# 2004 Minnesota Vikings season

The 2004 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 44th in the National Football League. The Vikings finished the 2004 season going 3–7 over the final 10 weeks, just like they did in 2003; however, they made the playoffs with an overall 8–8 record. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper amassed MVP-level statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a franchise record) and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record).
In the wildcard round of the playoffs, the Vikings defeated their rival Green Bay Packers 31–17 in their first ever playoff meeting, making them the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (following the St. Louis Rams, who had beaten the Seattle Seahawks the previous day). In the divisional round, the Vikings were defeated 27–14 by the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles and did not return to the playoffs for four years.
Following the season, Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders; he returned briefly to the Vikings in 2010.

## Offseason
### 2004 draft

2004 Minnesota Vikings Draft :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| Round | Overall | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 19 | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | |
| 1 | 20 | Kenechi Udeze | Defensive end | USC | From Dolphins |
| 2 | 48 | Dontarrious Thomas | Linebacker | Auburn | From Saints |
| 2 | 50 | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | |
| 3 | 82 | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | |
| 3 | 88 | Darrion Scott | Defensive end | Ohio State | From Ravens |
| 4 | 115 | Nat Dorsey | Offensive tackle | Georgia Tech | |
| 4 | 119 | Mewelde Moore | Running back | Tulane | From Dolphins |
| 5 | 151 | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | |
| 5 | 155 | Rod Davis | Linebacker | Southern Miss | From Ravens |
| 6 | 184 | Deandre Eiland | Strong safety | South Carolina | |
| 7 | 220 | Jeff Dugan | Tight end | Maryland | |
Notes:
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their first-round selection (19th overall) to the Dolphins in exchange for a first- and fourth-round selections (20th and 119th overall).
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their second- and fifth-round selections (50th and 151st overall) to the Saints in exchange for a second-round selection (48th overall).
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their third-round selection (82nd overall) to the Ravens in exchange for a third- and fifth-round selections (88th and 155th overall).

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 14 | Arizona Cardinals | W 23–6 | 1–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,658 | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 24–27 | 1–1 | Georgia Dome | 70,623 | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–10 | 2–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,960 | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 21–23 | 2–2 | Qwest Field | 50,198 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Vikings | 0 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 14
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,658
* Referee: Bill Carollo (63)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 46-yard field goal, 3:58. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 4:16.
Second quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 48-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 13:24. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:24.
MIN – Aaron Elling 30-yard field goal, 8:45. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 2:55.
MIN – Aaron Elling 36-yard field goal, 1:57. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:40.
Third quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 2:27. Vikings 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:49.
MIN – Mewelde Moore 39-yard run (Dan Orner kick), 0:51. Vikings 20–6. Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:36.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Dan Orner 46-yard field goal, 6:36. Vikings 23–6. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:49.
Top passers
ARI – John Navarre – 6/7, 76 yards
MIN – Gus Frerotte – 9/18, 136 yards, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Larry Croom – 8 rushes, 37 yards
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 3 rushes, 52 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Fabian Davis – 1 reception, 32 yards
MIN – Randy Moss – 3 receptions, 61 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Falcons | 0 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: August 20
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,623
* Referee: Gerry Austin (34)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 13:07. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 1:53.
MIN – Randy Moss 67-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 7:19. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 94 yards, 3:08.
Second quarter
MIN – Aaron Elling 47-yard field goal, 12:49. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 1:02.
ATL – Jay Feely 28-yard field goal, 8:16. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:33.
ATL – Michael Jenkins 47-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Jay Feely kick), 7:21. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 2 plays, 58 yards, 0:55.
ATL – Jay Feely 34-yard field goal, 0:32. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 5:08.
Third quarter
MIN – Kelly Campbell 83-yard pass from Gus Frerotte (Aaron Elling kick), 12:38. Vikings 24–13. Drive: 5 plays, 91 yards, 2:22.
ATL – Stanley Pritchett 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Damon Duval kick), 5:57. Vikings 24–20. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 6:41.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Jimmy Farris 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Damon Duval kick), 6:47. Falcons 27–24. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:32.
Top passers
MIN – Gus Frerotte – 6/8, 126 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Schaub – 16/19, 205 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 7 rushes, 38 yards
ATL – Warrick Dunn – 8 rushes, 72 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Kelly Campbell – 3 receptions, 100 yards, TD
ATL – Michael Jenkins – 2 receptions, 63 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Vikings | 13 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 27
* Game time: 7:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,960
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 17-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 13:00. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:00.
MIN – Kelly Campbell 26-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (kick failed, wide left), 8:38. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:11.
Second quarter
MIN – Aaron Elling 35-yard field goal, 10:24. Vikings 16–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:29.
Third quarter
SF – Jamal Robertson 6-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 10:00. Vikings 16–7. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:34.
Fourth quarter
SF – Kirk Yliniemi 44-yard field goal, 11:39. Vikings 16–10. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 6:26.
MIN – Larry Ned 24-yard run (Dan Orner kick), 3:38. Vikings 23–10. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:00.
Top passers
SF – Tim Rattay – 7/10, 51 yards
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 20/27, 204 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SF – Jamal Robertson – 5 rushes, 53 yards, TD
MIN – Michael Bennett – 3 rushes, 52 yards, TD
Top receivers
SF – Maurice Hicks – 2 receptions, 30 yards
MIN – Nate Burleson – 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 2
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 50,198
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 22-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Brett Conway kick), 5:49. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 5:41.
Second quarter
SEA – Jason Willis 5-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (Josh Brown kick), 2:42. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:16.
SEA – Antoine Burns 7-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (Josh Brown kick), 1:15. Seahawks 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 0:25.
Third quarter
SEA – Josh Brown 39-yard field goal, 10:36. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 3:10.
MIN – Larry Ned 1-yard run (Brett Conway kick), 4:24. Seahawks 17–14. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 6:12.
MIN – Larry Ned 10-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Brett Conway kick), 0:26. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:59.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Josh Brown 41-yard field goal, 5:21. Vikings 21–20. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 4:24.
SEA – Josh Brown 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 23–21. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 2:57.
Top passers
MIN – Shaun Hill – 14/18, 137 yards, TD
SEA – Trent Dilfer – 17/20, 211 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Larry Ned – 15 rushes, 55 yards, TD
SEA – Maurice Morris – 10 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 2 receptions, 56 yards
SEA – Antoine Burns – 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD :

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 12 | Dallas Cowboys | W 35–17 | 1–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,105 | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–27 | 1–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | 67,676 | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | Chicago Bears | W 27–22 | 2–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,163 | Recap |
| 4 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 5 | October 10 | at Houston Texans | W 34–28 (OT) | 3–1 | Reliant Stadium | 70,718 | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | at New Orleans Saints | W 38–31 | 4–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 64,900 | Recap |
| 7 | October 24 | Tennessee Titans | W 20–3 | 5–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,108 | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | New York Giants | L 13–34 | 5–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,012 | Recap |
| 9 | November 8 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 28–31 | 5–3 | RCA Dome | 57,307 | Recap |
| 10 | November 14 | at Green Bay Packers | L 31–34 | 5–4 | Lambeau Field | 70,671 | Recap |
| 11 | November 21 | Detroit Lions | W 22–19 | 6–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,156 | Recap |
| 12 | November 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–16 | 7–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,004 | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | at Chicago Bears | L 14–24 | 7–5 | Soldier Field | 62,051 | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | Seattle Seahawks | L 23–27 | 7–6 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,110 | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | at Detroit Lions | W 28–27 | 8–6 | Ford Field | 62,337 | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Green Bay Packers | L 31–34 | 8–7 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,311 | Recap |
| 17 | January 2 | at Washington Redskins | L 18–21 | 8–8 | FedExField | 76,876 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Vikings | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,105
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Billy Cundiff 27-yard field goal, 11:02. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:58.
Second quarter
MIN – Onterrio Smith 63-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 11:26. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:32.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 3-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 0:30. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 9:03.
DAL – Terry Glenn 32-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Billy Cundiff kick), 0:05. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 0:25.
Third quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 3-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 12:25. Vikings 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:35.
DAL – ReShard Lee 7-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 10:36. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 1:49.
MIN – Randy Moss 1-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:01. Vikings 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:35.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Kelly Campbell 43-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:56. Vikings 35–17. Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 2:39.
Top passers
DAL – Vinny Testaverde – 29/50, 355 yards, TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 17/23, 242 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
DAL – ReShard Lee – 5 rushes, 35 yards, TD
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 15 rushes, 76 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Antonio Bryant – 8 receptions, 112 yards
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 1 reception, 63 yards, TD :
The Vikings kicked off the season hosting the Bill Parcells coached Dallas Cowboys. After an opening quarter that only saw the Cowboys recording a field goal, Daunte Culpepper caught fire, throwing two-second quarter touchdowns to Onterrio Smith and Marcus Robinson. Vinny Testaverde responded down 14–3, finding Terry Glenn for a 32-yard touchdown as the half expired. Randy Moss found his groove in the third quarter, finding himself on the receiving end of two Daunte Culpepper touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys drove into the red zone down 28–17, but Antoine Winfield forced and recovered a Richie Anderson fumble, which led to Daunte Culpepper's fifth touchdown pass, via a 43-yard pass to Kelly Campbell. Onterrio Smith helped ice the game away, finishing with 76 yards rushing, giving him 139 yards from scrimmage. The Vikings defense did show some holes in the win, allowing 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde to pass for 355 yards, while also allowing 71 yards rushing on the day.

#### Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Eagles | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT/8:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,676
* Referee: Bill Carollo (63)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 11:20. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:40.
PHI – L. J. Smith 11-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 5:43. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:37.
Second quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 19-yard field goal, 12:06. Eagles 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 8:37.
PHI – David Akers 37-yard field goal, 6:36. Eagles 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 5:30.
Third quarter
PHI – Donovan McNabb 20-yard run (David Akers kick), 11:22. Eagles 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 3:38.
MIN – Morten Andersen 39-yard field goal, 4:37. Eagles 17–9. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 6:45.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Terrell Owens 45-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 7:40. Eagles 24–9. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:34.
MIN – Randy Moss 4-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 3:32. Eagles 24–16. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:08.
PHI – David Akers 47-yard field goal, 1:11. Eagles 27–16. Drive: 5 plays, 13 yards, 2:21.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 37/47, 343 yards, TD, INT
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 19/28, 245 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 8 rushes, 41 yards
PHI – Brian Westbrook – 12 rushes, 69 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Randy Moss – 8 receptions, 69 yards, TD
PHI – Terrell Owens – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD :
The Vikings traveled to Philadelphia for a Monday night showdown with the NFC favorite Eagles. The Vikings started the game with a Morten Andersen field goal. The Eagles then responded with a strong drive by Brian Westbrook, resulting in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to L. J. Smith. The remaining second half resulted in a series of frustrations for the Vikings, twice having a 1st-and-goal within the 2-yard line, only to result in a field goal and a Culpepper fumble. In the second half, the Eagles scored on their opening possession, capped off with a 20-yard touchdown run by Donovan McNabb. Morten Andersen then missed a field goal with the Vikings down 17–9, which the Eagles responded to with a 45-yard touchdown reception by Terrell Owens three plays later. The Vikings finally found the end zone with three minutes remaining on a 4-yard Randy Moss reception to bring the Vikings within 8, only to be countered by a David Akers field goal with 1:15 remaining, putting the game away. The Vikings defense put together a second-straight poor effort, allowing 353 yards of offense. Daunte Culpepper continued his strong start in the loss, throwing for 348 yards, while also being the Vikings leading rusher, finishing with 41 yards.

#### Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 22 |
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,163
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 34-yard field goal, 8:08. Bears 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 6:52.
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 23-yard field goal, 13:41. Bears 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:19.
MIN – Randy Moss 3-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 8:57. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:44.
MIN – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 5:09. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:23.
Third quarter
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 10:58. Vikings 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 4:02.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 32-yard field goal, 14:46. Vikings 17–9. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:14.
MIN – Morten Andersen 24-yard field goal, 11:20. Vikings 20–9. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:26.
CHI – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (pass failed), 6:20. Vikings 20–15. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 5:00.
MIN – Randy Moss 2-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 5:39. Vikings 27–15. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 0:41.
CHI – Rex Grossman 6-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 2:00. Vikings 27–22. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:39.
Top passers
CHI – Rex Grossman – 21/31, 248 yards
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 19/30, 360 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Thomas Jones – 22 rushes, 110 yards, TD
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 17 rushes, 94 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Bobby Wade – 4 receptions, 71 yards
MIN – Randy Moss – 7 receptions, 119 yards :
The Vikings returned home in week 3 to face the 1–1 Bears. The Bears scored a field goal on the opening drive, with the game devolving to a slop fest over the next quarter. The Vikings missed a field goal, responded with Lance Johnstone forcing a Rex Grossman fumble, only for Onterrio Smith to fumble on the following play. After falling behind 6–0, the Vikings finally found offensive success, with Culpepper finding Kelly Campbell for 40 yards, followed several plays later with a 3-yard Randy Moss touchdown. The Vikings extended their lead following a long third quarter drive, culminating with a 1-yard Culpepper touchdown run, giving the Vikings a 17–6 lead. After trading field goals, the Bears cut the lead to 20–16 on a Thomas Jones touchdown run. The Vikings again responded, with Culpepper throwing a 63-yard pass to Nate Burleson, setting up a 2-yard touchdown connection to Randy Moss. Rex Grossman led the Bears in their comeback attempt, as he dove for the pylon, and appeared to fumble out of the back of the end zone. A Lovie Smith challenge showed Grossman crossed the plane prior to fumbling, but Grossman tore his ACL on the play, ending his 2004 season. The Bears got the ball with 1:16 left trailing 27–22, but backup quarterback Jonathan Quinn threw three consecutive incompletions, and then be sacked on fourth down by Kevin Williams, sealing the victory for the Vikings. Daunte Culpepper continued to have stellar numbers, throwing for 360 yards, with Randy Moss having 119 yards receiving, and Onterrio Smith having 104 yards receiving, and 94 yards rushing. The defense continued to act as a sieve, with Grossman throwing for 248 yards, and running back Thomas Jones rushing for 110 yards, and adding 71 yards receiving.

#### Week 5: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 28 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,718
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 1-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 14:11. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:40.
MIN – Nate Burleson 5-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 0:36. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:23.
Third quarter
MIN – Marcus Robinson 10-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 11:50. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 49 yards, 0:46.
HOU – Andre Johnson 2-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 6:52. Vikings 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 11:31. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:11.
MIN – Randy Moss 50-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:49. Vikings 28–14. Drive: 3 plays, 59 yards, 0:59.
HOU – Derick Armstrong 11-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:11. Vikings 28–21. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 3:38.
HOU – Andre Johnson 22-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 1:53. Tied 28–28. Drive: 3 plays, 42 yards, 0:28.
Overtime
MIN – Marcus Robinson 50-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper, 7:05. Vikings 34–28. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:30.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 36/50, 396 yards, 5 TD
HOU – David Carr – 27/42, 372 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 20 rushes, 92 yards
HOU – Domanick Davis – 14 rushes, 31 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 9 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 12 receptions, 170 yards, 2 TD :
The Vikings came out of their bye week to face the 2–2 Houston Texans for the first time in franchise history. The Vikings defense appeared fresh, shutting down David Carr and the Texans in the first half, while Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings offense continued humming, with Culpepper finding Nate Burleson and Randy Moss for second quarter touchdowns, giving the Vikings a 14–0 halftime advantage. The Vikings defense continued strongly in the second half, forcing a three-and-out, which the Vikings followed with three Culpepper completions, capped off with a 10-yard Burleson touchdown. David Carr found some success, leading the Texans on two long scoring drives, resulting in touchdowns by Andre Johnson and Dominack Williams. The Vikings seemingly put the game out of reach on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Culpepper to Randy Moss with 6:58 remaining. David Carr continued his career best game, leading two long drives, capping them off with touchdown passes to Derrick Armstrong and David Carr, sandwiching a Vikings three-and-out, forcing overtime. In overtime, the Vikings won the toss, and the teams traded punts. On the Vikings second possession of overtime, Culpepper found Marcus Robinson on a post on 3rd-and-12 from the 50, earning the walk-off win for the Vikings. Culpepper finished with 396 yards passing and five touchdowns, with Mewelde Moore adding 92 yards rushing and 90 yards receiving. The defense ended up allowing David Carr to pass for 372 yards and three touchdowns, with Andre Johnson burning the Vikings for 170 yards receiving on 12 catches. The win did bring the Vikings record to 3–1.

#### Week 6: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Saints | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: October 17
* Game time: 7:35 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 64,900
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 1-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 7:53. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:42.
Second quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 43-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 14:03. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:03.
NO – Deuce McAllister 2-yard run (John Carney kick), 6:29. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:19.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 16-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 1:53. Vikings 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:31.
NO – Joe Horn 7-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 0:21. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:32.
Third quarter
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 9-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 10:48. Vikings 28–14. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 2:39.
NO – Deuce McAllister 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 6:13. Vikings 28–21. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:35.
MIN – Morten Andersen 39-yard field goal, 2:26. Vikings 31–21. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:47.
Fourth quarter
NO – John Carney 45-yard field goal, 13:08. Vikings 31–24. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:18.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 1-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 7:04. Vikings 38–24. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:04.
NO – Aaron Brooks 5-yard run (John Carney kick), 2:51. Vikigns 38–31. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:13.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 26/37, 425 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
NO – Aaron Brooks – 22/38, 249 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 15 rushes, 109 yards
NO – Deuce McAllister – 18 rushes, 78 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Nate Burleson – 6 receptions, 134 yards
NO – Jerome Pathon – 4 receptions, 92 yards :

#### Week 7: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Vikings | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 24
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,108
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal, 8:19. Titans 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:38.
MIN – Morten Andersen 29-yard field goal, 0:38. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 7:41.
Second quarter
MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 11:34. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 3:09.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 2-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 0:23. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:50.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 29-yard field goal, 10:17. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:35.
Top passers
TEN – Billy Volek – 17/36, 190 yards, 3 INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 24/30, 183 yards, TD
Top rushers
TEN – Chris Brown – 14 rushes, 55 yards
MIN – Mewelde Moore – 20 rushes, 138 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Derrick Mason – 8 receptions, 85 yards
MIN – Nate Burleson – 6 receptions, 53 yards :
The Vikings returned home to host the 2–4 Titans. After a Darren Bennett punt, Steve McNair led the Titans down the field, setting up a Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal. The Vikings immediately responded with an eight-minute drive of their own, resulting in a 29-yard Morten Andersen field goal. Steve McNair was injured on the ensuing drive, and was replaced by Billy Volek. Volek was overwhelmed by the Vikings defense, throwing three interceptions, and getting sacked twice. Moe Williams and Marcus Robinson scored on short touchdowns for the Vikings, and Mewelde Moore added 138 yards rushing to ice a defensive second half. The Vikings defense had their season best performance, holding the Titans to 243 yards in the victory, which improved their record to 4–1.

#### Week 8: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 31
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,012
* Referee: Larry Nemmers (20)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Steve Christie 50-yard field goal, 11:16. Giants 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:46.
NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 8:15. Giants 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
NYG – Tiki Barber 5-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 13:20. Giants 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 1:55.
NYG – Steve Christie 30-yard field goal, 0:05. Giants 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 4:01.
Third quarter
NYG – Mike Cloud 1-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 5:39. Giants 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:09.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Mike Cloud 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 12:08. Giants 34–0. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:42.
MIN – Michael Bennett 10-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 9:01. Giants 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:07.
MIN – Nate Burleson 1-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (pass failed), 2:44. Giants 34–13. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 2:15.
Top passers
NYG – Kurt Warner – 13/21, 144 yards
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 24/41, 231 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NYG – Tiki Barber – 24 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 5 rushes, 32 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 3 receptions, 60 yards
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 4 receptions, 91 yards :

#### Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 28 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST/8:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 57,307
* Referee: Gerry Austin (34)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 5-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 9:09. Colts 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:39.
Second quarter
IND – Marcus Pollard 10-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:54. Colts 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:31.
MIN – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 12:43. Colts 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:11.
MIN – Morten Andersen 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Colts 14–6. Drive: 13 plays, 87 yards, 5:16.
Third quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 91-yard punt return (Daunte Culpepper run), 10:49. Tied 14–14.
IND – Dallas Clark 4-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 2:07. Colts 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 8-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 11:27. Tied 21–21. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:40.
IND – Marcus Pollard 19-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 7:24. Colts 28–21. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:03.
MIN – Onterrio Smith 24-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 2:54. Tied 28–28. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:30.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 35-yard field goal, 0:02. Colts 31–28. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 2:52.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 16/19, 169 yards, TD
IND – Peyton Manning – 23/29, 268 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 13 rushes, 80 yards, TD
IND – Edgerrin James – 26 rushes, 123 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins – 5 receptions, 63 yards
IND – Marvin Harrison – 6 receptions, 81 yards :

#### Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Packers | 7 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: November 14
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,671
* Referee: Ron Winter (14)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Javon Walker 50-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:08. Packers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:52.
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 13-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:25. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:43.
Second quarter
GB – Tony Fisher 2-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:09. Packers 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:39.
MIN – Morten Andersen 21-yard field goal, 8:47. Packers 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:22.
GB – Bubba Franks 17-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:27. Packers 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:20.
GB – Ryan Longwell 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Packers 24–10. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 4:32.
Third quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 8-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 2:39. Packers 24–17. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:14.
Fourth quarter
GB – William Henderson 6-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:24. Packers 31–17. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 4:15.
MIN – Onterrio Smith 2-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 2:53. Packers 31–24. Drive: 16 plays, 86 yards, 5:56.
MIN – Moe Williams 17-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 1:20. Tied 31–31. Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 0:58.
GB – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Packers 34–31. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 1:20.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 27/44, 363 yards, 4 TD
GB – Brett Favre – 20/29, 236 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 5 rushes, 21 yards
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 5 rushes, 21 yards
GB – Ahman Green – 21 rushes, 145 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Nate Burleson – 11 receptions, 141 yards, TD
GB – Javon Walker – 3 receptions, 74 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,156
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Eddie Drummond 92-yard kickoff return (Jason Hanson kick), 14:48. Lions 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12.
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 8-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 13:18. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:30.
DET – Stephen Alexander 1-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 5:53. Lions 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:25.
Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, 3:33. Lions 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:27.
Third quarter
DET – Onterrio Smith tackled in the end zone by Cory Redding for a safety, 9:29. Lions 19–7.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 6-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Daunte Culpepper–Nate Burleson pass), 14:17. Lions 19–15. Drive: 17 plays, 78 yards, 8:11.
MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:27. Vikings 22–19. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 6:30.
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 12/19, 91 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 22/32, 233 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Jones – 19 rushes, 100 yards
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 11 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
DET – Stephen Alexander – 4 receptions, 27 yards
MIN – Kelly Campbell – 1 reception, 61 yards :

#### Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Vikings | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 28
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,004
* Referee: Bill Carollo (63)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 25-yard field goal, 6:32. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 3:56.
Second quarter
JAX – Brian Jones 26-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Josh Scobee kick), 13:39. Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:38.
JAX – Josh Scobee 33-yard field goal, 11:23. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:03.
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 6:15. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:08.
JAX – Josh Scobee 32-yard field goal, 1:09. Jaguars 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 5:06.
MIN – Morten Andersen 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:09.
Third quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 2-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 5:34. Vikings 20–13. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 9:26.
Fourth quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 42-yard field goal, 13:28. Vikings 20–16. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:56.
MIN – Kevin Williams 77-yard fumble return (Morten Andersen kick), 1:59. Vikings 27–16.
Top passers
JAX – Byron Leftwich – 19/34, 235 yards, TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 19/27, 235 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
JAX – Fred Taylor – 22 rushes, 147 yards
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 20 rushes, 72 yards
Top receivers
JAX – Jimmy Smith – 4 receptions, 68 yards
MIN – Jermaine Wiggins – 4 receptions, 55 yards :

#### Week 13: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,051
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Desmond Clark 6-yard pass from Chad Hutchinson (Paul Edinger kick), 4:47. Bears 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:31.
MIN – Nate Burleson 4-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 1:19. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 53-yard field goal, 11:22. Bears 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 4:57.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 40-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 2:23. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:33.
CHI – David Terrell 15-yard pass from Chad Hutchinson (Paul Edinger kick), 0:22. Bears 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 2:01.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Jason McKie 5-yard pass from Chad Hutchinson (Paul Edinger kick), 10:23. Bears 24–14. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:43.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 23/33, 279 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
CHI – Chad Hutchinson – 18/30, 213 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 13 rushes, 79 yards
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 15 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 6 receptions, 90 yards, TD
CHI – Desmond Clark – 6 receptions, 58 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| Vikings | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 12
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,110
* Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 48-yard field goal, 10:42. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:18.
MIN – Onterrio Smith 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 3:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:23.
SEA – Bobby Engram 35-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 1:12. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:30.
Second quarter
SEA – Shaun Alexander 12-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 12:13. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:29.
MIN – Morten Andersen 32-yard field goal, 9:48. Seahawks 14–13. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:25.
MIN – Randy Moss 3-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 5:06. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:29.
SEA – Darrell Jackson 19-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 3:05. Seahawks 21–20. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:01.
Third quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 31-yard field goal, 11:58. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:57.
SEA – Josh Brown 33-yard field goal, 6:42. Seahawks 24–23. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:16.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Josh Brown 28-yard field goal, 3:40. Seahawks 27–23. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:49.
Top passers
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 23/34, 334 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 21/33, 270 yards, TD
Top rushers
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 27 rushes, 112 yards
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 14 rushes, 56 yards, TD
Top receivers
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 10 receptions, 135 yards, TD
MIN – Randy Moss – 4 receptions, 104 yards, TD :

#### Week 15: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Lions | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,337
* Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, 8:34. Lions 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:26.
MIN – Nate Burleson 36-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 1:58. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 6:36.
Second quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 82-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 9:53. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:11.
DET – Kevin Jones 16-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 3:21. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 6:32.
DET – Jason Hanson 23-yard field goal, 0:30. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:26.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Nate Burleson 37-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 8:44. Vikings 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:55.
DET – Roy Williams 9-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Joey Harrington–Tai Streets pass), 6:11. Tied 21–21. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 2:33.
MIN – Moe Williams 11-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 1:37. Vikings 28–21. Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:34.
DET – Roy Williams 1-yard pass from Joey Harrington (kick aborted), 0:08. Vikings 28–27. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:29.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 25/35, 404 yards, 3 TD, INT
DET – Joey Harrington – 25/44, 361 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 13 rushes, 51 yards
DET – Kevin Jones – 19 rushes, 79 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Nate Burleson – 5 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD
DET – Az-Zahir Hakim – 4 receptions, 108 yards :

#### Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Vikings | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,311
* Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 12-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 14:49. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:43.
GB – Ahman Green 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:37. Tied 7–7. Drive: 16 plays, 73 yards, 8:12.
MIN – Nate Burleson 68-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:15. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 68 yards, 0:22.
GB – Bubba Franks 22-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:17. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:58.
MIN – Michael Bennett 38-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 0:58. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 1 play, 38 yards, 0:19.
GB – Ryan Longwell 42-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:58.
Third quarter
GB – Javon Walker 9-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:41. Packers 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 4:18.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 29-yard field goal, 14:57. Tied 24–24. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 7:44.
MIN – Chris Claiborne 15-yard interception return (Morten Andersen kick), 8:18. Vikings 31–24.
GB – Donald Driver 3-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:34. Tied 31–31. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:44.
GB – Ryan Longwell 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Packers 34–31. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 30/43, 365 yards, 3 TD, INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 16/23, 285 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
GB – Ahman Green – 19 rushes, 64 yards, TD
MIN – Michael Bennett – 17 rushes, 92 yards
Top receivers
GB – Donald Driver – 11 receptions, 162 yards, TD
MIN – Nate Burleson – 2 receptions, 110 yards, TD :

#### Week 17: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 18 |
| Redskins | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: January 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,876
* Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Chris Cooley 6-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey (Jeff Chandler kick), 10:41. Redskins 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:19.
Second quarter
MIN – Morten Andersen 23-yard field goal, 11:32. Redskins 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 7:32.
WAS – Robert Royal 4-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey (Jeff Chandler kick), 1:17. Redskins 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:55.
Third quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 28-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 5:41. Redskins 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:49.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Ladell Betts 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 10:41. Redskins 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:30.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 38-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Daunte Culpepper–Onterrio Smith pass), 0:02. Redskins 21–18. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:56.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 27/44, 299 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Patrick Ramsey – 17/26, 216 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 2 rushes, 24 yards
WAS – Ladell Betts – 26 rushes, 118 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Randy Moss – 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD
WAS – James Thrash – 5 receptions, 81 yards :

## Standings

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Green Bay Packers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 424 | 380 | W2 |
| $^{(6)}$ Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 405 | 395 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 296 | 350 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 231 | 331 | L4 |
NFC
viewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 11–1 | .453 | .409 | L2 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .420 | .432 | L2 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .457 | .419 | W2 |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .445 | .368 | W2 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Louis Rams | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .488 | .438 | W2 |
| 6 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .480 | .406 | L2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .465 | .427 | W4 |
| 8 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .496 | .366 | L1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .496 | .417 | L2 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .461 | .417 | W1 |
| 11 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .516 | .417 | W1 |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .516 | .375 | L1 |
| 13 | Washington Redskins | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .477 | .333 | W1 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .477 | .413 | L4 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .465 | .388 | L4 |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .488 | .375 | L3 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 3 St. Louis clinched the NFC #5 seed instead of Minnesota or New Orleans based on better conference record (7–5 to Minnesota’s 5–7 to New Orleans’ 6–6). 1 2 Minnesota clinched the NFC #6 seed instead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 4 5 Detroit finished ahead of Arizona and New York Giants based upon head-to-head record (2–0 versus Arizona’s 1–1 and New York Giants’ 0–2). Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Dallas and Washington. 1 2 3 New York Giants finished ahead of Dallas and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (3–1 to Dallas‘ 2–2 to Washington’s 1–3). 1 2 Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based upon head-to-head victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | January 9 | at Green Bay Packers | W 31–17 | 1–0 | Lambeau Field | 71,075 | Recap |
| Division | January 16 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 14–27 | 1–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | 67,722 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### NFC Wild Card Round: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 17 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| Packers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: January 9
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 26 °F (−3 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,075
* Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Moe Williams 68-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 13:20. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:40.
MIN – Randy Moss 20-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 9:50. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:55.
MIN – Morten Andersen 35-yard field goal, 6:06. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:38.
GB – Ryan Longwell 43-yard field goal, 2:42. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
GB – Bubba Franks 4-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:24. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:14.
MIN – Nate Burleson 19-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:33. Vikings 24–10. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
GB – Najeh Davenport 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:37. Vikings 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:16.
MIN – Randy Moss 34-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 10:18. Vikings 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 3:19.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 19/29, 284 yards, 4 TD
GB – Brett Favre – 22/32, 216 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 7 rushes, 47 yards
GB – Ahman Green – 20 rushes, 80 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Moe Williams – 2 reception, 72 yards, TD
GB – Donald Driver – 7 receptions, 78 yards :

#### NFC Divisional Round: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Eagles | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: January 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 31 °F (−1 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,722
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Freddie Mitchell 2-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 6:18. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 4:34.
Second quarter
PHI – Brian Westbrook 7-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 14:16. Eagles 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:57.
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 7-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 10:37. Eagles 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:39.
PHI – Freddie Mitchell fumble recovery in the end zone (David Akers kick), 10:08. Eagles 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:29.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
PHI – David Akers 21-yard field goal, 13:20. Eagles 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:24.
PHI – David Akers 23-yard field goal, 6:39. Eagles 27–7. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:36.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 32-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 1:59. Eagles 27–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:40.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 24/46, 316 yards, TD, 2 INT
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 21/33, 286 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 8 rushes, 37 yards
PHI – Brian Westbrook – 12 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 5 receptions, 119 yards, TD
PHI – Freddie Mitchell – 5 receptions, 65 yards, TD :

## Statistics
### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Daunte Culpepper | 4,717 * |
| Passing touchdowns | Daunte Culpepper | 39 * |
| Rushing yards | Onterrio Smith | 544 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Moe Williams | 3 |
| Receiving yards | Nate Burleson | 1,006 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Randy Moss | 13 |
| Points | Morten Andersen | 99 |
| Kickoff return yards | Kelly Campbell | 760 |
| Punt return yards | Nate Burleson | 215 |
| Tackles | E. J. Henderson | 93 |
| Sacks | Kevin Williams | 11.5 |
| Interceptions | Antoine Winfield | 3 |
| Forced fumbles | Lance Johnstone | 5 |
* Vikings' single season record.

### League rankings

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 4,516 | 282.2 | 2nd |
| Rushing offense | 1,823 | 113.9 | 18th |
| Total offense | 6,339 | 396.2 | 4th |
| Passing defense | 3,896 | 243.5 | 29th |
| Rushing defense | 2,006 | 125.4 | 21st |
| Total defense | 5,902 | 368.9 | 28th |