54th season in franchise history
The 2014 season was the Minnesota Vikings ' 54th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Mike Zimmer . It was the first of two seasons in which the Vikings played at the outdoor TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota . Construction of U.S. Bank Stadium began on the site of the team's former home, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome , with a target of opening for the 2016 season.
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]
2014 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order
Player name
Position
College
Contract
Notes
Round
Overall
1
8
Traded to the Cleveland Browns [ A]
9
Anthony Barr
Linebacker
UCLA
4 years, $12.74 million[ 3]
from Bills via Browns [ A]
32
Teddy Bridgewater
Quarterback
Louisville
4 years, $7.59 million[ 3]
from Seahawks [ B]
2
40
Traded to the Seattle 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]
from Seahawks [ C]
4
108
Traded to the Seattle Seahawks [ B]
5
145
David Yankey
Guard
Stanford
4 years, $2.43 million[ 8]
from Browns [ A]
148
Traded to the Carolina Panthers [ D]
168
Traded to the Atlanta Falcons [ E]
from Panthers [ D]
6
182
Antone Exum
Cornerback
Virginia Tech
4 years, $2.34 million[ 10]
from Falcons [ E]
184
Kendall James
Cornerback
Maine
4 years, $2.33 million[ 8]
7
220
Shamar Stephen
Defensive tackle
Connecticut
4 years, $2.29 million[ 11]
from Falcons [ 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]
from Giants via Panthers [ D]
Draft trades
^ a b c The Vikings traded their original first-round selection (8th overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' fifth-round selection (145th overall) and the first-round selection they had received from the Buffalo Bills .[ 2]
^ a b c The Vikings traded their second- and fourth-round selections (40th and 108th overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Seattle's first-round selection (32nd overall).[ 4]
^ The Vikings traded WR Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Seattle's third-round selection.[ 7]
^ a b c The Vikings traded their original fifth-round selection (148th overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the Panthers' fifth-round selection (168th overall) and the seventh-round selection they acquired from the New York Giants (225th overall).[ 9]
^ a b c The Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from the Panthers to the Atlanta 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] Denotes this is a reserve/future contract.
^[PS] Denotes a signing to the Practice Squad.
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 (re-signed)
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 (re-signed)
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 FA[ 62]
May 19, 2014[ 63]
Pierce Burton
OT
Mississippi
August 25, 2014[ 41]
Kain Colter
WR
Northwestern
August 30, 2014[ 43]
Rakim Cox
DE
Villanova
August 4, 2014[ 88]
Isame Faciane
DT
Florida International
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 St.
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
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 [ edit ]
Preseason Week 2: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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 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 [ 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 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 [ edit ]
Preseason Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
7
9
3 0 19
Titans
0
0
0 3 3
at LP 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
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.
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
NFL.com recap
1
September 7
at St. Louis Rams
W 34–6
1–0
Edward Jones Dome
55,919
Recap
2
September 14
New England Patriots
L 7–30
1–1
TCF Bank Stadium
52,350
Recap
3
September 21
at New Orleans Saints
L 9–20
1–2
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
73,005
Recap
4
September 28
Atlanta Falcons
W 41–28
2–2
TCF Bank Stadium
52,173
Recap
5
at Green Bay Packers
L 10–42
2–3
Lambeau Field
78,054
Recap
6
October 12
Detroit Lions
L 3–17
2–4
TCF Bank Stadium
52,213
Recap
7
October 19
at Buffalo Bills
L 16–17
2–5
Ralph Wilson Stadium
68,477
Recap
8
October 26
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
W 19–13 (OT)
3–5
Raymond James Stadium
56,577
Recap
9
November 2
Washington Redskins
W 29–26
4–5
TCF Bank Stadium
52,252
Recap
10
Bye
11
November 16
at Chicago Bears
L 13–21
4–6
Soldier Field
61,792
Recap
12
November 23
Green Bay Packers
L 21–24
4–7
TCF Bank Stadium
52,386
Recap
13
November 30
Carolina Panthers
W 31–13
5–7
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
at Detroit Lions
L 14–16
6–8
Ford Field
62,490
Recap
16
December 21
at Miami Dolphins
L 35–37
6–9
Sun Life Stadium
66,203
Recap
17
December 28
Chicago Bears
W 13–9
7–9
TCF Bank Stadium
52,364
Recap
Note: Division rivals are marked with bold 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 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 former Notre Dame teammate 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 [ edit ]
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.[ 105] 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 [ 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
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 [ edit ]
Week 4: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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 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 [ 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
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 [ edit ]
Week 6: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 7: at Buffalo Bills [ edit ]
Week 7: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period
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 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 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
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 [ 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 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 [ edit ]
Week 9: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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 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.[ 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 from Teddy 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
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers [ edit ]
Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers [ edit ]
Week 13: Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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 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. Vikings 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:25.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 14: vs. New York Jets [ edit ]
Week 14: New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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 from Geno Smith (Nick Folk kick), 7:35. Jets 9–7. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:37.
MIN – Charles Johnson 56-yard pass from Teddy 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
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 [ edit ]
Week 15: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
7
7
0 0 14
Lions
0
10
3 3 16
at Ford 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
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 [ edit ]
Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period
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 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 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 [ edit ]
Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period
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 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
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, 10 inactive, 9 practice squad
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]
^ CCNorseman (January 5, 2014). "Vikings 2013 Season Grades: Defense and Special Teams" . Daily Norseman . Vox Media. Retrieved September 8, 2014 .
^ Sessler, Marc (May 8, 2014). "Justin Gilbert drafted No. 8 by Browns after trade" . NFL.com . National Football League. Retrieved May 8, 2014 .
^ a b Goessling, Ben (May 20, 2014). "Vikings sign QB Teddy Bridgewater" . ESPN.com . Retrieved May 20, 2014 .
^ Patra, Kevin (May 8, 2014). "Vikings draft Teddy Bridgewater after missing Manziel" . NFL.com . National Football League. Retrieved May 9, 2014 .
^ Goessling, Ben (May 22, 2014). "Vikings: Scott Crichton tweets he's signed" . ESPN.com . Retrieved May 25, 2014 .
^ Goessling, Ben (June 10, 2014). "Vikings sign Jerick McKinnon" . ESPN.com . Retrieved June 11, 2014 .
^ Sessler, Marc (March 11, 2013). "Vikings agree to trade Percy Harvin to 'Hawks for picks" . NFL.com . National Football League. Retrieved March 11, 2013 .
^ a b c Tomasson, Chris (May 16, 2014). "Vikings sign three of their 10 draft picks" . TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. Retrieved May 16, 2014 .
^ a b "2014 NFL Draft trade tracker: Details of all the moves" . NFL.com . National Football League. May 10, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014 .
^ Yotter, Tim (May 21, 2014). "Vikings sign Exum; two draft picks remain" . Scout.com . Retrieved May 21, 2014 .
^ a b c d "Minnesota Vikings Contracts" . Spotrac.com . Retrieved May 20, 2014 .
^ a b Tomasson, Chris (December 30, 2013). "Minnesota Vikings sign 6 players to reserve/future contracts" . TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. Retrieved January 26, 2014 .
^ "Vikings re-sign CB/PR Marcus Sherels" . USAToday.com . March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014 .
^ Goessling, Ben (March 11, 2014). "Breaking down Marcus Sherels' new deal" . ESPN.com . ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 16, 2014 .
^ Goessling, Ben (March 7, 2014). "Cassel brings Vikings back from QB brink" . ESPN.com . Retrieved March 7, 2014 .
^ Goessling, Ben (March 9, 2014). "Everson Griffen gets $42.5M deal" . ESPN.com . Retrieved March 9, 2014 .
^ "Joe Berger: Current Salary Information" . Spotrac.com . Retrieved March 17, 2014 .
^ Tabbert, Nick (March 14, 2014). "Vikings Re-Sign WR Jerome Simpson" . KSTP-TV. Retrieved March 16, 2014 .
^ "Jerome Simpson: Current Salary Information" . Spotrac.com . Retrieved April 27, 2014 .
^ Tomasson, Chris (March 15, 2014). "Vikings do a little juggling, keep Johnson" . TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014 .
^ Tesfatsion, Master (March 5, 2014). "Vikings tender RB Matt Asiata" . StarTribune.com . Retrieved March 5, 2014 .
^ a b c d e Krammer, Andrew (August 31, 2014). "Vikings moves: MarQueis Gray claimed and practice squad additions" . 1500ESPN.com . Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014 .
^ a b Zinski, Dan (September 2, 2014). "Vikings Waive Kendall James from Practice Squad, Add Austin Wentworth" . TheVikingAge.com . Retrieved September 2, 2014 .
^ Krammer, Andrew (September 16, 2014). "Vikings sign fullback Zach Line to the practice squad" . 1500ESPN.com . Archived from the original on September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014 .
^ a b c Zinski, Dan (October 7, 2014). "Vikings Cut McLeod Bethel-Thompson from Practice Squad, Sign Pierre Warren" . Retrieved October 7, 2014 .
^ Tomasson, Chris (November 12, 2014). "Vikings re-sign Ryan Otten to practice squad" . TwinCities.com . Pioneer Press. Retrieved November 12, 2014 .
^ a b Hasan, Arif (November 18, 2014). "2014 MINNESOTA VIKINGS: VIKINGS SIGN RB DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS TO PRACTICE SQUAD" . VikingsTerritory.com . Retrieved November 18, 2014 .
^ Goessling, Ben (February 7, 2014). "Erin Henderson cut by Vikings" . ESPN.com . Retrieved February 7, 2014 .
^ Wesseling, Chris (March 4, 2014). "John Carlson reportedly to be cut by Minnesota Vikings" . NFL.com . Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014 .
^ Gantt, Darin (March 7, 2014). "Cardinals sign tight end John Carlson" . NBCSports.com . Retrieved March 7, 2014 .
^ Patra, Kevin (March 6, 2014). "Minnesota Vikings release Letroy Guion, Greg Childs" . NFL.com . Retrieved March 17, 2014 .
^ Zicarelli, Frank (September 10, 2014). "Argos hopeful aerial game not a lost cause" . TorontoSun.com . Retrieved October 1, 2014 .
^ "Packers add free agent DT Letroy Guion" . WashingtonPost.com . March 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 18, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014 .
^ Patra, Kevin (August 14, 2014). "Desmond Bishop signed by Arizona Cardinals" . NFL.com . Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014 .
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