# 2005 Minnesota Vikings season

The 2005 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), and Mike Tice's fourth and final season as head coach. The Vikings finished the season with a 9–7 record and missed the playoffs despite going 8–3 over the final 11 weeks. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper was injured after seven games, resulting in Brad Johnson taking over as starter. The loss of Culpepper and the departure of Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders resulted in the Vikings dropping from 2nd in passing offense in 2004 to 20th in 2005.
During the team's bye week in week 5, a scandal arose surrounding an alleged sex party aboard a pair of boats on Lake Minnetonka.

## Offseason

In February 2005, Vikings owner Red McCombs agreed to sell the team to Arizona-based entrepreneur Reggie Fowler; however, Fowler was unable to prove his finances sound enough to complete the purchase and his application to buy the team was rejected by the league. He brought in various partners, including New York-based real estate developer Zygi Wilf, who took over as the lead owner, with Fowler as one of the minor partners. The deal to install Wilf as owner was concluded in May 2005.

### Acquisitions

Additions :
| Player | Position | Status (previous team) |
| Darren Sharper | S | Free agent (GB) |
| Pat Williams | DT | Free agent (BUF) |
| Fred Smoot | CB | Free agent (WAS) |
| Brad Johnson | QB | Free agent (TB) |
| Travis Taylor | WR | Free agent (BAL) |
| Koren Robinson | WR | Free agent (SEA) |

### Departures

Additions :
| Player | Position | Status (new team) |
| Brian Russell | S | Free agent (CLE) |
| Chris Hovan | DT | Free agent (TB) |

### Trades

| Date | Trade partner | From Vikings | To Vikings |
| March 2, 2005 | Oakland Raiders | WR Randy Moss | LB Napoleon Harris 2005 1st round pick 2005 7th round pick |
| March 19, 2005 | New York Jets | 2005 7th round pick | LB Sam Cowart |

### 2005 draft

2005 Minnesota Vikings Draft :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| Round | Selection | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Troy Williamson | Wide receiver | South Carolina | From Raiders |
| 1 | 18 | Erasmus James | Defensive end | Wisconsin | |
| 2 | 49 | Marcus Johnson | Offensive tackle | Ole Miss | |
| 3 | 80 | Dustin Fox | Cornerback | Ohio State | |
| 4 | 112 | Ciatrick Fason | Running back | Florida | From Redskins |
| 4 | 120 | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | |
| 5 | 154 | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | |
| 6 | 191 | C. J. Mosley | Defensive tackle | Missouri | |
| 7 | 219 | Adrian Ward | Cornerback | UTEP | From Raiders |
| 7 | 230 | Traded to the New York Jets | Traded to the New York Jets | Traded to the New York Jets | |
Notes:
* 1 2 The Vikings traded WR Randy Moss to the Raiders in exchange for LB Napoleon Harris, and first- and seventh-round selections (7th and 219th overall).
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their fourth- and fifth-round selections (120th and 154th overall) to the Redskins in exchange for a fourth-round selection (112th overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded their seventh-round selection (230th overall) to the Jets in exchange for LB Sam Cowart.

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 27–16 | 1–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,621 | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at New York Jets | L 21–28 | 1–1 | Giants Stadium | 76,441 | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | San Diego Chargers | W 19–16 | 2–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,172 | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 23–21 | 3–1 | Qwest Field | 63,746 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| Vikings | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 12
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,621
* Referee: Ron Winter (14)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 33-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 11:52. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:08.
KC – Lawrence Tynes 19-yard field goal, 3:14. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:11.
Second quarter
MIN – Mewelde Moore 7-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:00. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:25.
MIN – Aaron Elling 40-yard field goal, 1:43. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:33.
MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 0:01. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 0:32.
Third quarter
KC – Lawrence Tynes 29-yard field goal, 9:40. Vikings 20–6. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:20.
KC – Lawrence Tynes 51-yard field goal, 2:27. Vikings 20–9. Drive: 7 plays, 4 yards, 4:07.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Ciatrick Fason 1-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 6:37. Vikings 27–9. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 8:11.
KC – James Kilian 3-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:29. Vikings 27–16. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 2:07.
Top passers
KC – Damon Huard – 14/26, 125 yards, INT
MIN – Brad Johnson – 9/12, 87 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 4 rushes, 42 yards
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 5 rushes, 62 yards
Top receivers
KC – Richard Smith – 3 receptions, 36 yards
MIN – Ryan Hoag – 5 receptions, 63 yards :

#### Week 2: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Jets | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: August 19
* Game time: 8:05 p.m. EDT/7:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,441
* Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 8:27. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:37.
NYJ – Laveranues Coles 20-yard pass from Chad Pennington (Mike Nugent kick), 4:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:33.
NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 18-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Mike Nugent kick), 2:47. Jets 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:45.
Third quarter
NYJ – Jay Fiedler 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 11:41. Jets 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:06.
MIN – Troy Williamson 13-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Aaron Elling kick), 3:47. Jets 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:42.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Adimchinobe Echemandu 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 14:09. Tied 21–21. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:05.
NYJ – Cedric Houston 10-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 5:52. Jets 28–21. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:56.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 11/13, 146 yards
NYJ – Chad Pennington – 9/10, 86 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 6 rushes, 24 yards
NYJ – Cedric Houston – 6 rushes, 26 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Troy Williamson – 2 receptions, 67 yards, TD
NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 6 receptions, 57 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Vikings | 3 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 26
* Game time: 7:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,172
* Referee: Tom White (123)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Keenan McCardell 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 5:34. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:33.
MIN – Paul Edinger 25-yard field goal, 0:15. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:19.
Second quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 30-yard field goal, 6:50. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:54.
MIN – Paul Edinger 50-yard field goal, 3:01. Vikings 9–7. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:50.
MIN – Adimchinobe Echemandu 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 0:04. Vikings 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:43.
Third quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 20-yard field goal, 4:50. Vikings 19–7. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:39.
SD – Nate Kaeding 46-yard field goal, 0:18. Vikings 19–10. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
SD – Carl Morris 13-yard pass from Cleo Lemon (run failed), 3:48. Vikings 19–16. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:33.
Top passers
SD – Cleo Lemon – 14/19, 136 yards, TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 12/14, 197 yards
Top rushers
SD – Derek Farmer – 2 rushes, 31 yards
MIN – Adimchinobe Echemandu – 14 rushes, 55 yards, TD
Top receivers
SD – Duncan Reid – 3 receptions, 51 yards
MIN – Nate Burleson – 5 receptions, 97 yards :

#### Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 2
* Game time: 6:05 p.m. PDT/8:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,746
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Jerramy Stevens 24-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 6:41. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:02.
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 1:07. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:34.
Second quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 8:10. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
SEA – Leonard Weaver 31-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 6:30. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:18.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Butchie Wallace 3-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 14:51. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:56.
SEA – Marquis Weeks 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 11:28. Seahawks 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:23.
MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 5:42. Seahawks 21–20. Drive: 4 plays, −7 yards, 1:41.
MIN – Paul Edinger 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 2:10.
Top passers
MIN – Shaun Hill – 10/17, 110 yards
SEA – Seneca Wallace – 14/19, 96 yards, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Butchie Wallace – 11 rushes, 33 yards, TD
SEA – Marquis Weeks – 17 rushes, 61 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Ryan Hoag – 2 receptions, 49 yards
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 2 receptions, 36 yards :

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 11 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–24 | 0–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,939 | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 8–37 | 0–2 | Paul Brown Stadium | 65,763 | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | New Orleans Saints | W 33–16 | 1–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,952 | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 10–30 | 1–3 | Georgia Dome | 69,552 | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 6 | October 16 | at Chicago Bears | L 3–28 | 1–4 | Soldier Field | 62,143 | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | Green Bay Packers | W 23–20 | 2–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,278 | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | at Carolina Panthers | L 13–38 | 2–5 | Bank of America Stadium | 73,502 | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | Detroit Lions | W 27–14 | 3–5 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,813 | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | at New York Giants | W 24–21 | 4–5 | Giants Stadium | 78,637 | Recap |
| 11 | November 21 | at Green Bay Packers | W 20–17 | 5–5 | Lambeau Field | 70,610 | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | Cleveland Browns | W 24–12 | 6–5 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,814 | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at Detroit Lions | W 21–16 | 7–5 | Ford Field | 61,375 | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | St. Louis Rams | W 27–13 | 8–5 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,005 | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 3–18 | 8–6 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,136 | Recap |
| 16 | December 25 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 23–30 | 8–7 | M&T Bank Stadium | 70,246 | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | Chicago Bears | W 34–10 | 9–7 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,023 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,939
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV announcers (FOX): Curt Menefee, J.C. Pearson & Jay Glazer
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Darren Sharper 88-yard interception return (Paul Edinger kick), 2:44. Vikings 7–0.
Second quarter
TB – Alex Smith 23-yard pass from Brian Griese (Matt Bryant kick), 14:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:49.
TB – Alex Smith 2-yard pass from Brian Griese (Matt Bryant kick), 4:38. Buccaneers 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:25.
TB – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 0:17. Buccaneers 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 2:43.
Third quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 53-yard field goal, 3:52. Buccaneers 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 7:07.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 6:13. Buccaneers 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:37.
TB – Cadillac Williams 71-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:23. Buccaneers 24–13. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:22.
Top passers
TB – Brian Griese – 18/29, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 22/33, 233 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
TB – Cadillac Williams – 27 rushes, 148 yards, TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 3 rushes, 19 yards
Top receivers
TB – Joey Galloway – 5 receptions, 97 yards
MIN – Nate Burleson – 3 receptions, 45 yards :
The Vikings opened the season with five turnovers on the way to their first opening-day loss since 2002. Free agent signing Darren Sharper started off the scoring for the Vikings by returning an interception 88 yards for a touchdown, but the Buccaneers defense was able to limit the Vikings to 26 yards rushing and intercepted reigning Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper three times, including two for cornerback Brian Kelly. By contrast, the Buccaneers' rookie running back Cadillac Williams managed 148 yards rushing in his first NFL game, capped off with a 71-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes left to seal the game for Tampa Bay.

#### Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Bengals | 14 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,763
* Referee: Bill Carollo (63)
* TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Jay Glazer
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Chad Johnson 70-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick), 14:08. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:52.
CIN – T. J. Houshmandzadeh 12-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick), 7:19. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:48.
Second quarter
CIN – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 5:02. Bengals 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 5:35.
CIN – Shayne Graham 29-yard field goal, 3:19. Bengals 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:23.
CIN – Matt Schobel 8-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick), 0:12. Bengals 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 1:41.
Third quarter
CIN – T. J. Houshmandzadeh 16-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 2:06. Bengals 34–0. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:08.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Shayne Graham 30-yard field goal, 5:41. Bengals 37–0. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:25.
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 5-yard run (Daunte Culpepper–Marcus Robinson pass), 3:17. Bengals 37–8. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 21/37, 236 yards, 5 INT
CIN – Carson Palmer – 27/40, 337 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 3 rushes, 36 yards
CIN – Rudi Johnson – 22 rushes, 90 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Travis Taylor – 7 receptions, 75 yards
CIN – Chad Johnson – 7 receptions, 139 yards, TD :
The Vikings' misfortunes continued in Week 2, losing 37–8 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Cornerback Fred Smoot was beaten by Chad Johnson on a 70-yard touchdown in the first minute of the game, with Carson Palmer adding two more touchdown passes in the first half to give the Bengals a 27–0 lead at halftime. The Bengals piled on 167 yards rushing, with wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh adding a 16-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Daunte Culpepper continued his early season struggles, throwing five interceptions, bringing his total to eight in the first two weeks. Culpepper did ensure the Vikings avoided the shutout by scoring on a five-yard touchdown run. The Vikings were again hampered by their rushing attack, being held to 77 yards rushing.

#### Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Vikings | 17 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 33 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,952
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* TV announcers (FOX): Ron Pitts & Tim Ryan
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Travis Taylor 24-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 14:47. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:06.
MIN – Paul Edinger 24-yard field goal, 7:18. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:49.
MIN – Travis Taylor 13-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 0:33. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:34.
Second quarter
MIN – Troy Williamson 53-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 5:37. Vikings 24–0. Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:07.
NO – Ernie Conwell 13-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (pass failed), 1:54. Vikings 24–6. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 3:43.
Third quarter
NO – John Carney 22-yard field goal, 5:38. Vikings 24–9. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:34.
Fourth quarter
NO – Deuce McAllister 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 11:40. Vikings 24–16. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:12.
MIN – Paul Edinger 28-yard field goal, 6:17. Vikings 27–16. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 5:23.
MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 4:29. Vikings 30–16. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:36.
MIN – Paul Edinger 34-yard field goal, 1:08. Vikings 33–16. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:30.
Top passers
NO – Aaron Brooks – 12/32, 199 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 21/29, 300 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NO – Deuce McAllister – 14 rushes, 63 yards, TD
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 23 rushes, 101 yards
Top receivers
NO – Devery Henderson – 3 receptions, 95 yards
MIN – Troy Williamson – 3 receptions, 83 yards, TD :
In Week 3, the Vikings looked to turn their season around at home to the New Orleans Saints, who were suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, which had devastated their city only a few weeks earlier. The Vikings started positively, forcing a fumble from the Saints' return man Aaron Stecker on the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, Daunte Culpepper found Travis Taylor for a 24-yard touchdown, and the Vikings did not look back. Culpepper threw two more first-half touchdown passes, and stayed mistake free. The Vikings also found a running game, going for 146 yards, led by Mewelde Moore's 101 yards. Defensively, the Vikings held Aaron Brooks to just 12 completions on 32 pass attempts, intercepting him twice (Antoine Winfield and Keith Newman). Paul Edinger added four field goals for the Vikings in the victory.

#### Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Falcons | 7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 69,552
* Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
* TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert & Brian Baldinger
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Alge Crumpler 5-yard pass from Michael Vick (Todd Peterson kick), 7:44. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:36.
Second quarter
ATL – T. J. Duckett 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 12:55. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:50.
ATL – Warrick Dunn 37-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 3:40. Falcons 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:22.
ATL – Todd Peterson 38-yard field goal, 0:01. Falcons 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 1:18.
Third quarter
ATL – Todd Peterson 26-yard field goal, 0:04. Falcons 27–0. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 5:28.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 8:13. Falcons 27–3. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:21.
ATL – Todd Peterson 39-yard field goal, 5:24. Falcons 30–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:49.
MIN – Troy Williamson 16-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 2:33. Falcons 30–10. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 2:51.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 23/34, 250 yards, TD, 2 INT
ATL – Michael Vick – 6/8, 49 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 14 rushes, 57 yards
ATL – Warrick Dunn – 18 rushes, 126 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 6 receptions, 63 yards
ATL – Brian Finneran – 3 receptions, 31 yards :
After notching their first win of the season the week before, the Vikings returned to form in Atlanta the following week, losing 30–10 to the Falcons. The visitors sacked Daunte Culpepper nine times, and added two more interceptions to bring his total for the season to 10 through four games. The Falcons' rushing offense was almost unstoppable, going for 285 yards, with almost half of that total provided by Warrick Dunn (126 yards). For the second time in the season, the Vikings' only points of the game came in the fourth quarter, via a 16-yard pass from Culpepper to Troy Williamson.

#### Week 6: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,143
* Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
* TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Jay Glazer
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 23-yard field goal, 6:55. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 7:18.
CHI – Desmond Clark 3-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick), 0:37. Bears 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 2:40.
Third quarter
CHI – Desmond Clark 2-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick), 7:28. Bears 14–3. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:36.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Thomas Jones 24-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 13:03. Bears 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:43.
CHI – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:11. Bears 28–3. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 26/48, 237 yards, 2 INT
CHI – Kyle Orton – 16/25, 117 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 14 rushes, 57 yards
CHI – Thomas Jones – 23 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins – 10 receptions, 68 yards
CHI – Muhsin Muhammad – 5 receptions, 48 yards :
Following a bye week marred by the "love boat" scandal, the Vikings returned to action with a trip to face the 1–3 Chicago Bears. The Vikings marched down the field on their opening drive, only to botch a fake field goal attempt from the 18-yard line. After trading several punts, the Vikings put together a 13-play drive that resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Paul Edinger, who was making his first return to Chicago, for whom he had played for the last five years. However, those were to be the Vikings' only points of the game as they failed to get any further than the Bears' 30-yard line, while Daunte Culpepper added another two interceptions to his total for the season. The Bears' offense was limited by rookie quarterback Kyle Orton, who threw for 117 yards, but did find Desmond Clark for two touchdowns. The Bears were also held to 95 yards, led by 89 yards by Thomas Jones, who did find the end zone twice in the fourth quarter to close out the game.

#### Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 23 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,278
* Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
* TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Jay Glazer
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
GB – Donald Driver 22-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:11. Packers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 96 yards, 4:52.
GB – Antonio Chatman 4-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 4:33. Packers 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:14.
GB – Ryan Longwell 53-yard field goal, 0:22. Packers 17–0. Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 3:51.
Third quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal, 10:02. Packers 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:58.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 27-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 4:48. Packers 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:35.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 9:01. Packers 17–13. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:25.
MIN – Mewelde Moore 14-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 3:10. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:36.
GB – Ryan Longwell 39-yard field goal, 0:24. Tied 20–20. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:46.
MIN – Paul Edinger 56-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 0:24.
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 28/36, 315 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 23/31, 280 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
GB – Ahman Green – 16 rushes, 49 yards
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 13 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
GB – Donald Driver – 8 receptions, 114 yards, TD
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD :
The Vikings hosted the Packers in Week 7 with the two teams propping up the NFC North with 1–4 records. After a scoreless first quarter, Brett Favre started to find success against the Vikings defense, leading the Packers on two-second-quarter touchdown drives in a row, culminating in touchdown passes to Donald Driver and Antonio Chatman. After the Chatman touchdown, Koren Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the Packers' 30-yard line, only for Mewelde Moore to fumble on the Vikings' first play from scrimmage. Favre then led the Packers downfield, and set up a 53-yard Ryan Longwell field goal as time expired in the first half, giving the Packers a 17–0 lead. The Vikings mounted a comeback in the second half; starting with a field goal on their opening drive, the Vikings defense then forced a three-and-out, before Daunte Culpepper capped the next drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Robinson. After a missed field goal by Longwell, Paul Edinger made a field goal of his own before Culpepper again led the Vikings down the field, finding Mewelde Moore for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 20–17 lead with three minutes left. Favre then led the Packers down the field, resulting in a 39-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, to tie the game with 28 seconds left. Daunte Culpepper then completed back-to-back passes to Mewelde Moore and Marcus Robinson to set up a game-winning 56-yard field goal by Edinger as time expired.

#### Week 8: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Panthers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,502
* Referee: Scott Green (19)
* TV announcers (FOX): Curt Menefee & J.C. Pearson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Stephen Davis 7-yard run (John Kasay kick), 10:19. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:41.
Second quarter
CAR – John Kasay 44-yard field goal, 9:45. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:48.
CAR – Stephen Davis 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 3:57. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:06.
CAR – Steve Smith 13-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 0:38. Panthers 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 1:44.
Third quarter
MIN – Mewelde Moore 4-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 11:45. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:15.
CAR – Kris Mangum 1-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 7:25. Panthers 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:20.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Keary Colbert 25-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 7:38. Panthers 38–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 8:07.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (run failed), 1:55. Panthers 38–13. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:15.
Top passers
MIN – Brad Johnson – 13/28, 162 yards, TD
CAR – Jake Delhomme – 21/30, 341 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 9 rushes, 30 yards, TD
CAR – DeShaun Foster – 12 rushes, 51 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 4 receptions, 77 yards, TD
CAR – Steve Smith – 11 receptions, 201 yards, TD :
The Vikings failed to build on their come-from-behind win, falling to a 38–13 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. The Panthers received the opening kickoff and mounted a 10-play drive, resulting in a 7-yard touchdown run by Stephen Davis. On the final play of the first quarter, Daunte Culpepper tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in a low tackle by Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble following an 18-yard run. Brad Johnson replaced Culpepper at quarterback, but he was unable to prevent the Panthers from increasing their lead in the first half, going into the halftime interval with the score at 24–0. The Vikings did find the end zone twice in the second half, first with a Mewelde Moore touchdown to bring the score to 24–7, then a five-yard touchdown reception by Marcus Robinson with two minutes to go; however, the Panthers scored twice themselves to nullify the Vikings' attempted comeback. Panthers receiver Steve Smith finished the day with 11 catches for 201 yards.

#### Week 9: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Vikings | 3 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,813
* Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
* TV announcers (FOX): Curt Menefee, J.C. Pearson & Jay Glazer
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 21-yard field goal, 5:55. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:53.
Second quarter
MIN – Michael Bennett 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:26. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:22.
MIN – Ciatrick Fason 3-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 5:45. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:22.
MIN – Nate Burleson 15-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 4:02. Vikings 24–0. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:53.
DET – Artose Pinner 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 0:48. Vikings 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:14.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
DET – Marcus Pollard 23-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 14:55. Vikings 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:57.
MIN – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 7:30. Vikings 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 3:32.
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 28/48, 263 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIN – Brad Johnson – 15/22, 136 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DET – Joey Harrington – 4 rushes, 17 yards
MIN – Michael Bennett – 18 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
DET – Scottie Vines – 9 receptions, 109 yards
MIN – Travis Taylor – 4 receptions, 27 yards :
With Culpepper out for the rest of the season, Brad Johnson made his first start for the Vikings since week 2 of the 1998 season. After a defensively dominated first quarter resulting in only a Vikings field goal, Johnson found Michael Bennett for a five-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Joey Harrington then fumbled on a Brian Williams sack, leading to a touchdown run by Ciatrick Fason. Harrington then compounded the Lions' problems, throwing an interception to Antoine Winfield three plays later, leading to a 15-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Nate Burleson, giving the Vikings a 24–0 lead. The Lions added a touchdown before halftime on an Artose Pinner run. After a scoreless third quarter, Harrington found Marcus Pollard for a 23-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, cutting the Vikings lead to 10. In an attempt to wind down the clock, the Vikings leant on their running game, rushing for 164 yards, including 106 yards by Michael Bennett. Darren Sharper sealed the victory for the Vikings, intercepting Harrington with 18 seconds left to give the Vikings their third victory of the season.

#### Week 10: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Giants | 0 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,637
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert, Brian Baldinger & Jay Glazer
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Darren Sharper 92-yard interception return (Paul Edinger kick), 14:43. Vikings 7–0.
NYG – Jay Feely 35-yard field goal, 11:49. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:54.
NYG – Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 3:39. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:31.
Third quarter
MIN – Koren Robinson 86-yard kickoff return (Paul Edinger kick), 14:49. Vikings 14–6. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:11.
NYG – Amani Toomer 23-yard pass from Eli Manning (Jay Feely kick), 11:46. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:03.
MIN – Mewelde Moore 71-yard punt return (Paul Edinger kick), 5:27. Vikings 21–13.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Tiki Barber 3-yard run (Tiki Barber run), 1:21. Tied 21–21. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 1:56.
MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 0:10. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 1:11.
Top passers
MIN – Brad Johnson – 18/31, 144 yards
NYG – Eli Manning – 23/48, 291 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 19 rushes, 16 yards
NYG – Tiki Barber – 23 rushes, 95 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Koren Robinson – 1 reception, 44 yards
NYG – Tiki Barber – 8 receptions, 111 yards :
In Week 10, the Vikings traveled to the Meadowlands seeking consecutive victories for the first time in the season against the 6–2 New York Giants. The Vikings were unable to capitalize on a fumble by Willie Ponder on the opening kickoff, as Paul Edinger missed a 40-yard field goal after the Vikings failed to earn a first down. After trading punts, Eli Manning was intercepted by Darren Sharper, only for Edinger to have a 32-yard field goal attempt blocked on the ensuing possession. After the scoreless first quarter, Sharper intercepted Manning a second time, this time returning it 92 yards for his second touchdown of the season. The Vikings offense was unable to add to the scoreboard in the first half, and a pair of field goals from Jay Feely meant the Vikings went into the halftime break with a 7–6 lead. To start the second half, Koren Robinson returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a 14–6 lead. The Giants responded immediately, with Manning finding Amani Toomer for a 23-yard touchdown pass to again reduce the Vikings' lead to a single point. The Vikings punted on their next possession, before forcing the Giants to do the same, with Mewelde Moore returning Jeff Feagles' kick 71 yards to give the Vikings a 21–13 lead; the score made the Vikings the first team in NFL history to return an interception, kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game. Manning was intercepted two more times, including a third for Sharper; however, a non-existent Vikings offense (including 12 yards rushing on 21 carries) meant the Giants still had a chance. Following the two-minute warning, Manning put together a drive in which he completed 5 out of 7 pass attempts, leading to a three-yard touchdown run by Tiki Barber; Barber then ran in the two-point conversion to tie the scores. With 1:21 left, Johnson was sacked by Osi Umenyiora on the first play of the ensuing drive. After a Giants timeout trying to get the ball back, Johnson completed passes to Jermaine Wiggins, Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor to set up Paul Edinger's 48-yard game-winning field goal, giving the Vikings consecutive wins for the first time in 2005.

#### Week 11: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Packers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cold, 36 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,610
* Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden & Sam Ryan
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Donald Driver 15-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:16. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:21.
Second quarter
MIN – Dovonte Edwards 51-yard interception return (Paul Edinger kick), 1:04. Tied 7–7.
GB – Donald Driver 53-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:26. Packers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
MIN – Ciatrick Fason 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 0:46. Tied 14–14. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 8:33.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 24-yard field goal, 10:13. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:22.
GB – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 3:03. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 1:46.
MIN – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:03.
Top passers
MIN – Brad Johnson – 18/30, 196 yards, INT
GB – Brett Favre – 20/33, 227 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 22 rushes, 122 yards
GB – Tony Fisher – 4 rushes, 14 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins – 7 receptions, 67 yards
GB – Donald Driver – 5 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD :
The Vikings were again on the road in Week 11, traveling to Green Bay for a Monday night contest against the 2–7 Packers, as the Vikings attempted to get back to .500 and reignite their hopes of making the playoffs; however, the Vikings fell behind in the first quarter with Brett Favre finding Donald Driver for a 15-yard touchdown. The Vikings leveled the scores late in the second quarter, with Dovonte Edwards returning an interception 51 yards for a touchdown, only for Favre to throw another touchdown pass to Driver, hitting him on a 53-yard touchdown with 28 seconds remaining, to give the Packers a 14–7 halftime lead. Late in the third quarter, the Vikings snapped a streak of eight consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown, tying the game on a 1-yard touchdown by Ciatrick Fason at the end of a 14-play drive. A fourth-quarter Edinger field goal gave the Vikings the lead for the first time in the game, only to be matched by a Longwell field goal with three minutes remaining. The Packers then attempted a short kickoff to avoid a big return by Koren Robinson, only to give the Vikings strong field position. Mewelde Moore ran three times for 18 yards on the drive, giving him 122 yards for the game. Brad Johnson then found Robinson for 35 yards, bringing the Vikings to the Packers' 6-yard line. After three kneeldowns by Brad Johnson to run down the clock, Edinger connected on a 27-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Vikings their third consecutive victory.

#### Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Vikings | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,814
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee & Rich Baldinger
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 7:58. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 7:02.
Second quarter
MIN – Marcus Robinson 15-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 4:22. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 35 yards, 1:01.
CLE – Phil Dawson 32-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:18.
Third quarter
MIN – Marcus Robinson 15-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:24. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 2:11.
CLE – Phil Dawson 38-yard field goal, 3:27. Vikings 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:57.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Marcus Robinson 2-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 8:47. Vikings 24–6. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:52.
CLE – Dennis Northcutt 9-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (run failed), 1:06. Vikings 24–12. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
CLE – Trent Dilfer – 23/35, 214 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIN – Brad Johnson – 19/28, 207 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Reuben Droughns – 19 rushes, 73 yards
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 21 rushes, 67 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Steve Heiden – 5 receptions, 55 yards
MIN – Travis Taylor – 5 receptions, 70 yards :
The Vikings returned home in Week 12 to face the 4–6 Cleveland Browns, seeking their fourth straight victory, and a return to a winning record. Brad Johnson recorded his best game of the season so far, throwing for 207 yards and three touchdowns, all to Marcus Robinson, while Mewelde Moore added a further 67 yards rushing. Defensively, Darren Sharper intercepted both Browns quarterbacks, Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye, while Antoine Winfield also picked off Dilfer. The Vikings also sacked Dilfer five times, and held Cleveland to 78 yards rushing. The Browns did find the end zone with one minute remaining, with Dennis Northcutt catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from Dilfer.

#### Week 13: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,375
* Referee: Tom White (123)
* TV announcers (FOX): Curt Menefee & J.C. Pearson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 8:06. Lions 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 35 yards, 6:54.
MIN – Koren Robinson 80-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:56. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:10.
Second quarter
MIN – Michael Bennett 7-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 13:53. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:12.
DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, 0:08. Vikings 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 10 yards, 0:28.
Third quarter
MIN – Michael Bennett 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 10:45. Vikings 21–6. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:15.
DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 1:51. Vikings 21–9. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:34.
Fourth quarter
DET – Artose Pinner 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 7:38. Vikings 21–16. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:50.
Top passers
MIN – Brad Johnson – 17/23, 256 yards, 2 TD
DET – Jeff Garcia – 17/35, 126 yards, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 22 rushes, 79 yards, TD
DET – Artose Pinner – 14 rushes, 64 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Koren Robinson – 4 receptions, 148 yards, TD
DET – Artose Pinner – 3 receptions, 39 yards :
The Vikings headed to Detroit in Week 13 seeking their fifth straight win, and an opportunity to firmly entrench themselves in the playoff race against the 4–7 Lions. The Vikings completely shut down Jeff Garcia and the Lions passing attack, holding him to 17 completions on 35 attempts for 126 yards. Offensively, Brad Johnson bettered his performance from the previous week against the Browns, completing 17 of 23 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Koren Robinson in the first quarter. Michael Bennett also had a strong game, scoring touchdowns in the second and third quarters, finishing with 89 scrimmage yards. The Lions finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, as an Artose Pinner rushing touchdown brought them to within five points with 7:42 remaining. After the Lions forced a Vikings punt, Corey Chavous intercepted Jeff Garcia on the goal line with a minute remaining, securing the Vikings fifth consecutive victory.

#### Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Vikings | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,005
* Referee: Larry Nemmers (20)
* TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert & Brian Baldinger
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Koren Robinson 13-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 5:36. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:22.
Second quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 51-yard field goal, 6:54. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:38.
MIN – Paul Edinger 37-yard field goal, 4:52. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:02.
MIN – Paul Edinger 44-yard field goal, 0:59. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:19.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 0:59.
Third quarter
STL – Ryan Fitzpatrick 14-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 10:42. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:38.
MIN – Michael Bennett 7-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 8:05. Vikings 20–13. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:37.
MIN – Ciatrick Fason 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 3:11. Vikings 27–13. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:50.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
STL – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 26/45, 235 yards, 5 INT
MIN – Brad Johnson – 16/25, 146 yards
Top rushers
STL – Steven Jackson – 19 rushes, 67 yards
MIN – Michael Bennett – 18 rushes, 70 yards, TD
Top receivers
STL – Torry Holt – 10 receptions, 95 yards
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 1 reception, 49 yards :
The Vikings returned home again in Week 14 to face a St. Louis Rams team quarterbacked by rookie Ryan Fitzpatrick making his second career start. The Vikings opened the scoring with a 13-yard end-around by Koren Robinson. Both teams added a pair of field goals each in the second quarter, resulting in the Vikings taking a 13–6 lead into the locker at halftime. The Rams capped their opening drive of the second half with a 14-yard touchdown run from Fitzpatrick to tie the contest. The Vikings responded with a long pass from Brad Johnson to Marcus Robinson, setting up a 7-yard touchdown run by Michael Bennett. Fitzpatrick then threw five interceptions to four different Vikings (Brian Williams (2), Darren Sharper, Fred Smoot, and Antoine Winfield), as the Vikings increased their lead to 14 points on a touchdown run from Ciatrick Fason. There were no further points in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings holding on despite Johnson only throwing for 146 yards, to give them an 8–5 record on the season.

#### Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 3 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 18 |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,136
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan & Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Jeff Reed 21-yard field goal, 11:07. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:53.
MIN – Paul Edinger 20-yard field goal, 1:59. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:26.
Second quarter
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger 3-yard run (Jeff Reed kick), 3:30. Steelers 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 3:12.
Third quarter
PIT – Jeff Reed 41-yard field goal, 3:49. Steelers 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 6:11.
PIT – Jeff Reed 26-yard field goal, 0:36. Steelers 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Michael Bennett tackled in the end zone by Larry Foote and Joey Porter for a safety, 11:45. Steelers 18–3.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 10/15, 149 yards
MIN – Brad Johnson – 16/30, 143 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
PIT – Willie Parker – 14 rushes, 81 yards
MIN – Michael Bennett – 11 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Heath Miller – 2 receptions, 58 yards
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 2 receptions, 38 yards :
The Vikings hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. With both teams holding an 8–5 record, victory was essential for their playoff chances. The Vikings had a strong defense and only allowed a 21-yard field goal by Jeff Reed on the Steelers' first possession; however, the offense struggled and had to be content with tying the scores with a Paul Edinger field goal late in the first quarter. Brad Johnson struggled in particular, and was intercepted by both Joey Porter and Deshea Townsend in the first half. Ben Roethlisberger scored the game's only touchdown towards the end of the second quarter, running in from three yards. Johnson failed to complete a pass in the second half, and the Vikings' only first down came via a penalty. Reed added two more field goals for the Steelers in the third quarter, and rounded out the game's scoring with a fourth-quarter safety after tackling Michael Bennett in the end zone. The loss put the Vikings at 8–6 and on the brink of playoff elimination.

#### Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 23 |
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 30 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 25
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cold, 43 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,246
* Referee: Gerry Austin (34)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire & Suzy Kolber
* Recap, [ Game Book]
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Travis Taylor 13-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 11:01. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:59.
BAL – Todd Heap 6-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 1:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 17 plays, 73 yards, 9:26.
Second quarter
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 1:06. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:57.
BAL – Matt Stover 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 1:06.
Third quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 36-yard field goal, 13:29. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:23.
BAL – Mark Clayton 47-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 9:49. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:40.
MIN – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 4:14. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 33 yards, 5:35.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Derrick Mason 39-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 14:47. Ravens 24–20. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:27.
BAL – Matt Stover 38-yard field goal, 1:55. Ravens 27–20. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:12.
BAL – Matt Stover 19-yard field goal, 1:03. Ravens 30–20. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:28.
MIN – Paul Edinger 46-yard field goal, 0:15. Ravens 30–23. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 0:48.
Top passers
MIN – Brad Johnson – 25/36, 248 yards, 2 TD
BAL – Kyle Boller – 24/34, 289 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 10 rushes, 49 yards
BAL – Jamal Lewis – 24 rushes, 74 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Troy Williamson – 1 reception, 56 yards
BAL – Derrick Mason – 9 receptions, 103 yards, TD :
In Week 16, the Vikings traveled to Baltimore for a Christmas night game in the knowledge that a loss would eliminate them from playoff contention. Brad Johnson recovered from his poor performance against the Steelers and led the Vikings to a touchdown on their opening drive, finding Travis Taylor on a 13-yard pass for the score. Kyle Boller responded for the Ravens, leading them on a 17-play drive that culminated with a 6-yard touchdown reception for Todd Heap. It took until late in the second quarter for the next points to arrive, with Johnson finding Jermaine Wiggins in the end zone on a 5-yard pass with 1:06 remaining in the half; however, Matt Stover cut the Vikings' lead to 14–10 going into the half with a 37-yard field goal as time expired. The Vikings opened the second half with a 36-yard field goal from Paul Edinger, only for the Ravens to score with passes of 47 yards and 39 yards to Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason respectively, either side of another Edinger field goal to leave the Vikings trailing 24–20 with 14:47 remaining in the game. The Ravens' defense forced two consecutive punts and a Brad Johnson fumble, which resulted in two field goals by Stover to give the Ravens a 30–20 lead with just over a minute to play. Edinger cut the Ravens' lead to 7 points with 15 seconds remaining, but the Ravens recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving the Ravens the win, and eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs.

#### Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Vikings | 0 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,023
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston & Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yard field goal, 5:14. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 7:26.
Second quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 54-yard field goal, 14:53. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 0:54.
MIN – Ciatrick Fason 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 7:37. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:38.
MIN – Travis Taylor 17-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 0:03. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:45.
Third quarter
MIN – Mewelde Moore 7-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 3:58. Vikings 24–3. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 8:28.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal, 14:52. Vikings 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, −1 yard, 1:06.
CHI – Justin Gage 4-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Robbie Gould kick), 7:08. Vikings 27–10. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 7:44.
MIN – Michael Bennett 61-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 5:10. Vikings 34–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:58.
Top passers
CHI – Kyle Orton – 6/14, 59 yards
MIN – Brad Johnson – 27/40, 247 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Thomas Jones – 12 rushes, 62 yards
MIN – Michael Bennett – 6 rushes, 82 yards, TD
Top receivers
CHI – Justin Gage – 6 receptions, 67 yards, TD
MIN – Travis Taylor – 5 receptions, 68 yards, TD :
With the Vikings now out of the playoff race, they returned home for the final game of the season against the division champion Chicago Bears, who would go into the playoffs as the NFC's #2 seed. The Bears rested their now-healthy starting quarterback Rex Grossman, with Kyle Orton under center. Orton and running back Thomas Jones led the Bears to a field goal to start the scoring, before most prominent Bears players were removed from the game at the end of the first quarter. With the Bears defense now missing the likes of Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman, the Vikings scored 17 points in the second quarter, starting with a 54-yard Paul Edinger field goal, followed by a 2-yard run by Ciatrick Fason and a 17-yard pass from Brad Johnson to Travis Taylor. Johnson threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the game, with Mewelde Moore adding 101 yards from scrimmage. Moore added another touchdown for the Vikings late in the third quarter, followed by another Edinger field goal from 27 yards to start the fourth. The Bears found the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Blake to Justin Gage. The Vikings then capped the scoring with a 61-yard touchdown run from Michael Bennett, giving Minnesota a 34–10 win, securing a winning season for the Vikings. Defensively, the Vikings held the Bears to 97 yards passing, with Kevin Williams recording two sacks. Despite the team finishing with a winning record, owner Zygi Wilf announced the dismissal of head coach Mike Tice only a few hours after the game.

### Standings

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Chicago Bears | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 260 | 202 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 306 | 344 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 254 | 345 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 298 | 344 | W1 |

## Statistics
### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Brad Johnson | 1,885 |
| Passing touchdowns | Brad Johnson | 12 |
| Rushing yards | Mewelde Moore | 662 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Ciatrick Fason | 4 |
| Receiving yards | Travis Taylor | 604 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Marcus Robinson | 5 |
| Points | Paul Edinger | 106 |
| Kickoff return yards | Koren Robinson | 1221 |
| Punt return yards | Mewelde Moore | 245 |
| Tackles | Antoine Winfield | 98 |
| Sacks | Lance Johnstone | 7.5 |
| Interceptions | Darren Sharper | 9 |
| Forced fumbles | Brian Williams Richard Owens | 2 |

### League rankings

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 3,146 | 196.6 | 20th |
| Rushing offense | 1,467 | 91.7 | 27th |
| Total offense | 4,613 | 288.3 | 25th |
| Passing defense | 3,332 | 208.2 | 22nd |
| Rushing defense | 1,841 | 115.1 | 19th |
| Total defense | 5,173 | 323.3 | 21st |