2014 Minnesota Vikings season

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2014 Minnesota Vikings season
Head coach Mike Zimmer
General manager Rick Spielman
Owner Zygi Wilf
Home field TCF Bank Stadium
Results
Record 7–9
Division place 3rd NFC North
Playoff finish Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers None
Uniform
MNUniform2013.jpg

The 2014 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 54th season in the National Football League and the first under head coach Mike Zimmer. It also marked the first of two seasons in which the Vikings played their home games at the University of Minnesota's on-campus TCF Bank Stadium, while construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, slated to open in 2016, takes place on the site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Though the Vikings were eliminated from postseason contention after a loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 15, they improved on 2013's 5–10–1 record, which saw them go through a quarterback carousel and one of the worst defenses in the league that year, and arguably in Vikings' history.[1]

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Offseason

2014 Draft

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Main article: 2014 NFL draft
2014 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order Player name Position Height Weight College Contract Notes
Round Choice Overall
1 8 8 Traded to the Cleveland Browns[upper-alpha 1]
9 9 Anthony Barr Linebacker 6-5 255 UCLA 4 years / $12.74 million[3] from Bills via Browns[upper-alpha 1]
32 32 Teddy Bridgewater Quarterback 6-2 214 Louisville 4 years / $7.59 million[3] from Seahawks[upper-alpha 2]
2 8 40 Traded to the Seattle Seahawks[upper-alpha 2]
3 8 72 Scott Crichton Defensive end 6-3 273 Oregon State 4 years / $3 million[5]
32 96 Jerick McKinnon Running back 5-9 209 Georgia Southern 4 years / $2.75 million[6] from Seahawks[upper-alpha 3]
4 8 108 Traded to the Seattle Seahawks[upper-alpha 2]
5 5 145 David Yankey Guard 6-6 315 Stanford 4 years / $2.43 million[8] from Browns[upper-alpha 1]
8 148 Traded to the Carolina Panthers[upper-alpha 4]
28 168 Traded to the Atlanta Falcons[upper-alpha 4] from Panthers[upper-alpha 4]
6 6 182 Antone Exum Cornerback 6-0 213 Virginia Tech 4 years / $2.34 million[10] from Falcons[upper-alpha 4]
8 184 Kendall James Cornerback 5-10 180 Maine 4 years / $2.33 million[8]
7 5 220 Shamar Stephen Defensive tackle 6-5 309 Connecticut 4 years / $2.29 million[11] from Falcons[upper-alpha 4]
8 223 Brandon Watts Linebacker 6-0 225 Georgia Tech 4 years / $2.28 million[11]
10 225 Jabari Price Cornerback 5-10 200 North Carolina 4 years / $2.28 million[8] from Giants via Panthers[upper-alpha 4]
Draft trades
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Vikings traded their original first-round selection (No. 8 overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' first- and fifth-round selections — Nos. 9 and 145 overall. The No. 9 selection had previously been acquired by the Browns in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.[2]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Vikings traded their second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 40 and 108 overall, respectively) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the Seahawks' first-round selection (No. 32 overall).[4]
  3. ↑ The Vikings acquired this third-round selection as part of a 2013 trade that sent wide receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks.[7]
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The Vikings traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 148 overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the Panthers' fifth- and seventh-round selections — Nos. 168 and 225 overall. The No. 225 selection had previously been acquired by the Panthers in a trade that sent linebacker Jon Beason to the New York Giants. The Vikings then traded the No. 168 selection to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the Falcons' sixth- and seventh-round selections (Nos. 182 and 220 overall, respectively).[9]

Roster changes

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Re-signings
Date Player name Position Contract terms
December 30, 2013 Adam Thielen WR 2 years / $930,000
[RFC][12][11]
March 7, 2014 Marcus Sherels CB 2 years / $2.2 million[13][14]
March 11, 2014 Matt Cassel QB 2 years / $10 million[15]
Everson Griffen DE 5 years / $42.5 million[16]
March 12, 2014 Joe Berger G 1 year / $985,000[17]
March 14, 2014 Jerome Simpson WR 1 year / $1 million[18][19]
March 15, 2014 Charlie Johnson G 2 years / $5 million[20]
April 7, 2014 Matt Asiata RB 1 year / $570,000[21]
August 31, 2014 Joe Banyard RB [22][PS]
Kain Colter WR
Isame Faciane DT
Chase Ford TE
Zac Kerin C
Justin Trattou DE
September 2, 2014 Austin Wentworth OT [23][PS]
September 16, 2014 Zach Line FB [24][PS]
October 7, 2014 Donte Foster WR [25][PS]
Chandler Harnish QB
November 12, 2014 Ryan Otten TE [26][PS]
November 18, 2014 Dominique Williams RB [27][PS]
^[RFC] Denotes this is a reserve/future contract.
^[PS] Denotes a signing to the Practice Squad.
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Departures
Date Player name Position Note New team
February 7, 2014 Erin Henderson MLB Released[28]
March 5, 2014 John Carlson TE Released[29] Arizona Cardinals[30]
March 6, 2014 Greg Childs WR Released[31] Toronto Argonauts (CFL)[32]
Letroy Guion DE Green Bay Packers[33]
March 11, 2014 Desmond Bishop LB UFA Arizona Cardinals[34]
Marvin Mitchell LB
March 12, 2014 Toby Gerhart RB Jacksonville Jaguars[35]
March 14, 2014 Chris Cook CB San Francisco 49ers[36]
March 21, 2014 Joe Webb QB/WR Carolina Panthers[37]
March 26, 2014 Jared Allen DE Chicago Bears[38]
April 16, 2014 Josh Freeman QB New York Giants[39]
June 16, 2014 Kevin Williams DT Seattle Seahawks[40]
August 25, 2014 Robert Steeples CB Released[41] Kansas City Chiefs[42]
August 30, 2014 Jeff Baca G Released[43] Cincinnati Bengals[44]
Chase Baker DT
September 8, 2014 Jamarca Sanford FS Injury settlement[45] Washington Redskins[46]
September 18, 2014 Jerome Simpson WR Released[47] San Francisco 49ers (2015)
October 2, 2014 Rodney Smith WR Released[48] Cleveland Browns[49]
Additions
Date Player name Position Previous team Contract terms
January 3, 2014 Josh Samuda G Miami Dolphins (2012) 1 year / $495,000 [RFC][50][51]
March 12, 2014 Jasper Brinkley MLB Arizona Cardinals 1 year / $830,000[52][53]
Linval Joseph DT New York Giants 5 years / $31.5 million[54]
March 13, 2014 Captain Munnerlyn CB Carolina Panthers 3 years / $14.25 million[55]
March 20, 2014 Tom Johnson DT New Orleans Saints 1 year / $845,000[56]
March 21, 2014 Corey Wootton DE Chicago Bears 1 year / $1.5 million[57]
March 27, 2014 Vladimir Ducasse G New York Jets 1 year / $795,000[58][59]
April 8, 2014 Lestar Jean WR Houston Texans 1 year / $635,000[60][61]
May 13, 2014 Antonio Richardson OT Tennessee Undrafted FA[62]
May 19, 2014 Dom DeCicco LB Chicago Bears [63][64]
August 31, 2014 Mike Harris OT San Diego Chargers [22]
September 9, 2014 Josh Kaddu LB Philadelphia Eagles [65][PS]
September 20, 2014 Charles Johnson WR Cleveland Browns [47]
November 3, 2014 Pat Devlin QB Miami Dolphins [66][PS]
December 6, 2014 Ahmad Dixon S Miami Dolphins [67]
December 10, 2014 Carter Bykowski OT San Francisco 49ers [68]
December 17, 2014 Jordan McCray G Green Bay Packers [69][PS]
December 24, 2014 Justin Anderson LB New York Giants [70][PS]
Henry Josey RB Jacksonville Jaguars [70]

Preseason

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 8 Oakland Raiders W 10–6 1–0 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
2 August 16 Arizona Cardinals W 30–28 2–0 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
3 August 23 at Kansas City Chiefs W 30–12 3–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
4 August 28 at Tennessee Titans W 19–3 4–0 LP Field Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders

Preseason Week 1: Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Raiders 0 0 0 6 6
Vikings 10 0 0 0 10

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 8:27. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:28.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 0:54. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 5:28.
Second quarter
  • None.
Third quarter
  • None.
Fourth quarter
  • OAK – Matt McGloin 10-yard run (pass failed), 1:25. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 2:32.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Coming off a season in which the Vikings let almost every team score at least 20 points on them (including the preseason), the Vikings showcased a defense that held the Raiders to a single digit score and kept them scoreless until the last 90 seconds of the 4th quarter, when they eventually scored a touchdown. This was the first time the Vikings' defense held any team to a single digit score since week 16 of the 2012 season. Rookie Anthony Barr recorded half a sack, and Kurt Coleman intercepted Raiders quarterback Derek Carr once.

On the offense, Matt Cassel started and shined on his sole drive, leading the team down the field, where Matt Asiata scored the Vikings' only touchdown of the game from a yard out. After Cassel's drive, rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater entered the game and played a few drives, completing 6 of 13 pass attempts for 49 yards, getting sacked twice, and fumbling once (fellow Viking Matt Kalil recovered the fumble). The Vikings got a field goal on the second drive. Shortly after the half, the signal calling was turned to Christian Ponder, who managed a pair of first-down passes of 17 and 15 yards early on, but produced little thereafter.

Week 2: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Preseason Week 2: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 7 7 7 7 28
Vikings 3 10 0 17 30

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: August 16
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)
  • Game attendance: 51,763
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad (4)
  • TV: KARE-11
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • ARI – Jonathan Dwyer 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 9:36. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 3:26.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 21-yard field goal, 2:01. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 7:35.
Second quarter
  • MIN – Matt Cassel 51-yard pass to Kyle Rudolph (Blair Walsh kick), 14:25. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:35.
  • ARI – Drew Stanton 1-yard pass to Darren Fells (Jay Feely kick), 3:05. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:07.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 34-yard field goal, 0:50. Cardinals 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:15.
Third quarter
  • ARI – Robert Hughes 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 4:54. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 19 plays, 80 yards, 10:06.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 21-yard field goal, 14:53. Cardinals 21–16. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 5:01.
  • MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 3-yard pass to Allen Reisner (Bridgewater–Wright pass), 7:57. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:55.
  • ARI – Zach Bauman 6-yard fumble recovery (Jay Feely kick), 1:11. Cardinals 28–24. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 0:38.
  • MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 2-yard pass to Rodney Smith (kick failed), 0:18. Vikings 30-28. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The Vikings faced a Cardinals team that shut the Texans out 32–0 in week 1. The Cardinals strained the Vikings' defense, but the offense, headed by Matt Cassel in the first half, was able to keep pace with their scoring to see the Vikings trailing 14–13 at halftime. The Vikings switched to Teddy Bridgewater after the half, and the rookie quarterback orchestrated a pair of drives that put the Vikings back in the lead 24–21. A few drives later, the Vikings' defense would end up being penalized three straight times, allowing the Cardinals to score a touchdown through a botched snap that was recovered by the Cardinals and run into the end zone. The Vikings were given the ball with around a minute to score. Bridgewater led the Vikings down field in comeback fashion to score the game-winner with a pass to Rodney Smith, sealing another preseason victory for the Vikings.

Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs

Preseason Week 3: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 7 3 17 3 30
Chiefs 2 3 0 7 12

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: August 23
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 97 °F (36 °C)
  • Game attendance: 73,442
  • Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
  • TV: KARE-11
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • KC – Cairo Santos 21-yard field goal, 2:59. Vikings 7–5. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:43.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 41-yard field goal, 1:07. Vikings 10–5. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 0:29.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 32-yard field goal, 4:40. Vikings 13–5. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:33.
  • MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 8-yard pass to Allen Reisner (Blair Walsh kick), 2:08. Vikings 20–5. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:55.
  • MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 5-yard pass to Allen Reisner (Blair Walsh kick), 0:24. Vikings 27–5. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 28-yard field goal, 4:16. Vikings 30–5. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:45.
  • KC – Tyler Bray 1-yard pass to Albert Wilson (Cairo Santos kick), 0:25. Vikings 30–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:51.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The Vikings traveled to Kansas City to play against Matt Cassel's former team. The defense played remarkably well, with Captain Munnerlyn, Chad Greenway and Shaun Prater each recording an interception. The Vikings' defense managed to hold the Chiefs to five points for a majority of the game until they got a touchdown in the final minute for a total of 12. For the third game running, Cassel was the starting quarterback and he played the majority of this game; he gained 152 passing yards with a touchdown pass to Cordarrelle Patterson, and threw a pick, the Vikings' only turnover of their preseason. Bridgewater also saw a little action; though he made few pass attempts, he gained 40 passing yards and made two touchdown passes to Allen Reisner.

Week 4: at Tennessee Titans

Preseason Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 7 9 3 0 19
Titans 0 0 0 3 3

at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: August 28
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,143
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
  • TV: KARE-11
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 13:26. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 51 yards, 6:49.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 22-yard field goal, 5:03. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:23.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 35-yard field goal, 1:38. Vikings 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:30.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 2:40. Vikings 19–0. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 8:17.
Fourth quarter
  • TEN – Maikon Bonani 29-yard field goal, 7:08. Vikings 19–3. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 7:43.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The Vikings traveled to Tennessee to face the Titans in the preseason finale. The Vikings' defense excelled in keeping the Titans to a minimal score, and recorded a strip sack by Corey Wootton and an interception by Julian Posey. Teddy Bridgewater was the starter for this game, and led the Vikings to score 10 points in their first two drives. Christian Ponder then took over for the rest of the game, leading three more scoring drives, though he and the offense were unable to score any touchdowns.

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 7 at St. Louis Rams W 34–6 1–0 Edward Jones Dome Recap
2 September 14 New England Patriots L 7–30 1–1 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
3 September 21 at New Orleans Saints L 9–20 1–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
4 September 28 Atlanta Falcons W 41–28 2–2 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
5 October 2 at Green Bay Packers L 10–42 2–3 Lambeau Field Recap
6 October 12 Detroit Lions L 3–17 2–4 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
7 October 19 at Buffalo Bills L 16–17 2–5 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
8 October 26 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 19–13 (OT) 3–5 Raymond James Stadium Recap
9 November 2 Washington Redskins W 29–26 4–5 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
10 Bye
11 November 16 at Chicago Bears L 13–21 4–6 Soldier Field Recap
12 November 23 Green Bay Packers L 21–24 4–7 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
13 November 30 Carolina Panthers W 31–13 5–7 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
14 December 7 New York Jets W 30–24 (OT) 6–7 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
15 December 14 at Detroit Lions L 14–16 6–8 Ford Field Recap
16 December 21 at Miami Dolphins L 35–37 6–9 Sun Life Stadium Recap
17 December 28 Chicago Bears W 13–9 7–9 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
Note: Division rivals are marked with bold text.

Standings

Division

NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Green Bay Packers 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 486 348 W2
(6) Detroit Lions 11 5 0 .688 5–1 9–3 321 282 L1
Minnesota Vikings 7 9 0 .438 1–5 6–6 325 343 W1
Chicago Bears 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 319 442 L5

Conference

# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA PD STK
Division leaders
1[lower-alpha 1] Seattle Seahawks West 12 4 0 .750 5–1 10–2 394 254 140 W6
2[lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 486 348 138 W2
3[lower-alpha 1] Dallas Cowboys East 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 467 352 115 W4
4 Carolina Panthers South 7 8 1 .469 4–2 6–6 339 374 –25 W4
Wild Cards
5[lower-alpha 2] Arizona Cardinals West 11 5 0 .688 3–3 8–4 310 299 11 L2
6[lower-alpha 2] Detroit Lions North 11 5 0 .688 5–1 9–3 321 282 33 L1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7 Philadelphia Eagles East 10 6 0 .625 4–2 6–6 474 400 74 W1
8 San Francisco 49ers West 8 8 0 .500 2–4 7–5 306 340 –34 W1
9[lower-alpha 3] New Orleans Saints South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 401 424 –23 W1
10[lower-alpha 3] Minnesota Vikings North 7 9 0 .438 1–5 6–6 325 343 –18 W1
11[lower-alpha 4] New York Giants East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 380 400 –20 L1
12[lower-alpha 4] Atlanta Falcons South 6 10 0 .375 5–1 6–6 381 417 –36 L1
13[lower-alpha 4] St. Louis Rams West 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 324 354 –30 L3
14 Chicago Bears North 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 319 442 –123 L5
15 Washington Redskins East 4 12 0 .250 2–4 2–10 301 438 –137 L1
16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 2 14 0 .125 0–6 1–11 277 410 –133 L6
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5]
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas were ranked in seeds 1–3 based on conference record.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Arizona defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 11, 14–6).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 New Orleans defeated Minnesota head-to-head (Week 3, 20–9).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The New York Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta: Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis: Week 16, 37–27).
    Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis based on conference record.
  5. ↑ 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.

Game summaries

Week 1: at St. Louis Rams

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 3 10 7 14 34
Rams 0 0 3 3 6

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 52-yard field goal, 9:37. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:23.
Second quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 46-yard field goal, 14:16. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:53.
  • MIN – Greg Jennings 8-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Blair Walsh kick), 0:21. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 0:48.
Third quarter
  • STL – Greg Zuerlein 56-yard field goal, 10:11. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:49.
  • MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 67-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:54. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 1 play, 67 yards, 0:14.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Kyle Rudolph 7-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Blair Walsh kick), 6:27. Vikings 27–3. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:23.
  • MIN – Harrison Smith 81-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 2:57. Vikings 34–3.
  • STL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 1:31. Vikings 34–6. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The Vikings opened their season on the road against the St. Louis Rams and took the lead in the first half with a field goal in each quarter from 52 yards and 46 yards, respectively, from third-year kicker Blair Walsh and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Greg Jennings with 21 seconds left in the half, set up by an interception from Josh Robinson at the Rams' 35-yard line. The Rams struck back early in the third quarter with a field goal from Greg Zuerlein before Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson made the play of the game with a 67-yard touchdown run. The Vikings secured the game late in the fourth quarter as TE Kyle Rudolph connected with Cassel on a seven-yard touchdown pass, while Rudolph's fellow 2011 first-round pick Harrison Smith took an interception 81 yards for the Vikings' fourth touchdown of the game. Zuerlein added another field goal late in the game to make the final score 34–6 to the Vikings, their first road victory since week 16 of the 2012 season against the Houston Texans.

Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

Week 2: New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 10 14 3 3 30
Vikings 7 0 0 0 7

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 25-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Blair Walsh kick), 10:54. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:06.
  • NE – Stevan Ridley 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:14. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:43.
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 48-yard field goal, 0:32. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 4:11.
Second quarter
  • NE – Julian Edelman 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:30. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:00.
  • NE – Chandler Jones 58-yard return of blocked field goal (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:09. Patriots 24–7.
Third quarter
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 47-yard field goal, 8:32. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:10.
Fourth quarter
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 27-yard field goal, 14:57. Patriots 30–7. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 6:49.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The Vikings began their opening home game of the season without Adrian Peterson, who was deactivated after being charged with negligent injury of a child for allegedly beating his four-year-old son with a tree branch.[107] He was replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Asiata, who got the Vikings off to a good start with a 25-yard touchdown reception from Matt Cassel on the game's opening possession. The defense then forced the Patriots into a three-and-out, only for Cassel to throw an interception attempting to find Jarius Wright deep downfield. Devin McCourty returned the ball 60 yards to the Minnesota 1-yard line, and two plays later, Stevan Ridley ran in to tie the scores. A second interception early in the second quarter resulted in another scoring drive for New England, as Tom Brady connected with Julian Edelman on a nine-yard TD catch. As the first half drew to a close, the Vikings drove downfield to give Blair Walsh a 48-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds on the clock; however, Patriots DE Chandler Jones was able to burst through the Minnesota offensive line and block the kick before scooping up the ball and returning it 58 yards for the Patriots' third TD of the half.

After the break, Cassel threw another two interceptions, one in each quarter, with the first resulting in a 47-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal. The second occurred with six minutes left in the game, and the Patriots were able to hang onto possession until the two-minute warning before turning the ball over on downs at the Minnesota 19-yard line. Aided by two pass interference penalties, Cassel led the Vikings down the field and thought he had managed to cut into the New England lead with a 16-yard pass to Greg Jennings with 41 seconds to play, only for Jennings to be ruled out of bounds before gaining possession of the ball. Cassel was then sacked for a 14-yard loss on the next play and the game finished as a 30–7 Patriots win.

Week 3: at New Orleans Saints

Week 3: Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 0 6 3 0 9
Saints 13 0 0 7 20

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 25-yard field goal, 14:06. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 5:44.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 6:28. Patriots 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:47.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 10:20. Patriots 13–9. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:40.
Fourth quarter
  • NO – Marques Colston 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 12:22. Patriots 20–9. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 5:28.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

After initially stating that Adrian Peterson would return to the active roster for their Week 3 game at New Orleans, the Vikings later placed the running back on the inactive list indefinitely, pending the outcome of the court case against him. Despite coming into the game at 0–3, the Saints started well, scoring two touchdowns on their first two drives, although DE Everson Griffen was able to block the extra point attempt on the second. The Vikings responded to going 13–0 down with two field goals from 25 and 30 yards respectively, but an injury to Matt Cassel meant a debut for rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater.

K Blair Walsh hit a 40-yard field goal to open the second half for the Vikings, but New Orleans closed the game out with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Marques Colston early in the fourth quarter. They were aided on the drive by a penalty for unnecessary roughness against CB Captain Munnerlyn for a tackle on Brees, but many thought that Brees should also have been penalized for his reaction and the penalties offset. Regardless, the Vikings were forced to punt on their next possession and the Saints were able to run out the clock for a 20–9 win.

Week 4: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 4: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 7 7 14 0 28
Vikings 14 10 3 14 41

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: September 28
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 52,173
  • Referee: Ron Torbert (62)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 9:27. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 5:24.
  • ATL – Roddy White 24-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:31.
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 6-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:31. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:25.
Second quarter
  • ATL – Patrick DiMarco 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:56. Tied 14–14. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 5:26.
  • MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 13-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:59. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:57.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 18-yard field goal, 0:02. Vikings 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 1:23.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 41-yard field goal, 10:40. Vikings 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:20.
  • ATL – Devin Hester 36-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:19. Vikings 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:21.
  • ATL – Antone Smith 48-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:31. Falcons 28–27. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:16.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Teddy Bridgewater–Rhett Ellison pass), 10:50. Vikings 35–28. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:51.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 55-yard field goal, 3:38. Vikings 38–28. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:51.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 1:14. Vikings 41–28. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Having lost Matt Cassel for the season, the Vikings gave Teddy Bridgewater his first career start at home to the Falcons in week 4, but it was running back Matt Asiata who opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run. Roddy White leveled the scores with a 24-yard catch from Matt Ryan, but a 49-yard kickoff return from Cordarrelle Patterson set the Vikings up with a short field on the next drive, which Asiata finished with a 6-yard run to restore Minnesota's seven-point lead. Steven Jackson thought he had tied the scores again on a 3-yard run with six minutes to go in the half, only for the touchdown call to be overturned on review; however, Ryan was able to find FB Patrick DiMarco in the flat on the next play. However, Bridgewater himself restored Minnesota's advantage on the ensuing possession, capping an 80-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown run as the game entered its first two-minute warning. After forcing Atlanta into a quick three-and-out, Bridgewater led the Vikings downfield to the brink of another touchdown, but a lack of time meant they had to settle for an 18-yard Blair Walsh field goal to give them a 24–14 lead at the half.

Walsh scored another field goal on the opening drive of the second half, but long touchdowns for Devin Hester and Antone Smith gave the Falcons a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Those would prove to be Atlanta's last points of the game as Asiata picked up his third TD run early in the fourth quarter, with Bridgewater adding two points with a pass to Rhett Ellison. Bridgewater was injured on that drive, meaning that third-string QB Christian Ponder came in for his first appearance of the season. However, his job was simply to hand the ball off to rookie running back Jerick McKinnon, who set up a 55-yard field goal attempt for Walsh. An interception by Harrison Smith led to another field goal from 33 yards, before Josh Robinson closed the game out with another interception.

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers

Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 0 0 0 10 10
Packers 14 14 14 0 42

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information
First quarter
  • GB – Randall Cobb 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 9:39. Packers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 2:04.
  • GB – Jordy Nelson 66-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:18. Packers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:32.
Second quarter
  • GB – Julius Peppers 49-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), 6:51. Packers 21–0.
  • GB – Davante Adams 11-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:51. Packers 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
  • GB – Eddie Lacy 11-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 10:33. Packers 35–0. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:59.
  • GB – Eddie Lacy 10-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 3:42. Packers 42–0. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:49.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Christian Ponder 6-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 14:54. Packers 42–7. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:48.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 26-yard field goal, 10:07. Packers 42–10. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:13.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

With only four days between games, Teddy Bridgewater had insufficient time to recover from the injury he picked up in week 4 and Christian Ponder made his first start since week 12 of the 2013 season. The Vikings defense forced Green Bay to punt on the first possession of the game, but soon kicked the ball back to the Packers, allowing Eddie Lacy's running to set up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb. The Vikings' ensuing possession again ended with a punt, and Rodgers punished them with a 66-yard TD pass to Jordy Nelson. The teams traded possession as the game moved into the second quarter, until Ponder threw the ball directly to Packers DE Julius Peppers, who returned the interception 49 yards for his team's third TD of the game. Two plays later, Ponder was picked off again, this time by LB Jamari Lattimore, leaving a short field for Rodgers to work into before throwing an 11-yard TD pass to WR Davante Adams.

The second half began in much the same vein, as the Packers forced a Vikings punt on the first possession before marching downfield to set Lacy up for an 11-yard scoring run. The running back went into the end zone again at the end of the Packers' next possession with a 10-yard run, giving the home team a 42–0 lead. CB Marcus Sherels returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards, and Ponder was able to pass downfield to the Green Bay 6-yard line, from where he ran into the end zone for the Vikings' first points of the game. Three plays later, Harrison Smith picked off a pass from Matt Flynn at the Green Bay 30-yard line, but the Vikings were unable to get into the end zone despite the short field and had to settle for a 26-yard Blair Walsh field goal. As the game drew to a close, the Vikings regained possession and drove down to the Packers' 8-yard line, only to be denied on 4th-and-goal, allowing Green Bay to end the game with a kneeldown.

Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 6: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Lions 7 3 0 7 17
Vikings 0 0 0 3 3

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • DET – Matt Prater 52-yard field goal, 0:07. Lions 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
  • None.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 11:44. Lions 17–0. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:54.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 4:53. Lions 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 4:21.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 7: at Buffalo Bills

Week 7: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 3 10 0 3 16
Bills 0 10 0 7 17

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: October 19
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,477
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Tim Brando, Brendon Ayanbadejo and Peter Schrager
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 1:50. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:59.
Second quarter
  • BUF – Sammy Watkins 26-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Dan Carpenter kick), 9:23. Bills 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 26 yards, 0:05.
  • MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 4-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 6:17. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 3:06.
  • BUF – Dan Carpenter 31-yard field goal, 4:01. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:16.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 55-yard field goal, 0:15. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
  • None.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 11:45. Vikings 16–10. Drive: 12 plays, 36 yards, 5:43.
  • BUF – Sammy Watkins 2-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:01. Bills 17–16. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 3:06.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 8: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 3 4 OT Total
Vikings 0 3 7 3 6 19
Buccaneers 0 0 0 13 0 13

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information
First quarter
  • None.
Second quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 0:59.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • TB – Patrick Murray 54-yard field goal, 14:12. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 1:27.
  • TB – Patrick Murray 45-yard field goal, 7:19. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:44.
  • TB – Austin Seferian-Jenkins 7-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Patrick Murray kick), 2:02. Tampa Bay 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:38.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:02.
Overtime
  • MIN – Anthony Barr 27-yard fumble return, 14:43. Vikings 19–13.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 9: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 9: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 3 7 10 6 26
Vikings 0 7 7 15 29

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: November 2
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 50 °F (10 °C)
  • Game attendance: 52,252
  • Referee: Gene Steratore (114)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • WAS – Kai Forbath 36-yard field goal, 6:16. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 7:49.
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 10:44. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:15.
  • WAS – DeSean Jackson 13-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 7:23. Redskins 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:21.
  • WAS – Kai Forbath 26-yard field goal, 1:57. Redskins 20–14. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 3:26.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 7-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 13:00. Vikings 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 3:57.
  • WAS – Alfred Morris 2-yard run (run failed), 9:01. Redskins 26–21. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:59.
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Matt Asiata run), 3:27. Vikings 29–26. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:34.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

With the close win over the Redskins, the Vikings improved to 4–5. Teddy Bridgewater's third win as a starting rookie quarterback breaks the franchise record (two wins) shared by both Fran Tarkenton and Christian Ponder.[108]

Week 10: Bye

The Vikings took their bye week in week 10, along with the Texans, Colts, Patriots, Chargers and Redskins.

Week 11: at Chicago Bears

Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 10 0 0 3 13
Bears 0 14 0 7 21

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 50-yard field goal, 11:21. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:39.
  • MIN – Rhett Ellison 7-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 3:16. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:46.
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • None.
Fourth quarter
  • CHI – Brandon Marshall 4-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 8:51. Bears 21–10. Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 7:35.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 26-yard field goal, 4:04. Bears 21–13. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:47.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Packers 7 7 3 7 24
Vikings 0 10 3 8 21

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • MIN – Charles Johnson 22-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 11:06. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 5:28.
  • GB – Richard Rodgers 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:23. Packers 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 1:59.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 0:16. Packers 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:07.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 51-yard field goal, 6:42. Packers 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 1:53.
  • GB – Mason Crosby 48-yard field goal, 2:41. Packers 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:01.
Fourth quarter
  • GB – Eddie Lacy 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 8:34. Packers 24–13. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 6:18.
  • MIN – Greg Jennings 5-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Teddy Bridgewater to Charles Johnson pass), 3:23. Packers 24–21. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:11.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 13: Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 3 3 7 0 13
Vikings 14 14 0 7 35

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: November 30
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 12 °F (−11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 52,016
  • Referee: Brad Allen (122)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Kyle Rudolph 4-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 9:41. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 3:07.
  • MIN – Adam Thielen 30-yard return of blocked punt (Blair Walsh kick), 7:00. Vikings 14–0.
  • CAR – Graham Gano 30-yard field goal, 0:37. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 6:23.
Second quarter
  • MIN – Everson Griffen 43-yard return of blocked punt (Blair Walsh kick), 9:35. Vikings 21–3.
  • CAR – Graham Gano 35-yard field goal, 3:28. Vikings 21–6. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:07.
  • MIN – Greg Jennings 17-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 0:16. Vikings 28–6. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.
Third quarter
  • CAR – Philly Brown 32-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:15. Vikings 28–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:13.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 8:55. Packers 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:25.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • CAR – [[Greg Olsen (American football)
 Greg Olsen]] – 5 rec, 59 yards

Week 14: vs. New York Jets

Week 14: New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 OT Total
Jets 12 3 3 6 0 24
Vikings 14 7 0 3 6 30

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • MIN – Jerome Felton 0-yard fumble recovery (Blair Walsh kick), 13:44. Vikings 21–12. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:56.
  • NYJ – Nick Folk 33-yard field goal, 0:17. Vikings 21–15. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 3:30.
Third quarter
  • NYJ – Nick Folk 22-yard field goal, 12:24. Vikings 21–18. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:32.
Fourth quarter
  • NYJ – Nick Folk 24-yard field goal, 14:15. Tied 21–21. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:48.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 20-yard field goal, 5:28. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:12.
  • NYJ – Nick Folk 44-yard field goal, 0:23. Tied 24–24. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:44.
Overtime
  • MIN – Jarius Wright 87-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater, 10:35. Vikings 30–24. Drive: 3 plays, 92 yards, 1:39.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

With the overtime win, the Vikings improve to 6–7 and have therefore improved on last year's record.

Week 15: at Detroit Lions

Week 15: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 7 7 0 0 14
Lions 0 10 3 3 16

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: December 14
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 62,490
  • Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • MIN – Greg Jennings 8-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:05. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:53.
  • DET – Golden Tate 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 3:42. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:45.
  • DET – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:00.
Third quarter
  • DET – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal, 3:45. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 7:19.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 3:38. Lions 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:05.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The loss resulted in the Vikings being officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 16: at Miami Dolphins

Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 7 10 0 18 35
Dolphins 0 7 7 23 37

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,203
  • Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • MIN – Greg Jennings 21-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 11:34. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 0:49.
  • MIA – Dion Sims 14-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Caleb Sturgis kick), 4:53. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 92 yards, 6:41.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 18-yard field goal, 0:02. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
  • MIA – Mike Wallace 16-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Caleb Sturgis kick), 8:29. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 4:03.
Fourth quarter
  • MIA – Lamar Miller 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 14:57. Dolphins 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:39.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 9:52. Dolphins 21–20. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:05.
  • MIA – Mike Wallace 7-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Caleb Sturgis kick), 6:39. Dolphins 28–20. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:13.
  • MIN – Jarius Wright 8-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Matt Asiata run), 4:46. Tied 28–28. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:53.
  • MIN – Matt Asiata 5-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 4:35. Vikings 35–28. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05.
  • MIA – Damien Williams 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:11. Tied 35–35. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:24.
  • MIA – Punt blocked by Terrence Fede out of bounds of end zone for a safety, 0:41. Dolphins 37–35.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 3 3 3 9
Vikings 3 0 7 3 13

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: December 28
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 15 °F (−9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 52,364
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 4:59. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 5:25.
Second quarter
  • CHI – Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 0:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 2:53.
Third quarter
  • CHI – Jay Feely 25-yard field goal, 13:05. Bears 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:40.
  • MIN – Adam Thielen 44-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:53. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:12.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 44-yard field goal, 11:29. Vikings 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:29.
  • CHI – Jay Feely 35-yard field goal, 8:53. Vikings 13–9. Drive: 8 plays, 18 yards, 2:36.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

Final roster

2014 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, 12 Inactive, 9 Practice squad

Staff

2014 Minnesota Vikings staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Statistics

Team leaders

Category Player(s) Value
Passing yards Teddy Bridgewater 2,919
Passing touchdowns Teddy Bridgewater 14
Rushing yards Matt Asiata 570
Rushing touchdowns Matt Asiata 9
Receptions Greg Jennings 59
Receiving yards Greg Jennings 742
Receiving touchdowns Greg Jennings 6
Points Blair Walsh 107
Kickoff return yards Cordarrelle Patterson 871
Punt return yards Marcus Sherels 297
Tackles Robert Blanton 106
Sacks Everson Griffen 12
Interceptions Harrison Smith 5
Forced fumbles Anthony Barr 2

Source for this section: Minnesota Vikings' official website.[109]

League rankings

Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense 3,244 202.8 28th
Rushing offense 1,804 112.8 14th
Total offense 5,048 315.5 27th
Passing defense 3,572 223.3 7th
Rushing defense 1,943 121.4 25th
Total defense 5,515 344.7 14th

Source for this section: NFL.com.[110]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 41.7 41.8 41.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.6 43.7 43.8 43.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  61. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 62.2 62.3 62.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 63.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  65. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  67. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  73. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  74. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  75. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  76. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  77. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  78. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  79. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  80. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  81. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  82. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  83. ↑ 83.0 83.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  84. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  85. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  86. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  87. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  88. ↑ 88.0 88.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 89.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  90. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  91. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  92. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  93. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  95. ↑ 95.0 95.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  96. ↑ 96.0 96.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  97. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  98. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  99. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  100. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  101. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  102. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  103. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  104. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  105. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  106. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  107. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  108. ↑ http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/10-Vikings-Bye-Week-Numbers-of-Note/b4313e6d-bb7e-46e1-981d-642b0281b029
  109. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  110. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

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