2021 Minnesota Vikings season

Last updated

2021 Minnesota Vikings season
Owner Zygi Wilf
General manager Rick Spielman
Head coach Mike Zimmer
Home field U.S. Bank Stadium
Results
Record8–9
Division place2nd NFC North
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers
5
AP All-Pros WR Justin Jefferson (2nd team)
Uniform
Vikings 2017-2022 (cropped).png

The 2021 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 61st in the National Football League (NFL), their sixth playing home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their eighth and final under head coach Mike Zimmer. They were eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight season following a Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The day after the team's last game of the season, the Vikings fired Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman. [1]

Contents

Draft

The Vikings entered the 2021 NFL draft with no second-round pick, having traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for DE Yannick Ngakoue during the 2020 season; however, they picked up an extra third-round selection when they traded Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks later. [2] They also received an additional fifth-round selection from the Ravens as part of a multi-pick trade during the 2020 draft, as well as additional fourth-round selections from the Chicago Bears (as part of a multi-pick trade) and the Buffalo Bills (as part of the trade that sent Stefon Diggs to the Bills ahead of the 2020 season). The Vikings were also awarded two compensatory selections at the NFL's annual spring owners' meetings; they received one additional pick in the fourth round and one in the sixth round, compensating for the losses of Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse, Andrew Sendejo, Trae Waynes and Stephen Weatherly. [3] On March 19, 2021, the Vikings were forced to forfeit a seventh-round selection due to a salary cap violation relating to a practice squad player during the 2019 season. [4]

On the first day of the draft, the Vikings traded their first-round pick and a fourth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for the first-round pick the Jets had received from the Seattle Seahawks (23rd overall) and two additional third-round picks. [5] With their new first-round pick, the Vikings selected offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw, the first player at the position to be taken in the first round by the Vikings since Matt Kalil with the fourth overall pick in 2012. [6] With no second-round pick, the Vikings' draft resumed in the third round with the picks they received from the Jets the previous day and the one they received from Baltimore in exchange for Yannick Ngakoue, in addition to their original third-round pick. With these, they picked quarterback Kellen Mond, linebacker Chazz Surratt, guard Wyatt Davis and defensive end Patrick Jones II. [7] In the fourth round, the Vikings took running back Kene Nwangwu, cornerback Camryn Bynum and defensive end Janarius Robinson, [8] followed by wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette and tight end/punter Zach Davidson in the fifth. [9] The Vikings' final pick of the draft came in the sixth round, when they selected defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman with the 199th overall pick. [10]

2021 Minnesota Vikings Draft
RoundSelectionPlayer namePositionCollegeContractNotes
1 14Traded to the New York Jets [upper-alpha 1]
23 Christian Darrisaw OT Virginia Tech 4 years, $13.35 million [12] From Seahawks via Jets [upper-alpha 1]
245Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars [upper-alpha 2]
366 Kellen Mond QB Texas A&M 4 years, $5.22 million [14] From Jets [upper-alpha 1]
78 Chazz Surratt LB North Carolina 4 years, $5 million [15]
86 Wyatt Davis OG Ohio State 4 years, $4.9 million [15] From Jets [upper-alpha 1]
90 Patrick Jones II DE Pittsburgh 4 years, $4.87 million [15] From Ravens [upper-alpha 3]
4119 Kene Nwangwu RB Iowa State 4 years, $4.23 million [17]
125 Camryn Bynum CB California 4 years, $4.2 million [18] From Bears [upper-alpha 4]
134 Janarius Robinson DE Florida State 4 years, $4.15 million [17] From Bills [upper-alpha 5]
143Traded to the New York Jets [upper-alpha 1] Compensatory selection
5157 Ihmir Smith-Marsette WR Iowa 4 years, $3.8 million [21]
168 Zach Davidson TE Central Missouri 4 years, $3.78 million [21] From Steelers via Ravens [upper-alpha 6]
6199 Jaylen Twyman DT Pittsburgh 4 years, $3.65 million [23]
223Traded to the Arizona Cardinals [upper-alpha 7] Compensatory selection
7—Selection forfeited [upper-alpha 8]

Draft trades

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 The Vikings traded a first- and a fourth-round selection (14th and 143rd overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for the first-round selection the Jets received from the Seattle Seahawks (23rd overall) and two third-round selections (66th and 86th overall). [11]
  2. ↑ The Vikings traded a second-round selection and a conditional 2022 fifth-round selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The fifth-round selection would have been upgraded to a fourth rounder if Ngakoue had been selected for the 2021 Pro Bowl. [13]
  3. ↑ The Vikings traded defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Baltimore's third-round selection and a conditional 2022 fifth-round selection. [16]
  4. ↑ The Vikings traded a 2020 fifth-round selection (155th overall) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Chicago's fourth-round selection. [19]
  5. ↑ The Vikings traded a 2020 seventh-round selection (239th overall) and wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Buffalo's fourth-round selection, and 2020 first-, fifth-, and sixth-round selections (22nd, 155th and 201st overall). [20]
  6. ↑ The Vikings traded 2020 sixth- and seventh-round selections (201st and 219th overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for the fifth-round selection the Ravens received from the Pittsburgh Steelers and their 2020 seventh-round selection (225th overall). [22]
  7. ↑ The Vikings traded a sixth-round selection (223rd overall) to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for offensive lineman Mason Cole. [24]
  8. ↑ The Vikings forfeited their seventh-round selection as punishment for a salary cap violation involving a 2019 practice squad player. [25]
2021 Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agents
NamePositionCollegeRef.
Turner Bernard LS San Diego State [26]
Tuf Borland LB Ohio State
Christian Elliss LB Idaho
Zeandae Johnson DT California
Myron Mitchell WR UAB
Riley Patterson K Memphis
Whop Philyor WR Indiana
Blake Proehl WR East Carolina
A. J. Rose RB Kentucky
Jordon Scott NT Oregon
Zach Von Rosenberg P LSU

Staff

2021 Minnesota Vikings staff

Front office

  • Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf
  • Owner/president – Mark Wilf
  • Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf
  • Executive vice president/chief marketing officer – Martin Nance
  • Chief operating officer – Andrew Miller
  • General manager – Rick Spielman
  • Executive vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski
  • Co-director of player personnel – Ryan Monnens
  • Co-director of player personnel & Director of college scouting – Jamaal Stephenson
  • Director of pro scouting – Reed Burckhardt
  • Assistant director of pro scouting – Chris Blanco
  • National Scout – Chisom Opara
  • National Scout – Pat Roberts
  • National Scout – Mike Sholiton
  • Director of analytics – Scott Kuhn
  • Consultant – Bud Grant

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers – Adam Zimmer
  • Assistant defensive line – Imarjaye Albury
  • Defensive backs – Karl Scott
  • Assistant defensive backs/safeties – Roy Anderson
  • Senior defensive assistant – Paul Guenther
  • Defensive quality control/assistant linebackers – Sam Siefkes

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Josh Hingst
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Derik Keyes
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Marquis Johnson

Final roster

2021 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
49 active, 18 inactive, 15 practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

The Vikings' preliminary preseason schedule was announced on May 12. [27] The exact dates and times were finalized on June 3. [28]

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceRecap
1August 14 Denver Broncos L 6–330–1 U.S. Bank Stadium 66,028 Recap
2August 21 Indianapolis Colts L 10–120–2U.S. Bank Stadium66,022 Recap
3August 27at Kansas City Chiefs L 25–280–3 Arrowhead Stadium 72,680 Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 1: Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Broncos9177033
Vikings33006

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week 2: Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Colts333312
Vikings730010

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 3: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings3071525
Chiefs1477028

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Regular season

Schedule

In addition to their usual six games home and away against their NFC North rivals, the Vikings would also play games against each of the teams from the NFC West and the AFC North, as well as the two teams that, like the Vikings, finished in third place in their divisions in the NFC East and NFC South in 2020: the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers. Following an agreement between the league and the National Football League Players Association to expand the regular season schedule to 17 games, the Vikings also played against the Los Angeles Chargers, one of the third-placed teams from the American Football Conference (AFC) whom they were not originally scheduled to play in 2021. [29] [30] The Vikings' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12. [27]

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceRecap
1 September 12at Cincinnati Bengals L 24−27 (OT)0−1 Paul Brown Stadium 56,525 Recap
2 September 19at Arizona Cardinals L 33−340–2 State Farm Stadium 60,115 Recap
3 September 26 Seattle Seahawks W 30–171–2U.S. Bank Stadium66,729 Recap
4 October 3 Cleveland Browns L 7–141–3U.S. Bank Stadium66,703 Recap
5 October 10 Detroit Lions W 19–172–3U.S. Bank Stadium66,538 Recap
6 October 17at Carolina Panthers W 34–28 (OT)3–3 Bank of America Stadium 72,104 Recap
7 Bye
8 October 31 Dallas Cowboys L 16–203–4U.S. Bank Stadium66,633 Recap
9 November 7at Baltimore Ravens L 31–34 (OT)3–5 M&T Bank Stadium 70,599 Recap
10 November 14at Los Angeles Chargers W 27–204–5 SoFi Stadium 70,240 Recap
11 November 21 Green Bay Packers W 34–315–5U.S. Bank Stadium66,959 Recap
12 November 28at San Francisco 49ers L 26–345–6 Levi's Stadium 71,493 Recap
13 December 5at Detroit Lions L 27–295–7 Ford Field 45,691 Recap
14 December 9 Pittsburgh Steelers W 36–286–7U.S. Bank Stadium66,718 Recap
15 December 20at Chicago Bears W 17–97–7 Soldier Field 60,082 Recap
16 December 26 Los Angeles Rams L 23–307–8U.S. Bank Stadium66,708 Recap
17 January 2at Green Bay Packers L 10–377–9 Lambeau Field 77,832 Recap
18 January 9 Chicago Bears W 31–178–9U.S. Bank Stadium66,625 Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Period1234OTTotal
Vikings07710024
Bengals01473327

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information

This was head coach Mike Zimmer's first return to Cincinnati since 2013, his last season with the Bengals before departing to become the Vikings head coach. Zimmer served as defensive coordinator for the Bengals under then-head coach Marvin Lewis from 2008 to 2013.

Week 2: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings1497333
Cardinals7177334

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 3: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Seahawks1070017
Vikings7143630

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 4: Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Browns0110314
Vikings70007

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 5: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 5: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions3301117
Vikings3100619

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: October 10
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,538
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 6: at Carolina Panthers

Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Period1234OTTotal
Vikings66133634
Panthers73711028

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Cowboys0310720
Vikings733316

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Period1234OTTotal
Vikings71077031
Ravens37714334

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

Week 10: at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings0137727
Chargers0107320

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 70,240
  • Referee: Clay Martin (19)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 11: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Packers3771431
Vikings9771134

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 12: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 12: Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings7712026
49ers7720034

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

  • Date: November 28
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST/1:25 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Clear, 67 °F (19 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,493
  • Referee: Brad Rogers (126)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sara Walsh
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Week 13: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings6091227
Lions0203629

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: December 5
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 45,691
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad (4)
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Steelers0072128
Vikings6176736

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 15: at Chicago Bears

Week 15: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings737017
Bears03069

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

Week 16: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week 16: Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams7671030
Vikings03101023

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: December 26
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,708
  • Referee: John Hussey (35)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 17: at Green Bay Packers

Week 17: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings037010
Packers31710737

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: January 2
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Clear, 11 °F (−12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 77,832
  • Referee: Clay Martin (19)
  • TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Kathryn Tappen and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 18: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 18: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Bears3113017
Vikings0372131

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: January 9
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,625
  • Referee: Brad Allen (122)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan Olivi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Standings

Division

NFC North
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(1) Green Bay Packers 1340.7654–29–3450371L1
Minnesota Vikings 890.4714–26–6425426W1
Chicago Bears 6110.3532–44–8311407L1
Detroit Lions 3131.2062–43–9325467W1

Conference

NFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division winners
1 [lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North1340.7654–29–3.479.480L1
2 [lower-alpha 1] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South1340.7654–28–4.467.443W3
3 [lower-alpha 2] Dallas Cowboys East1250.7066–010–2.488.431W1
4 [lower-alpha 2] Los Angeles Rams West1250.7063–38–4.483.409L1
Wild cards
5 Arizona Cardinals West1160.6474–27–5.490.492L1
6 San Francisco 49ers West1070.5882–47–5.500.438W2
7 [lower-alpha 3] Philadelphia Eagles East980.5293–37–5.469.350L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 [lower-alpha 3] New Orleans Saints South980.5294–27–5.512.516W2
9 Minnesota Vikings North890.4714–26–6.507.434W1
10 [lower-alpha 4] Washington Football Team East7100.4122–46–6.529.420W1
11 [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] Seattle Seahawks West7100.4123–34–8.519.424W2
12 [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] Atlanta Falcons South7100.4122–44–8.472.315L2
13 Chicago Bears North6110.3532–44–8.524.373L1
14 Carolina Panthers South5120.2942–43–9.509.412L7
15 New York Giants East4130.2351–53–9.536.485L6
16 Detroit Lions North3131.2062–43–9.528.627W1
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 6]
  1. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4).
  2. 1 2 Dallas finished ahead of LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  3. 1 2 Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  4. 1 2 3 Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories.
  5. 1 2 Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit).
  6. ↑ 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

CategoryPlayer(s)Total
Passing yards Kirk Cousins 4,221
Passing touchdowns Kirk Cousins 33
Rushing yards Dalvin Cook 1,159
Rushing touchdowns Dalvin Cook 6
Receptions Justin Jefferson 108
Receiving yards Justin Jefferson 1,616
Receiving touchdowns Justin Jefferson
Adam Thielen 		10
Points Greg Joseph 135
Kickoff return yards Kene Nwangwu 579
Punt return yards Dede Westbrook 183
Tackles Eric Kendricks 143
Sacks D. J. Wonnum 8.0
Interceptions Anthony Barr
Xavier Woods 		3
Forced fumbles Bashaud Breeland
Armon Watts
Xavier Woods 		2

Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com [31]

League rankings

CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense4,238249.311th
Rushing offense1,930113.517th
Total offense6,168362.812th
Passing defense4,300252.928th
Rushing defense2,222130.726th
Total defense6,522383.630th

Source: ProFootballReference.com [32]

Pro Bowl

Three Vikings players were named to the 2022 Pro Bowl when the rosters were announced on December 20, 2021. On offense, Dalvin Cook led the voting among NFC running backs to reach his third straight Pro Bowl, while WR Justin Jefferson made it two in a row; on defense, Harrison Smith received the most fan votes among NFC safeties to go to his sixth Pro Bowl. [33] Those three were joined by T Brian O'Neill on January 26, 2022, after Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs was ruled out due to injury. [34] Quarterback Kirk Cousins was added to the NFC roster on January 31 following the withdrawal of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers due to injury. [35]

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Houston Texans season</span> 22nd season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the Houston Texans' 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach DeMeco Ryans. While the team went into the season with low expectations as a rebuilding period and started 0–2, they not only improved on their 3–13–1 record from last year with a Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Texans qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2019 with a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, ending with a 10–7 record. After the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans the day after, the Texans also clinched the AFC South for the first time since 2019. The Texans became the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with both a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach, as well as making history as the first team in NFL history to win a division entirely with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Kansas City Chiefs season</span> 64th season in franchise history

The 2023 season is the Kansas City Chiefs' ongoing 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 64th overall and their eleventh under head coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs, who entered the season as defending champions, are looking to be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004 and the first to win three out of five championships since the Patriots' titles in 2014, 2016, and 2018. The Chiefs failed to improve on their 14–3 record from the previous season, but secured their eleventh consecutive winning season, and became division champions for the eighth consecutive season. They also made their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Chicago Bears season</span> 104th season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the Chicago Bears' 104th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 63rd season in franchise history

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. After starting 0–3 for the second time in the past four seasons, and losing to the Chiefs in Week 5, they failed to improve upon their 13–4 record from 2022. However, after having a 1–4 record, the Vikings would win 5 games straight, going to a 6–4 record. But that wouldn't be enough, as after that they would go 1–6 in their last 7 games. After their fifth loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 11, they were unable to match the previous season's record. 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 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers. For the first time since 2013, the Vikings had a double-digit losing season. 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Vikings Announce General Manager & Coaching Changes". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Sources: Vikes ship Ngakoue to Ravens for picks". ESPN.com. October 22, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  3. ↑ "NFL Announces 37 Compensatory Draft Choices to 17 Clubs" (Press release). National Football League. March 10, 2021. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. ↑ Craig, Mark (March 19, 2021). "Vikings lose seventh-round draft pick for salary-cap violation". StarTribune.com. StarTribune. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Vikings Trade Down with Jets in 2021 NFL Draft's 1st Round". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Vikings move down to take Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw". USA Today. Gannett. April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  7. ↑ Goessling, Ben (April 30, 2021). "Get to know the Vikings' third-round draft picks". StarTribune. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  8. ↑ Young, Lindsey; Peters, Craig; Smith, Eric (May 1, 2021). "Minnesota Vikings Round 4 Recap of 2021 NFL Draft". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  9. ↑ Young, Lindsey; Peters, Craig; Smith, Eric (May 1, 2021). "Minnesota Vikings Round 5 Recap of 2021 NFL Draft". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ Young, Lindsey; Peters, Craig; Smith, Eric (May 1, 2021). "Minnesota Vikings Round 6 Recap of 2021 NFL Draft". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  11. ↑ Ragatz, Will (April 29, 2021). "Minnesota Vikings Trade Down to No. 23 Pick in 2021 NFL Draft With New York Jets". Inside the Vikings. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  12. ↑ Gates, Christopher (May 14, 2021). "Christian Darrisaw signs rookie contract". Daily Norseman. Vox Media. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Jaguars agree to trade DE Yannick Ngakoue to Vikings". ESPN . August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ Ragatz, Will (June 15, 2021). "Vikings Quarterback Kellen Mond Signs Rookie Contract". Inside The Vikings. Maven. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Krammer, Andrew (July 26, 2021). "Vikings sign final three draft picks to rookie contracts before camp". StarTribune. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Sources: Vikes ship Ngakoue to Ravens for picks". ESPN.com. October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Ragatz, Will (May 19, 2021). "Vikings Sign Fourth-Rounders Janarius Robinson and Kene Nwangwu to Rookie Contracts". Inside The Vikings. Maven. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  18. ↑ Gates, Christopher (May 15, 2021). "Camryn Bynum signs rookie contract". Daily Norseman. Vox Media. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  19. ↑ Mayer, Larry (April 25, 2020). "Bears draft Gipson with pick acquired in trade". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  20. ↑ Bergman, Jeremy (March 16, 2020). "Bills acquire WR Stefon Diggs from Vikings in trade" . Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  21. 1 2 Williams, Charean (May 13, 2021). "Vikings sign draft picks Zach Davidson, Ihmir Smith-Marsette". ProFootballTalk. NBC Universal. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  22. ↑ Shaffer, Jonas (April 25, 2020). "Ravens trade with Vikings, move up to take SMU WR James Proche in sixth round". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  23. ↑ Williams, Charean (May 13, 2021). "Sixth-round choice Jaylen Twyman agrees to terms with Vikings". ProFootballTalk. NBC Universal. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Vikings Acquire OL Mason Cole in Trade with Cardinals". Vikings.com. March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  25. ↑ Craig, Mark (March 19, 2021). "Vikings lose seventh-round draft pick for salary-cap violation". StarTribune. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  26. ↑ "11 Undrafted rookie free agents joining Vikings include 3 receivers". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  27. 1 2 Peters, Craig (May 12, 2021). "Minnesota Vikings Announce Full 2021 NFL Schedule". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  28. ↑ Gates, Christopher (June 3, 2021). "Vikings finalize preseason schedule". Daily Norseman. Vox Media. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  29. ↑ Florio, Mike (February 16, 2020). "17th game will give each team a fifth interconference matchup". Profootballtalk.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  30. ↑ White, Jack (January 11, 2021). "If there's a 17th game, who will the Vikings play?". Vikings Wire. USA Today. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  31. ↑ "2021 Minnesota Vikings Statistics & Players". pro-football-reference.com. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  32. ↑ "2021 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com . January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  33. ↑ Smith, Eric; Young, Lindsey; Peters, Craig (December 20, 2021). "Vikings Cook & Smith Join Jefferson as 2022 Pro Bowlers". vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  34. ↑ Smith, Eric (January 26, 2022). "Vikings T Brian O'Neill Named to 2022 Pro Bowl". vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  35. ↑ Smith, Eric (January 31, 2022). "Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Named to 2022 Pro Bowl". vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
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