# 2011 Minnesota Vikings season

The 2011 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), and the first full season under head coach Leslie Frazier, who served as the team's interim head coach for the final six games of the 2010 season. The team failed to improve on their 6–10 record from 2010, going 2–6 before their bye week, before being eliminated from playoff contention in week 12 with a 2–9 record. The team also suffered its first six-game losing streak since the 1984 season.
The team started the season with a new starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb, who had enjoyed great success with the Eagles but had a subpar year with the Redskins in 2010. McNabb played respectably, having a passer rating of 82.9 and only turning the ball over twice, but his 1–5 record as starter led to him being benched in favor of rookie Christian Ponder in Week 6, and McNabb was later waived on December 1, 2011. Despite a poor year for the team as a whole, Jared Allen set a franchise record for most sacks in a season with 22. The team led the league in sacks with 50, but also tied a team record for fewest interceptions caught in a season with only eight.

## Offseason
### Players Additions

* Michael Jenkins-signed from the Atlanta Falcons.
* Scott Kooistra-signed from the Baltimore Ravens.
* Donovan McNabb-signed from the Washington Redskins.

### Players lost

* Ryan Cook-signed with the Miami Dolphins.
* Ray Edwards-signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
* Brett Favre-Announced to retire.
* Heath Farwell-signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
* Tarvaris Jackson-signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
* Jimmy Kennedy-signed with the New York Giants.
* Ben Leber-signed with the St. Louis Rams.
* Bryant McKinnie-signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
* Sidney Rice-signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
* Lito Sheppard-signed with the Oakland Raiders.
* Frank Walker-signed with the Tennessee Titans.
* Madieu Williams-signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
* Pat Williams-Announced to retire.

### 2011 draft

After finishing with a 6–10 record in the 2010 season, the Vikings were allocated the 12th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
* Pro Bowler
2011 Minnesota Vikings Draft :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes |
| Round | Overall | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes |
| 1 | 12 | Christian Ponder | QB | Florida State | 4 years | |
| 2 | 43 | Kyle Rudolph | TE | Notre Dame | 4 years | |
| 3 | 74 | Traded to the New England Patriots | Traded to the New England Patriots | Traded to the New England Patriots | Traded to the New England Patriots | |
| 4 | 106 | Christian Ballard | DE | Iowa | 4 years | |
| 5 | 139 | Brandon Burton | CB | Utah | 4 years | |
| 5 | 150 | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | From Giants |
| 6 | 168 | DeMarcus Love | OT | Arkansas | 4 years | From Broncos, via Browns |
| 6 | 170 | Mistral Raymond | S | South Florida | 4 years | From Browns |
| 6 | 172 | Brandon Fusco | C | Slippery Rock | 4 years | |
| 6 | 200 | Ross Homan | LB | Ohio State | 4 years | Compensatory pick |
| 7 | 215 | D'Aundre Reed | DE | Arizona | 4 years | |
| 7 | 236 | Stephen Burton | WR | West Texas A&M | 4 years | Compensatory pick |
Notes:
* ↑ The Vikings traded their third-round selection (74th overall) to the Patriots in exchange for WR Randy Moss and a 2012 seventh-round selection (223rd overall).
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (150th overall) to the Browns in exchange for two sixth-round selections (168th and 170th overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded RB Darius Reynaud and QB Sage Rosenfels to the Giants in exchange for the a fifth-round selection (150th overall) and a conditional 2012 seventh-round selection, which was not exercised.
* 1 2 The Vikings were awarded two compensatory picks for the loss of free agent G Artis Hicks and RB Chester Taylor.

### Undrafted free agents

2011 undrafted free agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Chris Adingupu | Safety | Prairie View A&M |
| David Akinniyi | Defensive end | North Carolina State |
| Conan Amituiana | Guard | Arizona |
| Matt Asiata | Running back | Utah |
| Larry Dean | Linebacker | Valdosta State |
| Marcell Gipson | Cornerback | Wyoming |
| Ryan Hill | Safety | Miami (FL) |
| Andre Holmes | Wide receiver | Hillsdale |
| Rod Huntley | Guard | Texas-El Paso |
| Byron Isom | Guard | Auburn |
| Dominique Johnson | Wide receiver | Cal Poly |
| Allen Reisner | Tight end | Iowa |
| Devon Torrance | Cornerback/Safety | Ohio State |
| Nathan Whitaker | Kicker | Stanford |

## Preseason
### Schedule

The Vikings' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 13 | at Tennessee Titans | L 3–14 | 0–1 | LP Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 20–7 | 1–1 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | Dallas Cowboys | L 17–23 | 1–2 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | Houston Texans | W 28–0 | 2–2 | Mall of America Field | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Titans | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: August 13
* Game time: 19:00
* Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,143
* Referee: Scott Green (19)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
TEN – Yamon Figurs 45-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), 4:55. Titans 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 45 yards, 0:08.
TEN – Jamie Harper 2-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 1:47. Titans 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:36.
Third quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 9:32. Titans 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:28.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 8/13, 84 yards
TEN – Jake Locker – 7/10, 89 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 9 rushes, 47 yards
TEN – Jamie Harper – 8 rushes, 27 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 3 rec, 32 yards
TEN – Yamon Figurs – 1 rec, 45 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: August 20
* Game time: 21:00
* Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,599
* Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Marcus Sherels 64-yard interception return (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:35. Vikings 7–0.
Second quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 36-yard field goal, 6:33. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 7:19.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 34-yard field goal, 1:47. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 2:25.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
SEA – Anthony McCoy 3-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (Jeff Reed kick), 14:54. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 16 plays, 89 yards, 8:40.
MIN – Tristan Davis 35-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:09. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:15.
Top passers
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 6/8, 81 yards
SEA – Charlie Whitehurst – 14/19, 97 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 7 rushes, 37 yards
SEA – Josh Portis – 4 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 rec, 30 yards
SEA – Dominique Byrd – 4 rec, 32 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 27
* Game time: 19:00
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,800
* Referee: John Parry (132)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Bernard Berrian 49-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:58. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:47.
DAL – Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 2:52. Vikings 7–3. 'Drive:
Second quarter
DAL – Alan Ball 20-yard return of blocked field goal (Shayne Graham kick), 14:36. Cowboys 10–7.
DAL – Felix Jones 5-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 6:53. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:10.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 44-yard field goal, 3:43. Cowboys 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:10.
Third quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 8:05. Cowboys 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:11.
MIN – Joe Webb 10-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:06. Cowboys 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 2:59.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 1:07. Cowboys 23–17. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:49.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 15/20, 141 yards
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 12/18, 164 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 7 rushes, 32 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 14 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 5 rec, 67 yards
MIN – Bernard Berrian – 2 rec, 64 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 1
* Game time: 19:00
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,148
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 5-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:39.
Third quarter
MIN – Alexander Robinson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:19. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Caleb King 7-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:47. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:53.
MIN – Caleb King 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:47. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:26.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Leinart – 13/16, 145 yards
MIN – Christian Ponder – 10/16, 83 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Chris Ogbonnaya – 14 rushes, 62 yards
MIN – Caleb King – 19 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
HOU – Garrett Graham – 6 rec, 71 yards
MIN – Jaymar Johnson – 2 rec, 28 yards :

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at San Diego Chargers | L 17–24 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 20–24 | 0–2 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | Detroit Lions | L 23–26 (OT) | 0–3 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–22 | 0–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | Arizona Cardinals | W 34–10 | 1–4 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | at Chicago Bears | L 10–39 | 1–5 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | Green Bay Packers | L 27–33 | 1–6 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | at Carolina Panthers | W 24–21 | 2–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 14 | at Green Bay Packers | L 7–45 | 2–7 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | Oakland Raiders | L 21–27 | 2–8 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 14–24 | 2–9 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | Denver Broncos | L 32–35 | 2–10 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | at Detroit Lions | L 28–34 | 2–11 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | New Orleans Saints | L 20–42 | 2–12 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Washington Redskins | W 33–26 | 3–12 | FedExField | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | Chicago Bears | L 13–17 | 3–13 | Mall of America Field | Recap |

#### LEGEND

    Team names in bold indicate Vikings' home games.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) Sunny
* Game attendance: 66,716
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 103-yard kickoff return (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15.
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 11:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 1:21.
Second quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 12:56. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:34.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 3-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:44. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:28.
Third quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 7-yard run (Mike Scifres kick), 10:43. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:17.
Fourth quarter
SD – Mike Scifres 40-yard field goal, 10:05. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:45.
SD – Mike Tolbert 19-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 5:01. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:10.
Top passers
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 7/15, 39 yards, TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 33/48, 335 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 98 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 12 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 rec, 26 yards, TD
SD – Antonio Gates – 8 rec, 74 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,461
* Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:02. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:41.
Second quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 22-yard field goal, 5:06. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:45.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:52. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:47.
Third quarter
TB – LeGarrette Blount 27-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 10:59. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:40.
TB – Connor Barth 36-yard field goal, 0:29. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:59.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 29-yard field goal, 9:41. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:48.
TB – Arrelious Benn 25-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 6:39. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:02.
TB – LeGarrette Blount 4-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 0:31. Buccaneers 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:41.
Top passers
TB – Josh Freeman – 22/31, 243 yards, TD
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 18/30, 228 yards
Top rushers
TB – LeGarrette Blount – 13 rushes, 71 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 25 rushes, 120 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
TB – Preston Parker – 6 rec, 98 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 76 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 26 |
| Vikings | 6 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,466
* Referee: Ron Winter (14)
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 9:38. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:22.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal, 5:19. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 2:36.
Second quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:01. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:04.
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 8-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:09. Vikings 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 32-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 9:22. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:39.
DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 3:14. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 14:55. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:53.
DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, 5:20. Tied 20–20. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:13.
DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, 2:30. Lions 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:43.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 1:11. Tied 23–23. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 1:19.
Overtime
DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, 13:01. Lions 26–23. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:59.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/46, 378 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 22/36, 211 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Jahvid Best – 12 rushes, 14 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 78 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
DET – Brandon Pettigrew – 11 rec, 112 yards
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 9 rec, 88 yards :

#### Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 22 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) Sunny
* Game attendance: 72,931
* Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Tim Brewster
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Ryan Succop 40-yard field goal, 7:16. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 21 yards, 5:56.
MIN – Devin Aromashodu 34-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:47. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:29.
Second quarter
KC – Ryan Succop 24-yard field goal, 5:15. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:32.
KC – Ryan Succop 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 9–7. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 2:22.
Third quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 9:15. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:50.
KC – Ryan Succop 54-yard field goal, 5:18. Chiefs 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:57.
KC – Ryan Succop 22-yard field goal, 0:09. Chiefs 15–10. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:52.
Fourth quarter
KC – Dwayne Bowe 52-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 13:51. Chiefs 22–10. Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:46.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 1-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:50. Chiefs 22–17. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 8:01.
Top passers
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 18/30, 202 yards, 2 TD
KC – Matt Cassel – 18/29, 260 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 23 rushes, 80 yards
KC – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe – 6 rec, 58 yards
KC – Dwayne Bowe – 5 rec, 107 yards, TD :

#### Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Vikings | 28 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,479
* Referee: Scott Green (19)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Tim Ryan
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:18. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:35.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 24-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:55. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:07.
MIN – Donovan McNabb 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:50.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 14-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:41. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
ARI – Jay Feely 51-yard field goal, 10:29. Vikings 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:25.
Third quarter
ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:23. Vikings 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:41.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 3:35. Vikings 31–10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 4:48.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 53-yard field goal, 2:09. Vikings 34–10. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 4:33.
Top passers
ARI – Kevin Kolb – 21/42, 232 yards
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 10/21, 169 yards
Top rushers
ARI – Beanie Wells – 20 rushes, 60 yards, TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 122 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Early Doucet – 8 rec, 92 yards
MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 rec, 81 yards :

#### Week 6: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bears | 16 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 39 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) Clear
* Game attendance: 62,322
* Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Devin Hester 48-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 12:17. Bears 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:13.
CHI – Donovan McNabb sacked in the end zone by Stephen Paea for a safety, 6:52. Bears 9–0.
CHI – Marion Barber 3-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 3:39. Bears 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:13.
Second quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 12:37. Bears 16–3. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:02.
CHI – Dane Sanzenbacher 13-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:41. Bears 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:23.
CHI – Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal, 0:28. Bears 26–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 1:27.
Third quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:23. Bears 26–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:24.
CHI – Devin Hester 98-yard kickoff return (Robbie Gould kick), 10:09. Bears 33–10. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14.
CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 5:44. Bears 36–10. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:35.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yard field goal, 14:50. Bears 39–10. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:13.
Top passers
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 19/24, 177 yards
CHI – Jay Cutler – 21/31, 267 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 12 rushes, 39 yards, TD
CHI – Matt Forté – 17 rushes, 87 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 78 yards
CHI – Devin Hester – 5 rec, 91 yards, TD :

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 33 |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,946
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 2-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:58. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:02.
GB – John Kuhn 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 8:34. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:24.
Second quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:43. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:39.
GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, 4:55. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:48.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 52-yard field goal, 0:55. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:00.
GB – Mason Crosby 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
GB – Greg Jennings 79-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:09. Packers 20–17. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:51.
GB – Jermichael Finley 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:29. Packers 27–17. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 2:19.
GB – Mason Crosby 24-yard field goal, 3:18. Packers 30–17. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:44.
GB – Mason Crosby 58-yard field goal, 0:18. Packers 33–17. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 1:59.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 13:48. Packers 33–20. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:30.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 24-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:49. Packers 33–27. Drive: 10 plays, 93 yards, 4:41.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/30, 335 yards, 3 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 13/32, 219 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 75 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 24 rushes, 175 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – Greg Jennings – 7 rec, 147 yards, TD
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 rec, 111 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) Sunny
* Game attendance: 72,095
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 10-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:34. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:39.
Second quarter
CAR – Jeremy Shockey 1-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 13:22. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:27.
CAR – Greg Olsen 39-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 10:18. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:41.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 19-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:42. Tied 14–14. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:21.
Third quarter
CAR – Steve Smith 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 11:07. Panthers 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:53.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:58. Tied 21–21. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 5:41.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 31-yard field goal, 2:43. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:10.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 18/28, 236 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 22/35, 290 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 rushes, 86 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 6 rushes, 53 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 5 rec, 76 yards, TD
CAR – Steve Smith – 7 rec, 100 yards, TD :

#### Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Packers | 14 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: November 14
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,519
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Rachel Nichols
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 80-yard punt return (Mason Crosby kick), 13:42. Packers 7–0.
GB – Greg Jennings 24-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:02. Packers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:53.
Second quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 25-yard field goal, 12:04. Packers 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:10.
Third quarter
GB – Jordy Nelson 17-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:45. Packers 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:15.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 3-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:41. Packers 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:29.
GB – John Kuhn 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 6:21. Packers 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:20
Fourth quarter
GB – Jordy Nelson 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:59. Packers 38–7. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:30.
GB – Matt Flynn 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 4:27. Packers 45–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 6:03.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/34, 190 yards
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 23/30, 250 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 14 rushes, 51 yards, TD
GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 63 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 52 yards
GB – Jermichael Finley – 3 rec, 67 yards :
After being swept by the Packers, the Vikings dropped to 2–7.

#### Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 3 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,748
* Referee: Jerome Boger (23)
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 12-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:17. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:24.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 29-yard field goal, 0:57. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:20.
Second quarter
OAK – Chaz Schilens 11-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:10. Raiders 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:50.
OAK – Michael Bush 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:20. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:22.
OAK – Carson Palmer 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:08. Raiders 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:06.
Third quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 26-yard field goal, 0:51. Raiders 27–7. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:27.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 26-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:52. Raiders 27–14. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:59.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:08. Raiders 27–21. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:50.
Top passers
OAK – Carson Palmer – 17/23, 164 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 19/33, 211 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
OAK – Michael Bush – 30 rushes, 109 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 5 rushes, 71 yards
Top receivers
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 4 rec, 43 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 73 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 68,115
* Referee: Alberto Riveron (57)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Harry Douglas 27-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:08. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:39.
Second quarter
ATL – Roddy White 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:04. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:01.
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 0:37. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 1:23.
Third quarter
MIN – Toby Gerhart 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:58. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:53.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 39-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:13. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 0:52.
ATL – Michael Palmer 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:40. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:59.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 17/25, 186 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 27/34, 262 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 17 rushes, 44 yards, TD
ATL – Michael Turner – 19 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 95 yards, TD
ATL – Roddy White – 10 rec, 120 yards, TD :

#### Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
| Vikings | 5 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 32 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,939
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Willis McGahee tackled in end zone by Jared Allen for a safety, 12:39. Vikings 2–0.
DEN – Mario Haggan 16-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 5:42. Broncos 7–2.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 40-yard field goal, 1:24. Broncos 7–5. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:21.
Second quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 19-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:33. Vikings 12–7. Drive: 12 plays, 96 yards, 5:57.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 25-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 15–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 21-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 11:18. Vikings 15–14. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:42.
MIN – Percy Harvin 52-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:12. Vikings 22–14. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:23.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 41-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 2:48. Vikings 22–21. Drive: 1 play, 41 yards, 0:24.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 48-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:41. Vikings 29–21. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:36.
DEN – Willis McGahee 24-yard run (Tim Tebow run), 8:52. Tied 29–29. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:49.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 39-yard field goal, 3:06. Vikings 32–29. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:46.
DEN – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal, 1:33. Tied 32–32. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:33.
DEN – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 35–32. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 1:25.
Top passers
DEN – Tim Tebow – 10/15, 202 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 29/47, 381 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Willis McGahee – 20 rushes, 111 yards, TD
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 21 rushes, 91 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 4 rec, 144 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 156 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 14: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Lions | 21 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 34 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,988
* Referee: John Parry (132)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Stephen Tulloch fumble recovery in end zone (Jason Hanson kick), 12:56. Lions 7–0.
DET – Titus Young 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 9:45. Lions 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:43.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 5:54. Lions 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:52.
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:51. Lions 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:03.
Second quarter
DET – Alphonso Smith 30-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 12:33. Lions 28–7.
MIN – Percy Harvin 6-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:36. Lions 28–14. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:57.
DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, 1:05. Lions 31–14. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
MIN – Joe Webb 65-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 4:21. Lions 31–21. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, 12:17. Lions 34–21. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 7:04.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 2-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:54. Lions 34–28. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:23.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/21, 115 yards, 2 TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/29, 227 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Joe Webb – 7 rushes, 109 yards, TD
DET – Keiland Williams – 12 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 rec, 69 yards, TD
DET – Titus Young – 4 rec, 87 yards, TD :

#### Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
| Vikings | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,623
* Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 44-yard field goal, 12:20. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:20.
NO – Lance Moore 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 2:51. Saints 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:36.
Second quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 13:13. Saints 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:09.
NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:04. Saints 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:09.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 10-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:59. Saints 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:05.
NO – Darren Sproles 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 1:33. Saints 21–13. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:26.
Third quarter
NO – John Gilmore 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 12:15. Saints 28–13. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:44.
NO – Lance Moore 47-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:18. Saints 35–13. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:56.
Fourth quarter
NO – Pierre Thomas 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 12:50. Saints 42–13. Drive: 19 plays, 87 yards, 10:36.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 16-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:12. Saints 42–20. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:13.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 32/40, 412 yards, 5 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 14/31, 120 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NO – Chris Ivory – 18 rushes, 74 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 10 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston – 8 rec, 91 yards
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 4 rec, 46 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 16: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 33 |
| Redskins | 0 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C) Sunny
* Game attendance: 68,370
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 36-yard field goal, 7:11. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:23.
Second quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:56. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:52.
WAS – Donté Stallworth 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 10:46. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:10.
WAS – Graham Gano 26-yard field goal, 1:02. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:34.
Third quarter
WAS – Graham Gano 53-yard field goal, 10:40. Redskins 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 4 yards, 2:39.
MIN – Joe Webb 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:23. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:17.
WAS – Jabar Gaffney 4-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 5:57. Redskins 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:26.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 17-yard pass from Joe Webb (kick missed), 2:41. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:16.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Graham Gano 25-yard field goal, 12:41. Tied 23–23. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:00.
MIN – Percy Harvin 8-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:06. Vikings 30–23. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:35.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 23-yard field goal, 4:05. Vikings 33–23. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:27.
WAS – Graham Gano 47-yard field goal, 1:25. Vikings 33–26. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 2:40.
Top passers
MIN – Joe Webb – 4/5, 84 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Rex Grossman – 26/41, 284 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 11 rushes, 109 yards
WAS – Evan Royster – 19 rushes, 132 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 5 rec, 65 yards, TD
WAS – Jabar Gaffney – 6 rec, 77 yards, TD :

#### Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Vikings | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,867
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 8:53. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:38.
MIN – Percy Harvin 5-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:43.
Second quarter
CHI – Roy Williams 22-yard pass from Josh McCown (Robbie Gould kick), 14:19. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:23.
CHI – Charles Tillman 22-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 13:37. Bears 14–10.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 0:55. Bears 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:17.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 27-yard field goal, 10:19. Bears 17–13. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:19.
Top passers
CHI – Josh McCown – 15/25, 160 yards, TD
MIN – Joe Webb – 17/32, 200 yards
Top rushers
CHI – Kahlil Bell – 17 rushes, 54 yards
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 15 rushes, 67 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Roy Williams – 4 rec, 60 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 rec, 115 yards :

### Standings

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Green Bay Packers | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 6–0 | 12–0 | 560 | 359 | W2 |
| $^{(6)}$ Detroit Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 474 | 387 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 353 | 341 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 340 | 449 | L1 |

## Statistics
### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Christian Ponder | 1,853 |
| Passing touchdowns | Christian Ponder | 13 |
| Rushing yards | Adrian Peterson | 970 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Adrian Peterson | 12 |
| Receiving yards | Percy Harvin | 967 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Percy Harvin | 6 |
| Points | Ryan Longwell | 104 |
| Kickoff return yards | Percy Harvin | 520 |
| Punt return yards | Marcus Sherels | 277 |
| Tackles | Chad Greenway | 154 |
| Sacks | Jared Allen | 22.0 * |
| Interceptions | Jamarca Sanford | 2 |
| Forced fumbles | Jared Allen | 4 |
* *Led the league and a new Vikings single-season record.

### League rankings

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 2,957 | 184.8 | 28th |
| Rushing offense | 2,318 | 144.9 | 4th |
| Total offense | 5,275 | 329.7 | 18th |
| Passing defense | 4,019 | 251.2 | 26th |
| Rushing defense | 1,712 | 107.0 | 11th |
| Total defense | 5,731 | 358.2 | 12th |