# 2015 Minnesota Vikings season

The 2015 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 55th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Mike Zimmer. It marked the last season in which the Vikings played their home games at the University of Minnesota's on-campus TCF Bank Stadium, before moving into U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in July 2016, located on the site of the now-demolished Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
The Vikings improved on their 7–9 record from 2014 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2012. They also won their first NFC North title since 2009 with a Week 17 victory at the Packers. As a result, they hosted the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the 2015–16 NFL playoffs, but lost 10–9 after kicker Blair Walsh missed a potential game-winning 27-yard field goal in the final seconds.

## Offseason
### 2015 draft

* Pro Bowler
2015 Minnesota Vikings Draft :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes |
| Round | Selection | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes |
| 1 | 11 | Trae Waynes | CB | Michigan State | 4 years / $12.944 million | |
| 2 | 45 | Eric Kendricks | LB | UCLA | 4 years / $5.156 million | |
| 3 | 76 | Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs | Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs | Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs | Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| 3 | 80 | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | from Chiefs |
| 3 | 88 | Danielle Hunter | DE | LSU | 4 years / $3.077 million | from Lions |
| 4 | 110 | T. J. Clemmings | OT | Pittsburgh | 4 years / $2.804 million | |
| 5 | 137 | Traded to the Atlanta Falcons | Traded to the Atlanta Falcons | Traded to the Atlanta Falcons | Traded to the Atlanta Falcons | from Buccaneers via Bills |
| 5 | 143 | MyCole Pruitt | TE | Southern Illinois | 4 years / $2.51 million | from Lions via Broncos and Bears |
| 5 | 146 | Stefon Diggs | WR | Maryland | 4 years / $2.5 million | from Falcons |
| 5 | 149 | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | |
| 6 | 185 | Tyrus Thompson | OT | Oklahoma | 4 years / $2.4 million | from Falcons |
| 6 | 187 | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | |
| 6 | 193 | B. J. Dubose | DE | Louisville | 4 years / $2.399 million | from Chiefs |
| 7 | 228 | Austin Shepherd | OT | Alabama | 4 years / $2.349 million | |
| 7 | 232 | Edmond Robinson | OLB | Newberry | 4 years / $2.34 million | from 49ers via Dolphins |

### Roster changes

Re-signings :
| Date | Player name | Position | Contract terms |
| March 8, 2015 | Tom Johnson | DE | 3 years / $7 million |
| March 10, 2015 | Matt Asiata | RB | 1 year / $800,000 |
| March 11, 2015 | Joe Berger | C | 2 years / $2.155 million |
| March 11, 2015 | Cullen Loeffler | LS | 1 year / $1.05 million |
| March 17, 2015 | Mike Harris | OT | 1 year / $1.542 million |
| July 4, 2015 | John Sullivan | C | 3 years / $16.7 million |
| July 26, 2015 | Blair Walsh | K | 4 year / $14 million |
Departures :
| Date | Player name | Position | Note | New team |
| February 27, 2015 | Charlie Johnson | G | Released | |
| March 10, 2015 | Matt Cassel | QB | Traded | Buffalo Bills |
| March 10, 2015 | Jerome Felton | FB | UFA | Buffalo Bills |
| March 13, 2015 | Christian Ponder | QB | UFA | Oakland Raiders |
| March 14, 2015 | Jasper Brinkley | ILB | UFA | Dallas Cowboys |
| March 14, 2015 | Greg Jennings | WR | Released | Miami Dolphins |
| March 16, 2015 | Vladimir Ducasse | G | UFA | Chicago Bears |
| March 26, 2015 | Justin Anderson | LB | Released | Dallas Cowboys |
| March 26, 2015 | Jordan McCray | G | Released | |
| April 2, 2015 | Pat Devlin | QB | Released | Chicago Bears |
| August 24, 2015 | Cullen Loeffler | LS | Released | |
| August 30, 2015 | Joe Banyard | RB | Released | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| August 30, 2015 | Brandon Bostick | TE | Released | Arizona Cardinals |
| August 30, 2015 | Jalil Carter | CB | Released | |
| August 30, 2015 | Justin Coleman | CB | Released | New England Patriots |
| August 30, 2015 | DaVaris Daniels | WR | Released | New England Patriots |
| August 30, 2015 | Stephen Goodin | OT | Released | Brooklyn Bolts (FXFL) |
| August 30, 2015 | Josh Kaddu | LB | Released | |
| August 30, 2015 | Jordan Leslie | WR | Released | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| August 30, 2015 | Caesar Rayford | DE | Released | Los Angeles Kiss (AFL) |
| August 30, 2015 | Chrishon Rose | DT | Released | |
| August 30, 2015 | DeMarcus Van Dyke | CB | Released | Atlanta Falcons |
| September 5, 2015 | Babatunde Aiyegbusi | OT | Waived | |
| October 6, 2015 | Gerald Hodges | MLB | Traded | San Francisco 49ers |
| November 17, 2015 | Chase Ford | TE | Signed off Practice Squad | Baltimore Ravens |
Additions :
| Date | Player name | Position | Previous team | Contract terms |
| February 18, 2015 | Brandon Bostick | TE | Green Bay Packers | Claimed off waivers |
| March 11, 2015 | Shaun Hill | QB | St. Louis Rams | 2 years / $6.5 million |
| March 13, 2015 | Mike Wallace | WR | Miami Dolphins | Acquired in trade |
| March 19, 2015 | DuJuan Harris | RB | Green Bay Packers | 1 year / $660,000 |
| March 24, 2015 | Casey Matthews | LB | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 years / $825,000 |
| March 24, 2015 | Taylor Mays | S | Cincinnati Bengals | 1 year / $795,000 |
| March 26, 2015 | Babatunde Aiyegbusi | OL | Dresden Monarchs (GFL) | 3 years / $1.575 million |
| March 27, 2015 | Terence Newman | CB | Cincinnati Bengals | 1 year / $2.25 million |
| April 2, 2015 | Mike Kafka | QB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 year / $660,000 |
| April 2, 2015 | Caesar Rayford | DE | Montreal Alouettes (CFL) | 1 year / $660,000 |
| April 6, 2015 | Kevin McDermott | LS | Baltimore Ravens | 2 years / $1.26 million |
| May 11, 2015 | Isaac Fruechte | WR | Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA) | 3 years / $1.575 million |
| June 9, 2015 | Chrishon Rose | DT | East Carolina Pirates (NCAA) | |
| July 24, 2015 | Josh Thomas | CB | Detroit Lions | |
| August 1, 2015 | Ryan Whalen | WR | Cincinnati Bengals | |
| August 14, 2015 | Greg Hickman | DT | Detroit Lions | |
| October 6, 2015 | Nick Easton | C | San Francisco 49ers | Acquired in trade |

## Preseason
### Schedule

On February 11, 2015, the National Football League announced that the Vikings would play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. The game was played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday, August 9. The remainder of the Vikings' preliminary preseason schedule was announced on April 9. The Vikings first hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders before road games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans, making this the third consecutive year in which the Vikings face the Titans in the preseason.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| HOF | August 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 14–3 | 1–0 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio) | 22,364 | Recap |
| 1 | August 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 26–16 | 2–0 | TCF Bank Stadium | 50,610 | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | Oakland Raiders | W 20–12 | 3–0 | TCF Bank Stadium | 50,656 | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 28–14 | 4–0 | AT&T Stadium | 86,082 | Recap |
| 4 | September 3 | at Tennessee Titans | L 17–24 | 4–1 | Nissan Stadium | 61,294 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Hall of Fame Game: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio
* Date: August 9
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 79 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 22,364
* Referee: Carl Cheffers (51)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Paul Burmeister
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
PIT – Shaun Suisham 36-yard field goal, 8:23. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:43.
MIN – MyCole Pruitt 34-yard pass from Mike Kafka (Blair Walsh kick), 4:20. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 4:03.
Third quarter
MIN – Joe Banyard 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 3:57. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:03.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
PIT – Landry Jones – 16/32, 135 yards, INT
MIN – Mike Kafka – 7/10, 66 yards, TD
Top rushers
PIT – Dri Archer – 4 rushes, 24 yards
MIN – Matt Asiata – 6 rushes, 30 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Shakim Phillips – 2 receptions, 43 yards
MIN – MyCole Pruitt – 4 receptions, 51 yards, TD :

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| Vikings | 9 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 26 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 15
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 86 °F (30 °C)
* Game attendance: 50,610
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 46-yard field goal, 11:59. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:01
MIN – Zach Line 1-yard run (run failed), 4:07 Vikings 9–0. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 2:11
TB – Patrick Murray 32-yard field goal, 0:36. Vikings 9–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:31
Second quarter
MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 21-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Blair Walsh kick), 11:44. Vikings 16–3. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 0:53
MIN – Adam Thielen 15-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Blair Walsh kick), 3:45. Vikings 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:06
TB – Jameis Winston 8-yard run (pass failed), 1:04. Vikings 23–9. Drive 9 plays, 76 yards, 2:41
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 42-yard field goal, 13:05. Vikings 26–9. Drive 4 plays, −1 yards, 0:40
TB – Mike James 3-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 7:56. Vikings 26–16. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:19
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
TB – Jameis Winston – 9/19, 131 yards, INT
MIN – Shaun Hill – 8/9, 104 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TB – Bobby Rainey – 5 rushes, 20 yards
MIN – Dominique Williams – 6 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
TB – Louis Murphy – 4 receptions, 54 yards
MIN – Adam Thielen – 2 receptions, 54 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| Vikings | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 22
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 50,656
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (run failed), 3:22. Raiders 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:24.
Second quarter
MIN – Charles Johnson 10-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (kick failed, wide right), 14:14. Tied 6–6. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:08.
OAK – Giorgio Tavecchio 26-yard field goal, 2:07. Raiders 9–6. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:18.
MIN – Chase Ford 4-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Blair Walsh kick), 0:08. Vikings 13–9. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 1:59.
Third quarter
OAK – Giorgio Tavecchio 37-yard field goal, 5:25. Vikings 13–12. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 2:41.
MIN – Blake Renaud 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 2:42. Vikings 20–12. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:49.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
OAK – Derek Carr – 4/8, 78 yards
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 10/14, 89 yards, TD
Top rushers
OAK – Michael Dyer – 12 rushes, 45 yards
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 12 rushes, 25 yards
Top receivers
OAK – Amari Cooper – 1 receptions, 40 yards
MIN – Charles Johnson – 4 receptions, 40 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 28 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: August 29
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 86,082
* Referee: Ron Torbert (62)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 28-yard field goal, 1:12. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:58.
Second quarter
DAL – Terrance Williams 60-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:48. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:24.
MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 107-yard kickoff return (Blair Walsh kick), 14:35. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
DAL – Lucky Whitehead 8-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:59. Cowboys 14–10. Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 0:39.
MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 1:00. Cowboys 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
MIN – Dominique Williams 3-yard run (Taylor Heinicke–Chase Ford pass), 8:58. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:23.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Joe Banyard 7-yard run, (Blair Walsh kick), 2:57. Vikings 28–14. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:21.
Top passers
MIN – Taylor Heinicke – 11/11, 83 yards
DAL – Tony Romo – 5/8, 88 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Joe Banyard – 5 rushes, 26 yards, TD
DAL – Darren McFadden – 4 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Mike Wallace – 3 receptions, 50 yards
DAL – Terrance Williams – 1 receptions, 60 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Titans | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: September 3
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 90 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,294
* Referee: Brad Allen (122)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Harry Douglas 59-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 13:28. Titans 7–0. 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:32.
TEN – Rico Richardson 3-yard pass from Zach Mettenberger (Ryan Succop kick), 7:32. Titans 14–0. 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:53.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 0:19. Titans 14–3. 12 plays, 65 yards, 2:26.
Third quarter
MIN – Dominique Williams 14-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Blair Walsh kick), 11:20. Titans 14–10. 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:40.
TEN – Ryan Succop 40-yard field goal, 2:30. Titans 17–10. 4 plays, −11 yards, 1:00.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Phillip Supernaw 1-yard pass from Alex Tanney (Ryan Succop kick), 8:05. Titans 24–10. 12 plays, 94 yards, 7:01.
MIN – Stefon Diggs 7-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Blair Walsh kick), 3:54. Titans 24–17. 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:04.
Top passers
MIN – Taylor Heinicke – 27/41, 279 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 2/3, 74 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Dominique Williams – 9 rushes, 24 yards
TEN – David Fluellen – 12 rushes, 61 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 8 receptions, 85 yards, TD
TEN – Harry Douglas – 1 receptions, 59 yards, TD :

## Regular season
### Schedule

The Vikings' 2015 schedule was announced on April 21.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 14 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 3–20 | 0–1 | Levi's Stadium | 70,499 | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | Detroit Lions | W 26–16 | 1–1 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,319 | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | San Diego Chargers | W 31–14 | 2–1 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,400 | Recap |
| 4 | October 4 | at Denver Broncos | L 20–23 | 2–2 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | 77,029 | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 6 | October 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 16–10 | 3–2 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,480 | Recap |
| 7 | October 25 | at Detroit Lions | W 28–19 | 4–2 | Ford Field | 60,231 | Recap |
| 8 | November 1 | at Chicago Bears | W 23–20 | 5–2 | Soldier Field | 62,311 | Recap |
| 9 | November 8 | St. Louis Rams | W 21–18 (OT) | 6–2 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,406 | Recap |
| 10 | November 15 | at Oakland Raiders | W 30–14 | 7–2 | O.co Coliseum | 54,700 | Recap |
| 11 | November 22 | Green Bay Packers | L 13–30 | 7–3 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,529 | Recap |
| 12 | November 29 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 20–10 | 8–3 | Georgia Dome | 70,610 | Recap |
| 13 | December 6 | Seattle Seahawks | L 7–38 | 8–4 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,430 | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 20–23 | 8–5 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 64,784 | Recap |
| 15 | December 20 | Chicago Bears | W 38–17 | 9–5 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,421 | Recap |
| 16 | December 27 | New York Giants | W 49–17 | 10–5 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,455 | Recap |
| 17 | January 3 | at Green Bay Packers | W 20–13 | 11–5 | Lambeau Field | 78,412 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 9:20 p.m. CDT/7:20 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,499
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Berman, Trent Dilfer and Lindsay Czarniak
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
SF – Carlos Hyde 10-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 0:47. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 4:58.
Third quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 30-yard field goal, 4:32. 49ers 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 5:42.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 14:43. 49ers 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:49.
SF – Carlos Hyde 17-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 9:30. 49ers 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:13.
SF – Phil Dawson 25-yard field goal, 6:08. 49ers 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:14.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 23/32, 231 yards, INT
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 17/26, 165 yards
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 10 rushes, 31 yards
SF – Carlos Hyde – 26 rushes, 168 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Mike Wallace – 6 receptions, 63 yards
SF – Anquan Boldin – 4 receptions, 36 yards :
The Vikings opened their 2015 season on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite allowing San Francisco to start with the ball, the Vikings made a positive start, as Andrew Sendejo blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt from Phil Dawson, which Marcus Sherels returned 44 yards to the San Francisco 26-yard line. Minnesota QB Teddy Bridgewater was unable to complete a single pass on the next drive, forcing Blair Walsh to attempt a 44-yard field goal; however, he pushed it wide right. After forcing the 49ers to punt on the next series, the Vikings were themselves forced to punt immediately afterwards, only for the 49ers' rookie former rugby league star Jarryd Hayne to muff the catch, allowing the Vikings to recover the ball. The next drive saw the Vikings attempt to convert on 4th-and-3, but Bridgewater's completed pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph fell a yard short of a fresh set of downs.
Both sides exchanged punts at the start of the second quarter, with the 49ers eventually returning one 85 yards for a touchdown, only for it to be called back for an illegal block by a San Francisco player. However, the ensuing possession ended with a 49ers touchdown, as they drove 93 yards in just under 5 minutes, before Carlos Hyde finished the series with a 10-yard touchdown run; after finding nowhere to go on his initial run to the right, he beat a Minnesota defender with a spin move and ran back to the left side of the field, where quarterback Colin Kaepernick led him into the end zone. With the Vikings unable to score in the remaining 47 seconds, the first half ended 7–0 to San Francisco.
Minnesota started the third quarter with the ball, but they were unable to make it out of their half before being forced to punt. The 49ers then extended their lead on the ensuing possession, driving 73 yards to the Minnesota 11-yard line to set up a 30-yard field goal attempt for Dawson. The Vikings finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, as Walsh finished off a 66-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal, but the 49ers pulled further ahead with a second touchdown for Hyde on a 17-yard run. Bridgewater attempted to spark the Vikings back into the game, but a deep pass intended for Rudolph was intercepted by Tramaine Brock, setting up a 25-yard field goal for Dawson. The next drive saw the Vikings go for it again on 4th-and-8, but Bridgewater was sacked for a loss of 14 yards, allowing the 49ers to kneel out the game.

#### Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 26 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,319
* Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 5-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:25. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:35.
Second quarter
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 14:26. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:58.
DET – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 7:12. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:14.
MIN – Blair Walsh 28-yard field goal, 2:32. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:40.
DET – Calvin Johnson 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 0:34. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:58.
Third quarter
MIN – Zach Line 1-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 8:54. Vikings 23–10. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:31.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, 6:20. Vikings 26–10. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:46.
DET – Eric Ebron 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (run failed), 1:48. Vikings 26–16. Drive: 18 plays, 82 yards, 4:32.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/53, 286 yards, 2 TD, INT
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 14/18, 153 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 4 rushes, 20 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 134 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 83 yards, TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 2 receptions, 58 yards :

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Vikings | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 27
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,400
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 24-yard field goal, 1:15. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:31.
Second quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 2-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 9:05. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:39.
SD – Keenan Allen 34-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 1:17. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 2:17.
Third quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 43-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 12:32. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 1 play, 43 yards, 0:12.
MIN – Zach Line 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 2:42. Vikings 24–7. Drive: 16 plays, 86 yards, 7:19.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Chad Greenway 91-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 13:57. Vikings 31–7.
SD – Keenan Allen 19-yard pass from Kellen Clemens (Josh Lambo kick), 0:32. Vikings 31–14. Drive: 14 plays, 89 yards, 8:05.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 21/34, 246 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 13/24, 121 yards, INT
Top rushers
SD – Melvin Gordon – 14 rushes, 51 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 20 rushes, 126 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SD – Keenan Allen – 12 receptions, 133 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Mike Wallace – 3 receptions, 49 yards :

#### Week 4: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Broncos | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: October 4
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/2:25 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,029
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 33-yard field goal, 8:16. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:05.
Second quarter
DEN – Ronnie Hillman 72-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 11:24. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:11.
DEN – Brandon McManus 47-yard field goal, 5:57. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 3:47.
MIN – Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal, 1:39. Broncos 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 4:18.
MIN – Mike Wallace 4-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 0:12. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:11.
Third quarter
DEN – Owen Daniels 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Brandon McManus kick), 11:10. Broncos 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:50.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 48-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 10:01. Broncos 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 97 yards, 4:48.
MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 5:11. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:56.
DEN – Brandon McManus 39-yard field goal, 1:51. Broncos 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:20.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 27/41, 269 yards, TD
DEN – Peyton Manning – 17/27, 213 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 81 yards, TD
DEN – Ronnie Hillman – 11 rushes, 103 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 87 yards
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 9 receptions, 93 yards :

#### Week 6: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Vikings | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,480
* Referee: Jerome Boger (23)
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Stacey Dales
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 24-yard field goal, 5:40. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:00.
Second quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 4-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 4:43. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 6:09.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 8:51. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:34.
Fourth quarter
KC – Cairo Santos 48-yard field goal, 13:10. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 3:27.
KC – Albert Wilson 42-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 8:46. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:26.
MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 4:46. Vikings 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:00.
Top passers
KC – Alex Smith – 22/37, 282 yards, TD
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 17/31, 249 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Charcandrick West – 9 rushes, 33 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 26 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
KC – Travis Kelce – 5 receptions, 88 yards
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 7 receptions, 129 yards :

#### Week 7: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 28 |
| Lions | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 60,231
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 11:10. Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
MIN – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 3:47. Lions 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 63 yards, 7:23.
DET – Eric Ebron 7-yard pass from Matt Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 1:24. Lions 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:23.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 53-yard field goal, 11:11. Lions 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 5:13.
DET – Matt Prater 52-yard field goal, 5:03. Lions 17–6. Drive: 6 plays, 8 yards, 2:53.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (kick failed, wide right), 1:49. Lions 17–12. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:14.
MIN – Blair Walsh 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 17–15. Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, 1:13.
Third quarter
MIN – Stefon Diggs 36-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:19. Vikings 22–17. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:41.
MIN – Blair Walsh 35-yard field goal, 6:07. Vikings 25–17. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:07.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 22-yard field goal, 14:10. Vikings 28–17. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:57.
DET – Jeff Locke out of bounds in the end zone for a safety, 0:59. Vikings 28–19.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 25/35, 316 yards, 2 TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 18/26, 256 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 19 rushes, 98 yards
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 8 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 108 yards, TD
DET – Eric Ebron – 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 1
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,311
* Referee: John Hussey (35)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Holly Sonders
* Preview, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 55-yard field goal, 10:56. Bears 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 3:07.
MIN – Marcus Sherels 65-yard punt return (Blair Walsh kick), 3:37. Vikings 7–3.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 43-yard field goal, 9:05. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:46.
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 21-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 0:42. Tied 10–10. Drive: 3 plays, 34 yards, 0:19.
Third quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 33-yard field goal, 8:28. Bears 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:32.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 48-yard field goal, 13:29. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 3:23.
CHI – Jay Cutler 4-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:55. Bears 20–13. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 8:34.
MIN – Stefon Diggs 40-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 1:49. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:06.
MIN – Blair Walsh 36-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 1:00.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 17/30, 187 yards, TD, INT
CHI – Jay Cutler – 22/33, 211 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 20 rushes, 103 yards
CHI – Jeremy Langford – 12 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD
CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 10 receptions, 116 yards, TD :

#### Week 9: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Rams | 6 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| Vikings | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 21 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,406
* Referee: Ron Torbert (62)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 34-yard field goal, 10:19. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:36.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 5:24. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:32.
STL – Todd Gurley 1-yard run (run failed), 1:09. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:15.
Second quarter
STL – Greg Zuerlein 61-yard field goal, 10:55. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:20.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 35-yard field goal, 3:23. Rams 12–10. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 5:47.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Rams 15–10. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:45.
Third quarter
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 6-yard run (Teddy Bridgewater run), 8:39. Vikings 18–15. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:20.
Fourth quarter
STL – Greg Zuerlein 53-yard field goal, 0:12. Tied 18–18. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:02.
Overtime
MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 9:20. Vikings 21–18. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:59.
Top passers
STL – Nick Foles – 18/33, 168 yards
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 13/21, 144 yards, INT
Top rushers
STL – Todd Gurley – 24 rushes, 89 yards, TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 125 yards, TD
Top receivers
STL – Kenny Britt – 3 receptions, 87 yards
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 3 receptions, 42 yards :

#### Week 10: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
| Raiders | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: November 15
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 54,700
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Holly Sonders
* Preview, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Rhett Ellison 11-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:59. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:01.
MIN – Blair Walsh 20-yard field goal, 1:32. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:17.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal, 10:33. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:19.
OAK – Clive Walford 10-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:54. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:39.
OAK – Andre Holmes 34-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:52. Raiders 14–13. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:29.
MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 93-yard kickoff return (Blair Walsh kick), 1:39. Vikings 20–14.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 34-yard field goal, 3:50. Vikings 23–14. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:41.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 80-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:50. Vikings 30–14. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:13.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 14/22, 140 yards, TD
OAK – Derek Carr – 29/43, 302 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 26 rushes, 203 yards, TD
OAK – Latavius Murray – 12 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 2 receptions, 46 yards
OAK – Amari Cooper – 5 receptions, 79 yards :

#### Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 6 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 30 |
| Vikings | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 22
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 30 °F (−1 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,529
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Preview, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 42-yard field goal, 4:49. Packers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 5:35.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 47-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (kick failed, wide right), 3:01. Vikings 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 1:48.
GB – Mason Crosby 47-yard field goal, 1:37. Tied 6–6. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:24.
Second quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 40-yard field goal, 10:17. Packers 9–6. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:18.
GB – Randall Cobb 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:06. Packers 16–6. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:13.
Third quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 42-yard field goal, 10:13. Packers 19–6. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 4:47.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 2:37. Packers 19–13. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 2:00.
Fourth quarter
GB – James Jones 27-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Aaron Rodgers to James Jones pass), 14:51. Packers 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:46.
GB – Mason Crosby 52-yard field goal, 4:14. Packers 30–13. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:23.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 16/34, 212 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 25/37, 296 yards, TD
Top rushers
GB – Eddie Lacy – 22 rushes, 100 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 13 rushes, 45 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – James Jones – 6 receptions, 109 yards, TD
MIN – Kyle Rudolph – 6 receptions, 106 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: November 29
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,610
* Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 3:42. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 6:30.
Second quarter
ATL – Shayne Graham 31-yard field goal, 6:13. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 8:03.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 29-yard field goal, 1:49. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:10.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 6:24. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 8:26.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 35-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 4:15. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 3 plays, 40 yards, 0:19.
ATL – Nick Williams 1–yd pass from Matt Ryan (Shayne Graham kick), 1:28. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:47.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 20/28, 174 yards, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/31, 230 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 158 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 18 rushes, 110 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Kyle Rudolph – 7 receptions, 53 yards
ATL – Jacob Tamme – 5 receptions, 69 yards :

#### Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 6
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,430
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Thomas Rawls 5-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:36. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 7:39.
Second quarter
SEA – Russell Wilson 8-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:04. Seahawks 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 98 yards, 6:15.
SEA – Doug Baldwin 20–yd pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:04. Seahawks 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 20 yards, 0:04.
Third quarter
SEA – Fred Jackson 5–yd pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:12. Seahawks 28–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:45.
SEA – Doug Baldwin 53–yd pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:01. Seahawks 35–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:52.
MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 101–yd kickoff return (Blair Walsh kick), 0:48. Seahawks 35–7.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 8:00. Seahawks 38–7. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 7:48.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 21/27, 274 yards, 3 TD
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 17/28, 118 yards, INT
Top rushers
SEA – Thomas Rawls – 19 rushes, 101 yards, TD
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 4 rushes, 18 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 5 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Mike Wallace – 2 receptions, 43 yards :

#### Week 14: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Cardinals | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 10
* Game time: 7:25 p.m. CST/6:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Mostly clear, 68 °F (20 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 64,784
* Referee: Gene Steratore (114)
* TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 27-yard field goal, 7:23. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:37.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 3:57. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 7 play, 80 yards, 3:26.
ARI – John Brown 65-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:43. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:14.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 44-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 3:42.
Third quarter
ARI – Michael Floyd 42-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 8:31. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:49.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 23-yard field goal, 14:55. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 16 plays, 66 yards, 7:13.
MIN – Blair Walsh 54-yard field goal, 12:10. Cardinals 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 2:45.
MIN – Mike Wallace 7-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 4:55. Tied 20–20. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:10.
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 47-yard field goal, 1:23. Cardinals 23–20. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 3:32.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 25/36, 335 yards, TD
ARI – Carson Palmer – 25/35, 310 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 23 rushes, 69 yards, TD
ARI – David Johnson – 19 rushes, 92 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Kyle Rudolph – 6 receptions, 67 yards
ARI – Michael Floyd – 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD :

#### Week 15: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 36 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,421
* Referee: Brad Allen (122)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Stefon Diggs 15-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 5:44. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 93 yards, 6:22.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 53-yard field goal, 14:22. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 4:16.
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 10-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 5:40. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:25.
MIN – Jerick McKinnon 17-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 0:26. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:14.
Third quarter
MIN – Stefon Diggs 33-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:40. Vikings 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:10.
CHI – Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal, 4:23. Vikings 24–10. Drive: 15 plays, 47 yards, 6:17.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 12-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 8:45. Vikings 31–10. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:10.
CHI – Matt Forte 4-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 5:13. Vikings 31–17. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:32.
MIN – Zach Line 4-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 1:50. Vikings 38–17. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:23.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 26/37, 231 yards, 2 TD, INT
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 17/20, 231 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte – 8 rushes, 47 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 18 rushes, 63 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Matt Forte – 6 receptions, 57 yards, TD
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD :
Teddy Bridgewater's best game of his career, going 17/20, 231 yards, and 4 touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown on the ground. Before this game, Bridgewater had only 9 passing touchdowns, and afterwards, he had 13. Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears were stopped to 17 points, while Cutler also having a good game with 26/37 for 231 and 2 touchdowns.

#### Week 16: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Vikings | 3 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 49 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 27
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 13 °F (−11 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,455
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 32-yard field goal, 0:08. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:44.
Second quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 28-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 11:02. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:04.
NYG – Josh Brown 27-yard field goal, 8:22. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:40.
MIN – Harrison Smith 35-yard interception return (kick failed, hit left upright), 4:00. Vikings 16–3.
MIN – Blair Walsh 52-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 19–3. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 1:01.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 22-yard field goal, 7:35. Vikings 22–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:06.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 2-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 6:40. Vikings 29–3. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:42.
MIN – Blair Walsh 53-yard field goal, 1:51. Vikings 32–3. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:27.
NYG – Rueben Randle 72-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 1:02. Vikings 32–10. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:49.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Jerick McKinnon 7-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 13:31. Vikings 39–10. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:31.
MIN – Blair Walsh 27-yard field goal, 9:34. Vikings 42–10. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:44.
MIN – Jerick McKinnon 68-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 3:36. Vikings 49–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:43.
NYG – Myles White 25-yard pass from Ryan Nassib (Josh Brown kick), 1:54. Vikings 49–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:42.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 15/29, 234 yards, TD, 3 INT
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 15/25, 168 yards, TD
Top rushers
NYG – Rashad Jennings – 14 rushes, 74 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 22 rushes, 104 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Rueben Randle – 2 receptions, 80 yards, TD
MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 receptions, 57 yards :

#### Week 17: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| Packers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: January 3, 2016
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 24 °F (−4 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,412
* Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 10:45. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 4:15.
GB – Mason Crosby 28-yard field goal, 2:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 15 plays, 70 yards, 8:43.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 32-yard field goal, 2:55. Vikings 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:37.
Third quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 10:32. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:55.
MIN – Captain Munnerlyn 55-yard fumble return (Blair Walsh kick), 4:28. Vikings 20–3.
Fourth quarter
GB – Richard Rodgers 16-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 13:27. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:01.
GB – Mason Crosby 43-yard field goal, 5:35. Vikings 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:25.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 10/19, 99 yards, INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 28/44, 291 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 19 rushes, 67 yds, TD
GB – Eddie Lacy – 13 rushes, 34 yds
Top receivers
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 3 receptions, 33 yards
GB – James Jones – 4 receptions, 102 yards :

### Standings
#### Division

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Minnesota Vikings | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 365 | 302 | W3 |
| $^{(5)}$ Green Bay Packers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 368 | 323 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 358 | 400 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 335 | 397 | L1 |

#### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division Leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Carolina Panthers | South | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .441 | .438 | W1 |
| 2 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .477 | .457 | L1 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .449 | W3 |
| 4 | Washington Redskins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .465 | .403 | W4 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
| 6 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .520 | .431 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .480 | .453 | L1 |
| 8 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
| 12 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .484 | .406 | L4 |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .539 | .463 | W1 |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3–3 | 3–9 | .531 | .438 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 4 St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record. ↑ 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

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | January 10, 2016 | Seattle Seahawks (6) | L 9–10 | 0–1 | TCF Bank Stadium | 52,090 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. #6 Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: January 10, 2016
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, −6 °F (−21 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,090
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 22-yard field goal, 1:01. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 25 yards, 5:52.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 43-yard field goal, 7:04. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:45.
MIN – Blair Walsh 47-yard field goal, 0:02. Vikings 9–0. Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, 4:39.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Doug Baldwin 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:37. Vikings 9–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:25.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 46-yard field goal, 8:04. Seahawks 10–9. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 2:33.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 13/26, 142 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 17/24, 146 yards
Top rushers
SEA – Christine Michael – 21 rushes, 70 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 23 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 5 receptions, 42 yards, TD
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 4 receptions, 26 yards :
The Vikings' only points in this game came from the foot of kicker Blair Walsh, whose three field goals put them 9–0 up by the end of the third quarter; however, Seattle outscored them 10–0 in the final period, with a touchdown catch from Doug Baldwin being followed by a 46-yard Steven Hauschka field goal in the first seven minutes of the quarter. The Vikings had a chance to win it with 20 seconds remaining, but Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal, reminding Vikings fans of Gary Anderson's missed field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.

## Pro Bowl

Running back Adrian Peterson was the only Minnesota Viking selected for the 2016 Pro Bowl. It was Peterson's seventh Pro Bowl selection, tying him for the fourth-most in Vikings franchise history with offensive tackle Ron Yary. After Houston Texans DE J. J. Watt suffered an injury in the wildcard round game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was called up to replace him, his first career Pro Bowl selection. Griffen was followed by a fellow first-time Pro Bowler, safety Harrison Smith, on January 25, after Earl Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks was ruled out of the game due to injury. The next day, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and linebacker Anthony Barr were added to the Pro Bowl roster as replacements for injured Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins respectively.

## Statistics
### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Teddy Bridgewater | 3,231 |
| Passing touchdowns | Teddy Bridgewater | 14 |
| Rushing yards | Adrian Peterson | 1,485 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Adrian Peterson | 11 |
| Receptions | Stefon Diggs | 52 |
| Receiving yards | Stefon Diggs | 720 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Kyle Rudolph | 5 |
| Points | Blair Walsh | 135 |
| Kickoff return yards | Cordarrelle Patterson | 1,019 |
| Punt return yards | Marcus Sherels | 311 |
| Tackles | Eric Kendricks | 92 |
| Sacks | Everson Griffen | 10.5 |
| Interceptions | Terence Newman | 3 |
| Forced fumbles | Anthony Barr | 3 |
Source: Minnesota Vikings' official website

### League rankings

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 2,928 | 183.0 | 31st |
| Rushing offense | 2,211 | 138.2 | 4th |
| Total offense | 5,139 | 321.2 | 29th |
| Passing defense | 3,759 | 234.9 | 12th |
| Rushing defense | 1,748 | 109.2 | 17th |
| Total defense | 5,507 | 344.2 | 13th |
Source: NFL.com.