 million [1]
262 Brian O'Neill OT Pittsburgh 4 years / $4.407 million [2]
394Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers [upper-alpha 1]
4102 Jalyn Holmes DE Ohio State from Buccaneers [upper-alpha 1]
130Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles [upper-alpha 2]
5157 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]
6180Traded to the New York Jets [upper-alpha 4] from Buccaneers [upper-alpha 1]
204Traded 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]
7225 Devante Downs LB California from Broncos [upper-alpha 6] via Vikings [upper-alpha 3] and Jets [upper-alpha 4]
248Traded to the Seattle Seahawks [upper-alpha 7]

Draft trades

  1. 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their third-round selection (94th overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Tampa Bay's fourth- and sixth-round selections (102nd and 180th overall). [3]
  2. The Vikings traded their fourth-round selection (130th overall) and 2017 first-round selection (14th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Sam Bradford. [4]
  3. 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their fifth- and seventh-round selections (167th and 225th overall) to the Jets in exchange for the Jets' fifth-round selection (157th overall).
  4. 1 2 3 4 The Vikings traded two sixth-round selections (180th and 204th overall) to the Jets in exchange for the Jets' fifth- and seventh-round selection (167th and 204th overall).
  5. 1 2 The Vikings were awarded two sixth-round compensatory picks (213th and 218th overall).
  6. The Vikings traded their 2019 fifth-round selection to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Denver's seventh-round selection (225th overall) and quarterback Trevor Siemian. [5]
  7. The Vikings traded their seventh-round selection (248th overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for cornerback Tramaine Brock. [6]
2018 Minnesota Vikings UDFA
PlayerPositionCollege
Jeff Badet WR Oklahoma
Mike Boone RB Cincinnati
Curtis Cothran DT Penn State
Garret Dooley LB Wisconsin
Armanti Foreman WR Texas
Chris Gonzalez G San Jose State
Holton Hill CB Texas
Tyler Hoppes TE Nebraska
Hercules Mata'afa DE Washington State
Trevon Mathis CB Toledo
Tray Matthews DB Auburn
Kamryn Pettway RB Auburn
Peter Pujals QB Holy Cross
Korey Robertson WR Southern Miss
Roc Thomas RB Jacksonville State
Jake Wieneke WR South Dakota State
Jonathan Wynn LB Vanderbilt

Transactions

Re-signings
DatePlayer namePositionContract terms
March 12 Mack Brown RB1 year / $630,000 [7]
Anthony Harris SS1 year / $705,000 [7]
March 16 Dylan Bradley DT1 year / $480,000 [8]
March 20 Kai Forbath K1 year / $790,000 [9]
March 28 Marcus Sherels CB1 year / $1.4 million [9]
April 30 Terence Newman CB1 year / $1.105 million [10]
Additions
DatePlayer namePositionPrevious teamContract 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 20Josiah PriceTE Minnesota Vikings [12]
Nick DooleyLS [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]

Staff

2018 Minnesota Vikings staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Roster

2018 Minnesota Vikings final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason

The Vikings' preliminary preseason schedule was announced on April 11.

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceNFL.com
recap
1 August 11at Denver Broncos W 42–281–0 Broncos Stadium at Mile High 75,530 Recap
2 August 18 Jacksonville Jaguars L 10–141–1 U.S. Bank Stadium 66,637 Recap
3 August 24 Seattle Seahawks W 21–202–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,676 Recap
4 August 30at Tennessee Titans W 13–33–1 Nissan Stadium 61,455 Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: at Denver Broncos

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings141031542
Broncos0147728

at Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Game information

Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 2: Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Jaguars070714
Vikings307010

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: August 18
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,637
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli (83)
  • TV: KMSP
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 3: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Seahawks0103720
Vikings0601521

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: August 24
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,676
  • Referee: Brad Allen (122)
  • TV: KMSP
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 4: at Tennessee Titans

Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings033713
Titans30003

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: August 30
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,455
  • Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
  • TV: KMSP
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceNFL.com
recap
1 September 9 San Francisco 49ers W 24–161–0 U.S. Bank Stadium 66,673 Recap
2 September 16at Green Bay Packers T 29–29 (OT)1–0–1 Lambeau Field 78,461 Recap
3 September 23 Buffalo Bills L 6–271–1–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,800 Recap
4 September 27at Los Angeles Rams L 31–381–2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 72,027 Recap
5 October 7at Philadelphia Eagles W 23–212–2–1 Lincoln Financial Field 69,696 Recap
6 October 14 Arizona Cardinals W 27–173–2–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,801 Recap
7 October 21at New York Jets W 37–174–2–1 MetLife Stadium 77,982 Recap
8 October 28 New Orleans Saints L 20–304–3–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,801 Recap
9 November 4 Detroit Lions W 24–95–3–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,825 Recap
10 Bye
11 November 18at Chicago Bears L 20–255–4–1 Soldier Field 61,651 Recap
12 November 25 Green Bay Packers W 24–176–4–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,872 Recap
13 December 2at New England Patriots L 10–246–5–1 Gillette Stadium 65,878 Recap
14 December 10at Seattle Seahawks L 7–216–6–1 CenturyLink Field 69,007 Recap
15 December 16 Miami Dolphins W 41–177–6–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,841 Recap
16 December 23at Detroit Lions W 27–98–6–1 Ford Field 61,641 Recap
17 December 30 Chicago Bears L 10–248–7–1U.S. Bank Stadium66,878 Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 1: San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
49ers0310316
Vikings3714024

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

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.

Week 2: at Green Bay Packers

Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Vikings70022029
Packers71039029

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 16
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,461
  • Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

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.

Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 3: Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Bills17100027
Vikings00066

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 4: at Los Angeles Rams

Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings7138331
Rams72110038

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

This was the first NFL broadcast in history to have an all-female announcing team (accessible only to Amazon Prime viewers).

Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings3143323
Eagles0331521

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: October 7
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,696
  • Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals370717
Vikings10314027

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 7: at New York Jets

Week 7: Minnesota Vikings at New York Jets – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings73101737
Jets703717

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Week 8: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 8: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints71010330
Vikings760720

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

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.

Week 9: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 9: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Lions06039
Vikings7100724

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 11: at Chicago Bears

Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings0031720
Bears31101125

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: November 18
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 33 °F (1 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,651
  • Referee: John Parry (132)
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Packers770317
Vikings7710024

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: November 25
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,872
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: at New England Patriots

Week 13: Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings073010
Patriots737724

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad (4)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings00077
Seahawks0301821

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 15: Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Dolphins0107017
Vikings21031741

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 16: at Detroit Lions

Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings01431027
Lions36009

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Bears7601124
Vikings037010

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,878
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Standings

Division

NFC North
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(3) Chicago Bears 1240.7505–110–2421283W4
Minnesota Vikings 871.5313–2–16–5–1360341L1
Green Bay Packers 691.4061–4–13–8–1376400L1
Detroit Lions 6100.3752–44–8324360W1

Conference

#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 [lower-alpha 1] New Orleans Saints South1330.8134–29–3.482.488L1
2 [lower-alpha 1] Los Angeles Rams West1330.8136–09–3.480.428W2
3 Chicago Bears North1240.7505–110–2.430.419W4
4 Dallas Cowboys East1060.6255–19–3.488.444W2
Wild Cards
5 Seattle Seahawks West1060.6253–38–4.484.400W2
6 Philadelphia Eagles East970.5634–26–6.518.486W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Minnesota Vikings North871.5313–2–16–5–1.504.355L1
8 [lower-alpha 2] Atlanta Falcons South790.4384–27–5.482.348W3
9 [lower-alpha 2] Washington Redskins East790.4382–46–6.486.371L2
10 [lower-alpha 2] Carolina Panthers South790.4382–45–7.508.518W1
11 Green Bay Packers North691.4061–4–13–8–1.488.417L1
12 Detroit Lions North6100.3752–44–8.504.427W1
13 [lower-alpha 3] New York Giants East5110.3131–54–8.527.487L3
14 [lower-alpha 3] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South5110.3132–44–8.523.506L4
15 San Francisco 49ers West4120.2501–52–10.504.406L2
16 Arizona Cardinals West3130.1882–43–9.527.302L4
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 4]
  1. 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory.
  2. 1 2 3 Atlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
  3. 1 2 NY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory.
  4. 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.

Pro Bowl

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]

Statistics

Team leaders

CategoryPlayer(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]

League rankings

CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense3,497269.08th
Rushing offense1,11085.430th
Total offense4,607354.417th
Passing defense2,803215.65th
Rushing defense1,404108.013th
Total defense4,207323.65th

Source: NFL.com [25]

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 51st season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 52nd season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 53rd season in franchise history; final one in the Metrodome

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 55th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Minnesota Vikings season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 59th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 San Francisco 49ers season</span> 74th season in franchise history; seventh Super Bowl appearance

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 New Orleans Saints season</span> 53rd season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 85th season in franchise history, 5th Super Bowl appearance

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 62nd season in franchise history

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.

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