54th season in franchise history
The2014 season was theMinnesota Vikings ' 54th in theNational Football League (NFL) and their first underhead coach Mike Zimmer . It was the first of two seasons in which the Vikings played at the outdoorTCF Bank Stadium on the campus of theUniversity of Minnesota . Construction ofU.S. Bank Stadium began on the site of the team's former home, theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome , with a target of opening for the2016 season. This for first time since 2002Kevin Williams was not on the opening day roster and for first time since 2007Jared Allen was not on the opening day roster they both left in free agency.
Though the Vikings were eliminated from postseason contention after a loss to theDetroit Lions in Week 15, they improved on2013 '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]
2014 Minnesota Vikings Draft Draft order Player name Position College Contract Notes Round Overall 1 8 Traded to theCleveland Browns [ A] 9 Anthony Barr Linebacker UCLA 4 years, $12.74 million[ 3] fromBills viaBrowns [ A] 32 Teddy Bridgewater Quarterback Louisville 4 years, $7.59 million[ 3] fromSeahawks [ B] 2 40 Traded to theSeattle Seahawks [ B] 3 72 Scott Crichton Defensive end Oregon State 4 years, $3 million[ 5] 96 Jerick McKinnon Running back Georgia Southern 4 years, $2.75 million[ 6] fromSeahawks [ C] 4 108 Traded to theSeattle Seahawks [ B] 5 145 David Yankey Guard Stanford 4 years, $2.43 million[ 8] fromBrowns [ A] 148 Traded to theCarolina Panthers [ D] 168 Traded to theAtlanta Falcons [ E] fromPanthers [ D] 6 182 Antone Exum Cornerback Virginia Tech 4 years, $2.34 million[ 10] fromFalcons [ E] 184 Kendall James Cornerback Maine 4 years, $2.33 million[ 8] 7 220 Shamar Stephen Defensive tackle UConn 4 years, $2.29 million[ 11] fromFalcons [ E] 223 Brandon Watts Linebacker Georgia Tech 4 years, $2.28 million[ 11] 225 Jabari Price Cornerback North Carolina 4 years, $2.28 million[ 8] fromGiants viaPanthers [ D]
Draft trades
^a b c The Vikings traded their original first-round selection (8th overall) to theCleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' fifth-round selection (145th overall) and the first-round selection they had received from theBuffalo Bills .[ 2] ^a b c The Vikings traded their second- and fourth-round selections (40th and 108th overall) to theSeattle Seahawks in exchange for Seattle's first-round selection (32nd overall).[ 4] ^ The Vikings traded WRPercy Harvin to theSeattle Seahawks in exchange for Seattle's third-round selection.[ 7] ^a b c The Vikings traded their original fifth-round selection (148th overall) to theCarolina Panthers in exchange for the Panthers' fifth-round selection (168th overall) and the seventh-round selection they acquired from theNew York Giants (225th overall).[ 9] ^a b c The Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from the Panthers to theAtlanta Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's sixth- and seventh-round selections (182nd and 220th overall).[ 9] 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] ^[PS] 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]
Signed and released players Date signed Player name Position Previous team Contract terms Date released December 30, 2013 Brandon Bishop S Minnesota Vikings 2 years / $930,000[RFC] [ 12] [ 11] August 25, 2014[ 41] Kip Edwards CB June 2, 2014[ 71] Kevin Murphy OT August 25, 2014[ 41] Spencer Nealy DE July 23, 2014[ 72] Bradley Randle RB May 13, 2014[ 62] January 3, 2014 Kamar Jorden WR Calgary Stampeders (CFL )2 years / $930,000[RFC] [ 50] [ 73] August 25, 2014[ 41] January 22, 2014 Kheeston Randall DT Cincinnati Bengals 2 years / $1.08 million[ 74] [ 75] February 11, 2014 Simoni Lawrence LB Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL )3 years / $1.54 million[ 76] [ 77] May 13, 2014[ 62] March 10, 2014 Larry Dean LB Minnesota Vikings 2 years / $2 million[ 78] [ 79] August 31, 2014[ 22] March 13, 2014 Fred Evans DT 1 year / $1 million[ 80] [ 81] August 30, 2014[ 43] March 14, 2014 Derek Cox CB San Diego Chargers 1 year / $780,000[ 82] August 25, 2014[ 41] April 15, 2014 Terrell Manning OLB 1 year / $570,000[ 83] [ 84] May 13, 2014[ 62] Allen Reisner TE Jacksonville Jaguars 1 year / $645,000[ 83] [ 85] August 30, 2014[ 43] April 17, 2014 Kurt Coleman FS Philadelphia Eagles 1 year / $900,000[ 86] [ 87] May 13, 2014 Conor Boffeli G Iowa Undrafted free agents[ 62] May 19, 2014[ 63] Pierce Burton OT Ole Miss August 25, 2014[ 41] Kain Colter WR Northwestern August 30, 2014[ 43] Rakim Cox DE Villanova August 4, 2014[ 88] Isame Faciane DT FIU August 30, 2014[ 43] Donte Foster WR Ohio Matt Hall OT Belhaven July 25, 2014[ 89] Zac Kerin C Toledo August 30, 2014[ 43] A.C. Leonard TE Tennessee State August 6, 2014[ 90] Erik Lora WR Eastern Illinois August 25, 2014[ 41] Travis Partridge QB Missouri Western May 19, 2014[ 63] Tyler Scott DE Northwestern August 25, 2014[ 41] Jake Snyder DE Virginia Dominique Williams RB Wagner August 30, 2014[ 43] May 16, 2014 Austin Wentworth OT Fresno State August 31, 2014[ 22] May 19, 2014 Mike Zimmer LB Jacksonville Jaguars [ 63] August 30, 2014[ 43] June 2, 2014 Julian Posey CB Cleveland Browns [ 71] June 13, 2014 Josh Cooper WR Cleveland Browns [ 91] July 25, 2014[ 89] July 23, 2014 Michael Higgins TE New Orleans Saints [ 72] August 26, 2014[ 92] July 25, 2014 Andy Cruse WR Houston Texans [ 89] August 25, 2014[ 41] Ty Walker WR Seattle Seahawks August 4, 2014 Chris Crocker SS Cincinnati Bengals [ 88] August 30, 2014[ 43] August 10, 2014 Kory Sperry TE Arizona Cardinals [ 93] August 25, 2014[ 41] August 18, 2014 Justin Jackson LB Detroit Lions [ 64] August 30, 2014[ 43] August 31, 2014 Donte Foster WR Minnesota Vikings [ 22] [PS] September 29, 2014[ 94] Kendall James CB September 2, 2014[ 23] Mike Remmers OT September 3, 2014[ 95] MarQueis Gray TE Cleveland Browns November 19, 2014[ 96] September 1, 2014 Chris Greenwood CB Detroit Lions [ 97] [PS] December 17, 2014[ 69] September 3, 2014 Ahmad Dixon SS Dallas Cowboys [ 95] [PS] September 8, 2014[ 98] September 24, 2014 McLeod Bethel-Thompson QB New England Patriots [ 99] [PS] October 7, 2014[ 25] Ryan Otten TE Cincinnati Bengals November 3, 2014[ 66] September 29, 2014 Chandler Harnish QB Indianapolis Colts [ 94] [PS] October 3, 2014[ 100] October 7, 2014 Pierre Warren S New Orleans Saints [ 25] [PS] November 18, 2014[ 27] November 3, 2014 RaShaun Allen TE Seattle Seahawks [ 66] [PS] November 11, 2014[ 101] November 19, 2014 Ben Tate RB Cleveland Browns [ 96] December 23, 2014[ 102] November 25, 2014 J'Marcus Webb OT Minnesota Vikings [ 103] December 16, 2014[ 104]
Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders [ edit ] 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
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
OAK –Matt McGloin 10-yard run (pass failed), 1:25.Vikings 10–6.Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 2:32. Top passers
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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 sinceweek 16 of the 2012 season . RookieAnthony Barr recorded half a sack, andKurt Coleman intercepted Raiders quarterbackDerek Carr once.
On the offense,Matt Cassel started and shined on his sole drive, leading the team down the field, whereMatt Asiata scored the Vikings' only touchdown of the game from a yard out. After Cassel's drive, rookie quarterbackTeddy 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 VikingMatt Kalil recovered the fumble). The Vikings got a field goal on the second drive. Shortly after the half, the signal calling was turned toChristian 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 [ edit ] Preseason Week 2: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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 16Game time : 7:30 p.m. CDTGame weather : Partly cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)Game attendance : 51,763Referee :Craig Wrolstad (4)TV : KARE-11Recap ,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 toKyle Rudolph (Blair Walsh kick), 14:25.Vikings 10–7.Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:35. ARI –Drew Stanton 1-yard pass toDarren 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 toAllen 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 toRodney Smith (kick failed), 0:18.Vikings 30-28.Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 0:53. Top passers
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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 toRodney Smith , sealing another preseason victory for the Vikings.
Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs [ edit ] 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 toAllen 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 toAlbert Wilson (Cairo Santos kick), 0:25.Vikings 30–12.Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:51. Top passers
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The Vikings traveled to Kansas City to play against Matt Cassel's former team. The defense played remarkably well, withCaptain Munnerlyn ,Chad Greenway andShaun 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 toAllen Reisner .
Week 4: at Tennessee Titans [ edit ] Preseason Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Vikings 7 9 3 0 19 Titans 0 0 0 3 3
atLP Field ,Nashville, Tennessee
Date : August 28Game time : 7:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)Game attendance : 69,143Referee :Clete Blakeman (34)TV : KARE-11Recap ,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
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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 byCorey Wootton and an interception byJulian 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.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance NFL.com 1 September 7 atSt. Louis Rams W 34–61–0 Edward Jones Dome 55,919 Recap 2 September 14 New England Patriots L 7–301–1 TCF Bank Stadium 52,350 Recap 3 September 21 atNew Orleans Saints L 9–201–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome 73,005 Recap 4 September 28 Atlanta Falcons W 41–282–2 TCF Bank Stadium 52,173 Recap 5 October 2 atGreen Bay Packers L 10–422–3 Lambeau Field 78,054 Recap 6 October 12 Detroit Lions L 3–172–4 TCF Bank Stadium 52,213 Recap 7 October 19 atBuffalo Bills L 16–172–5 Ralph Wilson Stadium 68,477 Recap 8 October 26 atTampa Bay Buccaneers W 19–13(OT) 3–5 Raymond James Stadium 56,577 Recap 9 November 2 Washington Redskins W 29–264–5 TCF Bank Stadium 52,252 Recap 10 Bye 11 November 16 atChicago Bears L 13–214–6 Soldier Field 61,792 Recap 12 November 23 Green Bay Packers L 21–244–7 TCF Bank Stadium 52,386 Recap 13 November 30 Carolina Panthers W 31–135–7 TCF Bank Stadium 52,016 Recap 14 December 7 New York Jets W 30–24(OT) 6–7 TCF Bank Stadium 52,152 Recap 15 December 14 atDetroit Lions L 14–166–8 Ford Field 62,490 Recap 16 December 21 atMiami Dolphins L 35–376–9 Sun Life Stadium 66,203 Recap 17 December 28 Chicago Bears W 13–97–9 TCF Bank Stadium 52,364 Recap
Note: Division rivals are marked withbold text.Week 1: at St. Louis Rams [ edit ] 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 fromMatt 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
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The Vikings opened their season on the road against theSt. 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 kickerBlair Walsh and an eight-yard touchdown pass fromMatt Cassel toGreg Jennings with 21 seconds left in the half, set up by an interception fromJosh Robinson at the Rams' 35-yard line. The Rams struck back early in the third quarter with a field goal fromGreg Zuerlein before Vikings wide receiverCordarrelle Patterson made the play of the game with a 67-yard touchdown run. The Vikings secured the game late in the fourth quarter as TEKyle Rudolph connected with Cassel on a seven-yard touchdown pass, while Rudolph's former Notre Dame teammateHarrison 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 the2012 season against theHouston Texans .
Week 2: vs. New England Patriots [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
NE –Julian Edelman 9-yard pass fromTom 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
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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.[ 105] 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 findJarius 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, asTom Brady connected withJulian Edelman on a nine-yard TD catch. As the first half drew to a close, the Vikings drove downfield to giveBlair Walsh a 48-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds on the clock; however, Patriots DEChandler 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-yardStephen 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 toGreg 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 [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
MIN –Blair Walsh 25-yard field goal, 14:06.Saints 13–3.Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 5:44. MIN – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 6:28.Saints 13–6.Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:47. Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 10:20.Saints 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.Saints 20–9.Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 5:28. Top passers
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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 DEEverson 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 QBTeddy 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 fromDrew Brees toMarques Colston early in the fourth quarter. They were aided on the drive by a penalty for unnecessary roughness against CBCaptain 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 [ edit ] Week 4: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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 28Game time : 3:25 p.m. CDTGame weather : Partly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)Game attendance : 52,173Referee :Ron Torbert (62)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap ,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 fromMatt 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
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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 fromMatt 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 FBPatrick 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 forDevin Hester andAntone 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 toRhett Ellison . Bridgewater was injured on that drive, meaning that third-string QBChristian Ponder came in for his first appearance of the season. However, his job was simply to hand the ball off to rookie running backJerick 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 [ edit ] Game information First quarter
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
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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, allowingEddie Lacy 's running to set up an 8-yard touchdown pass fromAaron Rodgers toRandall Cobb . The Vikings' ensuing possession again ended with a punt, and Rodgers punished them with a 66-yard TD pass toJordy Nelson . The teams traded possession as the game moved into the second quarter, until Ponder threw the ball directly to Packers DEJulius 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 LBJamari Lattimore , leaving a short field for Rodgers to work into before throwing an 11-yard TD pass to WRDavante 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. CBMarcus 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 fromMatt 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 [ edit ] Week 6: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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
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
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The Vikings were defeated at home by the Lions 17-3. This game, while not broadcast nationally, gained widespread attention due to play by play announcer Mike Goldberg's commentating style, which was received quite negatively due to his botching of several plays and getting players and coaches names wrong. As it turned out, this would be the only game Goldberg ever broadcast on FOX. He was originally going to broadcast the Vikings next game at Buffalo, but he was replaced by Tim Brando instead.
Week 7: at Buffalo Bills [ edit ] Week 7: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Vikings 3 10 0 3 16 Bills 0 10 0 7 17
atRalph Wilson Stadium ,Orchard Park, New York
Date : October 19Game time : 1:00 p.m.EDT /12:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : Cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)Game attendance : 68,477Referee : Ed Hochuli (85)TV announcers (Fox) :Tim Brando , Brendon Ayanbadejo and Peter SchragerRecap ,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 fromKyle Orton (Dan Carpenter kick), 9:23.Bills 7–3.Drive: 1 play, 26 yards, 0:05. MIN –Cordarrelle Patterson 4-yard pass fromTeddy 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
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
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Week 8: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Game information First quarter
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 fromMike 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
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Week 9: vs. Washington Redskins [ edit ] Week 9: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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 2Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Sunny, 50 °F (10 °C)Game attendance : 52,252Referee :Gene Steratore (114)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap ,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 fromRobert 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
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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 bothFran Tarkenton and Christian Ponder.[ 106]
The Vikings took their bye week in week 10, along with the Texans, Colts, Patriots, Chargers and Redskins.
Week 11: at Chicago Bears [ edit ] 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 fromTeddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 3:16.Vikings 10–0.Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:46. Second quarter
Third quarter
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
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Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers [ edit ] Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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
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
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Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers [ edit ] Week 13: Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 3 3 7 0 13 Vikings 14 14 0 3 31
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date : November 30Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Sunny, 12 °F (−11 °C)Game attendance : 52,016Referee : Brad Allen (122)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap ,Game Book
Game information First quarter
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 fromCam 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.Vikings 31–13.Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:25. Top passers
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Week 14: vs. New York Jets [ edit ] Week 14: New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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
MIN –Gerald Hodges 27-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 14:54.Vikings 7–0. NYJ –Sheldon Richardson sack for safety, 10:12.Vikings 7–2. NYJ –Percy Harvin 35-yard pass fromGeno Smith (Nick Folk kick), 7:35.Jets 9–7.Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:37. MIN –Charles Johnson 56-yard pass fromTeddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 5:43.Vikings 14–9.Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:42. NYJ – Nick Folk 36-yard field goal, 2:28.Vikings 14–12.Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 3:25. 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
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With the overtime win, the Vikings improve to 6–7 and have therefore improved on last year's record.
Week 15: at Detroit Lions [ edit ] Week 15: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Vikings 7 7 0 0 14 Lions 0 10 3 3 16
atFord Field ,Detroit, Michigan
Date : December 14Game time : 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 62,490Referee :Pete Morelli (135)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap ,Game Book
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
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
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The loss resulted in the Vikings being officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Week 16: at Miami Dolphins [ edit ] Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Vikings 7 10 0 18 35 Dolphins 0 7 7 23 37
atSun Life Stadium ,Miami Gardens, Florida
Date : December 21Game time : 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Partly cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)Game attendance : 66,203Referee : Tony Corrente (99)TV announcers (Fox) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony SiragusaRecap ,Game Book
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
MIN –Greg Jennings 21-yard pass fromTeddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 11:34.Vikings 14–0.Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 0:49. MIA –Dion Sims 14-yard pass fromRyan 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 byTerrence Fede out of bounds of end zone for a safety, 0:41.Dolphins 37–35. Top passers
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Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears [ edit ] Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 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 28Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Cloudy, 15 °F (−9 °C)Game attendance : 52,364Referee :Jeff Triplette (42)TV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Kristina PinkRecap ,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 fromTeddy 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
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2014 Minnesota Vikings staff Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Source for this section: Minnesota Vikings' official website.[ 108]
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.[ 109]
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RetrievedAugust 31, 2014 . ^a b Zinski, Dan (September 2, 2014)."Vikings Waive Kendall James from Practice Squad, Add Austin Wentworth" .TheVikingAge.com . RetrievedSeptember 2, 2014 . ^ Krammer, Andrew (September 16, 2014)."Vikings sign fullback Zach Line to the practice squad" .1500ESPN.com . Archived fromthe original on September 18, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2014 . ^a b c Zinski, Dan (October 7, 2014)."Vikings Cut McLeod Bethel-Thompson from Practice Squad, Sign Pierre Warren" . RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (November 12, 2014)."Vikings re-sign Ryan Otten to practice squad" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedNovember 12, 2014 . ^a b Hasan, Arif (November 18, 2014)."2014 MINNESOTA VIKINGS: VIKINGS SIGN RB DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS TO PRACTICE SQUAD" .VikingsTerritory.com . RetrievedNovember 18, 2014 . ^ Goessling, Ben (February 7, 2014)."Erin Henderson cut by Vikings" .ESPN.com . RetrievedFebruary 7, 2014 . ^ Wesseling, Chris (March 4, 2014)."John Carlson reportedly to be cut by Minnesota Vikings" .NFL.com . Archived fromthe original on March 5, 2014. RetrievedMarch 5, 2014 . ^ Gantt, Darin (March 7, 2014)."Cardinals sign tight end John Carlson" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedMarch 7, 2014 . ^ Patra, Kevin (March 6, 2014)."Minnesota Vikings release Letroy Guion, Greg Childs" .NFL.com . RetrievedMarch 17, 2014 . ^ Zicarelli, Frank (September 10, 2014)."Argos hopeful aerial game not a lost cause" .TorontoSun.com . RetrievedOctober 1, 2014 . ^ "Packers add free agent DT Letroy Guion" .WashingtonPost.com . March 17, 2014. Archived fromthe original on March 18, 2014. RetrievedMarch 17, 2014 .^ Patra, Kevin (August 14, 2014)."Desmond Bishop signed by Arizona Cardinals" .NFL.com . Archived fromthe original on August 16, 2014. RetrievedAugust 14, 2014 . ^ Breech, John (March 12, 2014)."RB Toby Gerhart agrees to terms on three-year deal with Jaguars" .CBSSports.com . RetrievedMarch 12, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (March 14, 2014)."Minnesota Vikings: Chris Cook signs with 49ers" .TwinCities.com . St. Paul Pioneer Press. RetrievedMarch 16, 2014 . ^ Wilson, Aaron (March 21, 2014)."Panthers sign quarterback Joe Webb to one-year deal" .NationalFootballPost.com . Archived fromthe original on March 22, 2014. RetrievedMarch 21, 2014 . ^ Goessling, Ben (March 26, 2014)."Jared Allen heading to Bears" .ESPN.com . RetrievedMarch 26, 2014 . ^ Caplan, Adam (April 16, 2014)."Josh Freeman, Giants agree to deal" .ESPN.com . RetrievedApril 16, 2014 . ^ Wesseling, Chris (June 16, 2014)."Kevin Williams turned down more money from Patriots" .NFL.com . Archived fromthe original on June 19, 2014. RetrievedJune 17, 2014 . ^a b c d e f g h i j Glover, Ted (August 25, 2014)."Minnesota Vikings Roster Cuts 2014: Vikings Begin Shaping The Roster" .DailyNorseman.com . RetrievedAugust 25, 2014 . ^ "Chiefs Announce Roster Moves" .KCChiefs.com . September 9, 2014. 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RetrievedOctober 3, 2014 .^ Wilkening, Mike (October 3, 2014)."Browns awarded WR Rodney Smith on waivers from Minnesota" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedOctober 10, 2014 . ^a b Tomasson, Chris (January 3, 2014)."Vikings sign free agents Kamar Jorden, Josh Samuda" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2014 . ^ "Josh Samuda: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ Patra, Kevin (March 9, 2014)."Report: Minnesota Vikings sign LB Jasper Brinkley" .NFL.com . RetrievedMarch 9, 2014 . ^ "Jasper Brinkley: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . Archived fromthe original on March 18, 2014. RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ "Linval Joseph to Vikings for $31.5M" .ESPN.com . March 11, 2014. RetrievedMarch 11, 2014 .^ Carlson, Adam (March 13, 2014)."Vikings Sign CB Captain Munnerlyn To Three Year Deal" .TheVikingAge.com . RetrievedMarch 13, 2014 . ^ Carlson, Adam (March 19, 2014)."Vikings Agree To Terms With DT Tom Johnson" .TheVikingAge.com . RetrievedMarch 19, 2014 . ^ "Vikings agree with Corey Wootton" .ESPN.com . March 20, 2014. RetrievedMarch 21, 2014 .^ Gantt, Darin (March 24, 2014)."Vikings sign former Jets lineman Vladimir Ducasse" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedMarch 25, 2014 . ^ "Vlad Ducasse: view contract details" .RoroWorld.com . RetrievedApril 8, 2014 .^ "Vikings sign former Texans wide receiver Lestar Jean" .FoxNews.com . April 8, 2014. RetrievedApril 8, 2014 .^ "Lestar Jean: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedApril 27, 2014 .^a b c d e Yotter, Tim (May 13, 2014)."Vikings release four, sign 15 rookies" .Scout.com . RetrievedMay 13, 2014 . ^a b c d Alper, Josh (May 19, 2014)."Vikings sign Mike Zimmer, the player" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedMay 19, 2014 . ^a b Tomasson, Chris (August 18, 2014)."Vikings waive injured LB Dom DeCicco, pickup LB Justin Jackson off waivers" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedAugust 18, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (September 9, 2014)."Vikings sign linebacker Josh Kaddu to practice squad" .TwinCities.com . RetrievedSeptember 9, 2014 . ^a b c Vensel, Matt (November 3, 2014)."Vikings add two to practice squad, including QB Devlin" .StarTribune.com . RetrievedNovember 3, 2014 . ^ Goessling, Ben (December 7, 2014)."Rookie Jerick McKinnon placed on IR" .ESPN.com . RetrievedDecember 7, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (December 10, 2014)."Vikings place linebacker Michael Mauti on injured reserve, sign tackle Carter Bykowski" .ESPN.com . RetrievedDecember 10, 2014 . ^a b Gates, Christopher (December 17, 2014)."Minnesota Vikings Promote Ahmad Dixon, Sign Jordan McCray" .ESPN.com . RetrievedDecember 17, 2014 . ^a b Tomasson, Chris (December 24, 2014)."Vikings sign RB Henry Josey off Jacksonville practice squad" .TwinCities.com . RetrievedDecember 24, 2014 . ^a b Goessling, Ben (June 2, 2014)."Vikings claim Julian Posey off waivers" .ESPN.com . RetrievedJune 2, 2014 . ^a b Goessling, Ben (July 23, 2014)."Vikings cut Nealy, sign Higgins" .ESPN.com . RetrievedJuly 23, 2014 . ^ "Kamar Jorden: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ Tomasson, Chris (January 23, 2014)."Vikings: Mike Priefer reportedly staying on coaching staff" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2014 . ^ "Kheeston Randall: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ Wilkening, Mike (February 11, 2014)."Vikings sign linebacker Simoni Lawrence" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedFebruary 11, 2014 . ^ "Simoni Lawrence: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ Alper, Josh (March 10, 2014)."Larry Dean avoids restricted free agency, re-signs with Vikings" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedMarch 10, 2014 . ^ "Larry Dean: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ Goessling, Ben (March 13, 2014)."Source: Fred Evans re-signs with Viking" .ESPN.com . RetrievedMarch 13, 2014 . ^ "Fred Evans: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedMarch 18, 2014 .^ Gehlken, Michael (March 13, 2014)."Derek Cox finds new home" .UTSanDiego.com . RetrievedMarch 13, 2014 . ^a b Hall, Brian (April 15, 2014)."Vikings sign TE Reisner, claim LB Manning off waivers" .FoxSports.com . RetrievedApril 19, 2014 . ^ "Terrell Manning: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedApril 27, 2014 .^ "Allen Reisner: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedApril 27, 2014 .^ "Vikings agree to one-year deal with safety Kurt Coleman" .FoxSports.com . April 14, 2014. RetrievedApril 14, 2014 .^ "Kurt Coleman: Current Salary Information" .Spotrac.com . RetrievedApril 27, 2014 .^a b Tomasson, Chris (August 4, 2014)."Vikings sign veteran safety Chris Crocker, release rookie defensive end Rakim Cox" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedAugust 5, 2014 . ^a b c Krammer, Andrew (July 25, 2014)."Vikings waive T Matt Hall, WR Josh Cooper and add a pair of receivers" .1500ESPN.com . Archived fromthe original on August 8, 2014. RetrievedJuly 25, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (August 6, 2014)."Vikings waive tight end A.C. Leonard" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedAugust 6, 2014 . ^ Alper, Josh (June 13, 2014)."Vikings sign Josh Cooper" .NBCSports.com . RetrievedJune 13, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (August 26, 2014)."Vikings cut tight end Mike Higgins" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedAugust 26, 2014 . ^ Goessling, Ben (August 10, 2014)."Vikings sign tight end Kory Sperry" .ESPN.com . RetrievedAugust 11, 2014 . ^a b Carlson, Adam (September 29, 2014)."Vikings Sign QB Chandler Harnish To Practice Squad, Cut WR Donte Foster" .TheVikingAge.com . RetrievedOctober 1, 2014 . ^a b Zinski, Dan (September 3, 2014)."Vikings Add Cowboys 7th Round Pick Ahmad Dixon to Practice Squad" .TheVikingAge.com . RetrievedSeptember 3, 2014 . ^a b Tomasson, Chris (November 19, 2014)."Vikings claim running back Ben Tate off waivers, release MarQueis Gray" .TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. RetrievedNovember 19, 2014 . ^ Krammer, Andrew (September 1, 2014)."Vikings add a cornerback to fill out the 10-man practice squad" .1500ESPN.com . Archived fromthe original on September 3, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2014 . ^ "Bears sign Dixon off Viking practice squad" .ChicagoTribune.com . September 8, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 8, 2014 .^ Zulgad, Judd (September 24, 2014)."Vikings place Matt Cassel, Brandon Fusco on injured reserve" .1500ESPN.com . Archived fromthe original on October 12, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2014 . ^ Tesfatsion, Master (October 3, 2014)."Vikings waive QB Chandler Harnish" .StarTribune.com . RetrievedOctober 3, 2014 . ^ Blunt, Terry (November 11, 2014)."Former John Adams football player Rashaun Allen signs with Seattle Seahawks" .ESPN.com . RetrievedNovember 11, 2014 . ^ Sessler, Marc (December 23, 2014)."Ben Tate released by Minnesota Vikings" .NFL.com . RetrievedDecember 23, 2014 . ^ Tomasson, Chris (November 25, 2014)."Tackle J'Marcus Webb rejoins Vikings, replaces Phil Loadholt" .TwinCities.com . RetrievedNovember 25, 2014 . ^ Miller, Chris (December 16, 2014)."Vikings waive J'Marcus Webb" . StarTribune.com. RetrievedDecember 16, 2014 . ^ Glenza, Jessica (September 12, 2014)."NFL star Adrian Peterson charged with injuring his son" .theguardian.com . Guardian News and Media. ^ "10 Vikings Bye Week Numbers of Note" . Archived fromthe original on November 6, 2014. RetrievedNovember 11, 2014 .^ "2014 Conference Standings" . NFL.com. RetrievedDecember 11, 2023 .^ "Minnesota Vikings Team Statistics" .Minnesota Vikings . December 30, 2014. RetrievedDecember 30, 2014 .^ "NFL.com Statistics" .NFL.com . December 30, 2014. RetrievedDecember 30, 2014 .
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (21) Conference championships (4) League championships (1) Retired numbers Current league affiliations
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