# 2012 Minnesota Vikings season

The 2012 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), as well as their second full season under head coach Leslie Frazier. They looked to improve upon their 3–13 season the year before, and did so after defeating the Tennessee Titans in Week 5; their win over the Houston Texans in Week 16 made this their first winning season since 2009. The Vikings also made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 with a Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers to give them a 10–6 regular season record, but were defeated by the same opponents in the Wild Card playoff round the following week. Adrian Peterson was named the league's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 2,097 yards, just nine yards short of breaking the single-season record held by Eric Dickerson since 1984.
On May 10, 2012, the Minnesota State Legislature approved a bill for a new stadium for the team that would see a new facility (later named U.S. Bank Stadium) constructed by 2016 and ensure the Vikings' presence in Minneapolis through the year 2046. The bill was signed by Governor Mark Dayton on May 14, and approved by the Minneapolis City Council by a vote of 7–6 on May 25.

## Offseason
### Pre-draft transactions

The first major transactions of the 2012 offseason were the releases of veteran guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera, and CB Cedric Griffin on March 10, as the Vikings began rebuilding their offensive line and secondary. Three days later, the team re-signed perennial backup QB Sage Rosenfels and DT Letroy Guion off their unrestricted free agents list. This was followed up with the signing of the Seattle Seahawks' unrestricted free agent TE John Carlson on a five-year contract.
The next week, the team brought in FB Jerome Felton, also an unrestricted free agent, from the Indianapolis Colts. They then released DT Remi Ayodele on March 21, but re-signed DT Fred Evans. March 26 was a big day for signings by the Vikings, with the re-signings of WR Devin Aromashodu and LB Erin Henderson, as well as the free agent acquisitions of CB Zack Bowman from the Chicago Bears and T Geoff Schwartz from the Carolina Panthers.
April saw very few transactions go through in anticipation of the 2012 NFL draft at the end of the month. Nevertheless, the Vikings signed LB Marvin Mitchell and WR Jerome Simpson, despite the fact that Simpson would miss the first three games of the season for a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

### 2012 draft

* Pro Bowler
2012 Minnesota Vikings Draft :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes |
| Round | Overall | Player name | Position | College | Contract | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | |
| 1 | 4 | Matt Kalil | OT | USC | 4 years | From Browns |
| 1 | 29 | Harrison Smith | S | Notre Dame | 4 years | From Ravens |
| 2 | 35 | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | |
| 3 | 66 | Josh Robinson | CB | UCF | 4 years | |
| 4 | 98 | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | |
| 4 | 118 | Jarius Wright | WR | Arkansas | 4 years | From Falcons, via Browns |
| 4 | 128 | Rhett Ellison | FB | USC | 4 years | Compensatory pick |
| 4 | 134 | Greg Childs | WR | Arkansas | 4 years | Compensatory pick |
| 5 | 138 | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | |
| 5 | 139 | Robert Blanton | S | Notre Dame | 4 years | From Browns |
| 6 | 173 | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | Traded to the Washington Redskins | |
| 6 | 175 | Blair Walsh | K | Georgia | 4 years | From Browns |
| 7 | 210 | Audie Cole | LB | NC State | 4 years | |
| 7 | 211 | Traded to the Tennessee Titans | Traded to the Tennessee Titans | Traded to the Tennessee Titans | Traded to the Tennessee Titans | From Browns |
| 7 | 219 | Trevor Guyton | DE | California | 4 years | From Seahawks, via Lions |
| 7 | 223 | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | Traded to the Detroit Lions | From Eagles, via Patriots |
Notes:
* 1 2 3 4 5 The Vikings traded their first-round selection (3rd overall) to the Browns in exchange for first-, fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round selections (4th, 118th, 139th and 211th overall).
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their second- and fourth-round selections (35th and 98th overall) to the Ravens in exchange for a first-round selection (29th overall).
* 1 2 The Vikings were awarded two compensatory picks for the loss of free agents DE Ray Edwards, LB Ben Leber, QB Tarvaris Jackson and WR Sidney Rice.
* 1 2 3 The Vikings traded their fifth- and seventh-round selections (138th and 223rd overall) to the Lions in exchange for a seventh-round selection (219th overall) a 2013 fourth-round selection (102nd overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (173rd overall) to the Redskins in exchange for QB Donovan McNabb.
* ↑ The Vikings traded DE Jayme Mitchell to the Browns in exchange for a sixth-round selection (175th overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded their seventh-round selection (211th overall) to the Titans in exchange for a 2013 sixth-round selection (176th overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded a 2011 third-round selection (74th overall) to the Patriots in exchange for WR Randy Moss and a seventh-round selection (223rd overall).

### Post-draft transactions

With the 2012 Draft over, the Vikings resumed their transactions in May, signing a number of undrafted free agents to their roster, and releasing RB Caleb King, following a short jail term. With the drafting of Blair Walsh, veteran kicker Ryan Longwell found himself surplus to requirements for the Vikings and he was released on May 7. By the start of June, all of the Vikings draft selections (with the exception of T Matt Kalil) had been signed to long-term contracts.

## Preseason
### Schedule

This was the first year the Vikings used a TV/radio simulcast for their preseason games.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 10 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 6–17 | 0–1 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | Buffalo Bills | W 36–14 | 1–1 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | San Diego Chargers | L 10–12 | 1–2 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at Houston Texans | L 24–28 | 1–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 49ers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: August 10
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Jim Core
* TV announcers (WUCW-23): Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 12:34. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:26.
SF – Brett Swain 4-yard pass from Alex Smith (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 5:13. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 7:21.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 26-yard field goal, 14:06. 49ers 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 6:07.
SF – Colin Kaepernick 78-yard run (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 13:38. 49ers 14–6. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:28.
SF – Giorgio Tavecchio 29-yard field goal, 1:56. 49ers 17–6. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 6:29.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Passing
MIN – Christian Ponder – 4/9, 80 yards
SF – Scott Tolzien – 10/13, 84 yards
Rushing
MIN – Toby Gerhart – 5 rushes, 31 yards
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 3 rushes, 92 yards, TD
Receiving
MIN – Stephen Burton – 1 reception, 52 yards
SF – Chris Owusu – 3 receptions, 35 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Vikings | 10 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 36 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 17
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 56,430
* Referee: Robert Frazer (36)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Jerome Felton 1-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 11:04. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:56.
MIN – Blair Walsh 22-yard field goal, 1:39. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 6:20.
Second quarter
BUF – Donald Jones 31-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick), 8:51. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 3:13.
MIN – Blair Walsh 47-yard field goal, 5:40. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:11.
MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 0:27. Vikings 16–7. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
BUF – Tashard Choice 1-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 13:25. Vikings 16–14. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:35.
MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 4:49. Vikings 19–14. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 6:07.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 3:37. Vikings 22–14. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:55.
MIN – Audie Cole 20-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 3:18. Vikings 29–14.
MIN – Audie Cole 30-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 3:05. Vikings 36–14.
Passing
BUF – Vince Young – 8/14, 123 yards
MIN – Christian Ponder – 10/13, 136 yards, TD
Rushing
BUF – Fred Jackson – 5 rushes, 27 yards
MIN – Joe Webb – 2 rushes, 64 yards
Receiving
BUF – T. J. Graham – 2 receptions, 69 yards
MIN – Emmanuel Arceneaux – 2 receptions, 50 yards :

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: August 24
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,800
* Referee: Wayne Elliott (28)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Nate Kaeding 50-yard field goal, 4:55. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 37 yards, 6:49.
Second quarter
SD – Nick Novak 34-yard field goal, 10:23. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 2:10.
MIN – Blair Walsh 29-yard field goal, 0:08. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:17.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SD – Nate Kaeding 54-yard field goal, 8:40. Chargers 9–3. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:26.
MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard pass from Sage Rosenfels (Blair Walsh kick), 1:50. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:14.
SD – Nick Novak 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 1:50.
Passing
SD – Charlie Whitehurst – 8/18, 80 yards
MIN – Christian Ponder – 9/16, 115 yards
Rushing
SD – Edwin Baker – 13 rushes, 35 yards
MIN – Matt Asiata – 9 rushes, 48 yards
Receiving
SD – Micheal Spurlock – 3 receptions, 46 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 2 receptions, 53 yards :

#### Week 4: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Texans | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: August 30
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Fair, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,116
* Referee: Donovan Briggans (12)
* TV announcers (KARE-11): Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Justin Forsett 3-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 12:01. Texans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:59.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 36-yard field goal, 14:11. Texans 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yards, 7:24.
HOU – DeVier Posey 80-yard pass from John Beck (Shayne Graham kick), 4:21. Texans 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:20.
MIN – Devin Aromashodu 58-yard pass from Sage Rosenfels (Blair Walsh kick), 0:33. Texans 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 89 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
HOU – Trindon Holliday 76-yard punt return (Shayne Graham kick), 13:26. Texans 21–10.
MIN – Jarius Wright 59-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Blair Walsh kick), 11:22. Texans 21–17. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:04.
HOU – Justin Forsett 5-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 7:27. Texans 28–17. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:25.
MIN – Jordan Todman 76-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 6:55. Texans 28–24. Drive: 2 plays, 76 yards, 0:32.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Passing
MIN – McLeod Bethel-Thompson – 15/29, 193 yards, TD
HOU – John Beck – 6/10, 149 yards, TD
Rushing
MIN – Jordan Todman – 10 rushes, 114 yards, TD
HOU – Justin Forsett – 13 rushes, 114 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
MIN – Jarius Wright – 6 receptions, 122 yards, TD
HOU – DeVier Posey – 2 receptions, 93 yards, TD :

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 26–23 (OT) | 1–0 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 20–23 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | San Francisco 49ers | W 24–13 | 2–1 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | at Detroit Lions | W 20–13 | 3–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | Tennessee Titans | W 30–7 | 4–1 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | at Washington Redskins | L 26–38 | 4–2 | FedExField | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | Arizona Cardinals | W 21–14 | 5–2 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 25 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 17–36 | 5–3 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 20–30 | 5–4 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | Detroit Lions | W 34–24 | 6–4 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 12 | November 25 | at Chicago Bears | L 10–28 | 6–5 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Green Bay Packers | L 14–23 | 6–6 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Chicago Bears | W 21–14 | 7–6 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | at St. Louis Rams | W 36–22 | 8–6 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at Houston Texans | W 23–6 | 9–6 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | Green Bay Packers | W 37–34 | 10–6 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
    Team names in bold indicate Vikings' home games.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Jaguars | 3 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 23 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 26 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 56,607
* Referee: Robert Dalton (22)
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
JAC – Josh Scobee 19-yard field goal, 2:52. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 77 yards, 9:22.
Second quarter
JAC – Marcedes Lewis 1-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (kick blocked), 5:21. Jaguars 9–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 7:09.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 0:41. Jaguars 9–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:47.
Third quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 2-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 9:42. Vikings 14–9. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:54.
JAC – Josh Scobee 26-yard field goal, 4:40. Vikings 14–12. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:25.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 20-yard field goal, 14:09. Vikings 17–12. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:31.
JAC – Josh Scobee 47-yard field goal, 9:35. Vikings 17–15. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:34.
MIN – Blair Walsh 42-yard field goal, 5:33. Vikings 20–15. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:02.
JAC – Cecil Shorts 39-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Blaine Gabbert pass to Justin Blackmon), 0:20. Jaguars 23–20. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 0:58.
MIN – Blair Walsh 55-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 23–23. Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 0:20.
Overtime
MIN – Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal, 11:06. Vikings 26–23. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:54.
Top passers
JAC – Blaine Gabbert – 23/39, 260 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 20/27, 270 yards
Top rushers
JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 19 rushes, 77 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
JAC – Cecil Shorts – 4 receptions, 74 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 receptions, 84 yards :

#### Week 2: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Colts | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,912
* Referee: Donald King (60)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 51-yard field goal, 7:48. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 44 yards, 7:12.
IND – Dwayne Allen 3-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:49. Colts 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:59.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 29-yard field goal, 11:38. Colts 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:11.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 1:49. Colts 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:13.
IND – Reggie Wayne 30-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:07. Colts 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 7:06. Colts 20–6. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 7:54.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Stephen Burton 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 5:07. Colts 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:03.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 6-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 0:31. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 2:19.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 53-yard field goal, 0:08. Colts 23–20. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 0:23.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 27/35, 245 yards, 2 TD
IND – Andrew Luck – 20/31, 224 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 60 yards
IND – Donald Brown – 16 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 12 receptions, 104 yards
IND – Donnie Avery – 9 receptions, 111 yards :

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 57,288
* Referee: Ken Roan (86)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 7:20. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 16 plays, 82 yards, 7:40.
Second quarter
SF – David Akers 29-yard field goal, 12:13. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 5:40.
MIN – Christian Ponder 23-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 5:29. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:44.
MIN – Blair Walsh 52-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 0:52.
Third quarter
SF – David Akers 29-yard field goal, 12:46. Vikings 17–6. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:14.
SF – Vernon Davis 1-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 6:17. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 5:00.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 2-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 14:17. Vikings 24–13. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 7:00.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 24/35, 204 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Christian Ponder – 21/35, 198 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 12 rushes, 63 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 25 rushes, 86 yards
Top receivers
SF – Mario Manningham – 5 receptions, 56 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 9 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 4: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,616
* Referee: Clete Blakeman (34)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 105-yard kickoff return (Blair Walsh kick), 14:48. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12.
DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, 13:06. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:42.
MIN – Blair Walsh 49-yard field goal, 1:16. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:53.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 27-yard field goal, 8:14. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 4:56.
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, 1:46. Vikings 13–6. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 6:28.
Third quarter
MIN – Marcus Sherels 77-yard punt return (Blair Walsh kick), 13:09. Vikings 20–6.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 2:56. Vikings 20–13. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:12.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/26, 111 yards
DET – Matthew Stafford – 30/51, 319 yards
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 rushes, 102 yards
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 13 rushes, 26 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jerome Simpson – 4 receptions, 50 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 6 receptions, 72 yards :

#### Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Vikings | 7 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 30 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 57,652
* Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 4-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 2:31. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:59.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 42-yard field goal, 10:27. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 0:57.
MIN – Blair Walsh 36-yard field goal, 1:52. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:42.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 26-yard field goal, 5:07. Vikings 16–0. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:24.
MIN – Percy Harvin 10-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 0:05. Vikings 23–0. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:31.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Jared Cook 10-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 10:35. Vikings 23–7. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:30.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 15-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 6:38. Vikings 30–7. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:57.
Top passers
TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 26/43, 200 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 25/35, 258 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Chris Johnson – 15 rushes, 24 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 88 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Kendall Wright – 9 receptions, 66 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 receptions, 108 yards, TD :

#### Week 6: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 9 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 26 |
| Redskins | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,476
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 20-yard field goal, 11:31. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:29.
MIN – Blair Walsh 27-yard field goal, 6:18. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:16.
MIN – Blair Walsh 27-yard field goal, 1:47. Vikings 9–0. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:46.
Second quarter
WAS – Kai Forbath 50-yard field goal, 10:51. Vikings 9–3. Drive: 13 plays, 48 yards, 5:56.
WAS – Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 2:27. Redskins 10–9. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 6:36.
WAS – Darrel Young 6-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 2:14. Redskins 17–9. Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:06.
Third quarter
WAS – Robert Griffin III 7-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:37. Redskins 24–9. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:23.
MIN – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 4:18. Redskins 24–12. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:19.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Madieu Williams 24-yard interception return (Kai Forbath kick), 12:40. Redskins 31–12.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 9-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Christian Ponder–Kyle Rudolph pass), 8:02. Redskins 31–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:38.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Christian Ponder (pass failed), 3:36. Redskins 31–26. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:42.
WAS – Robert Griffin III 76-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 2:43. Redskins 38–26. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 35/52, 352 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Robert Griffin III – 17/22, 182 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 79 yards
WAS – Robert Griffin III – 13 rushes, 138 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 11 receptions, 133 yards
WAS – Fred Davis – 3 receptions, 46 yards :

#### Week 7: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,068
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 13-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 8:38. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, 2:57.
Second quarter
ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling 3-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 12:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 2:10.
MIN – Percy Harvin 3-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 6:26. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:15.
Third quarter
MIN – Harrison Smith 31-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 14:03. Vikings 21–7.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Andre Roberts 6-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 1:48. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:08.
Top passers
ARI – John Skelton – 25/36, 262 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 8/17, 58 yards, TD
Top rushers
ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling – 20 rushes, 104 yards, TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 23 rushes, 153 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Andre Roberts – 7 receptions, 103 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 4 receptions, 37 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 36 |
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 60,860
* Referee: Ron Winter (14)
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Connor Barth 28-yard field goal, 9:48. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 1:48.
TB – Erik Lorig 1-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 3:34. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:33.
Second quarter
TB – Connor Barth 40-yard field goal, 12:20. Buccaneers 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 4:20.
MIN – Percy Harvin 18-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 9:39. Buccaneers 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:41.
TB – Mike Williams 3-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 4:30. Buccaneers 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:38.
MIN – Blair Walsh 51-yard field goal, 1:40. Buccaneers 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 2:50.
Third quarter
TB – Doug Martin 64-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 13:39. Buccaneers 27–10. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:21.
TB – Connor Barth 38-yard field goal, 7:50. Buccaneers 30–10. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:22.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 64-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 7:28. Buccaneers 30–17. Drive: 2 plays, 64 yards, 0:22.
Fourth quarter
TB – Doug Martin 1-yard run (pass failed), 7:03. Buccaneers 36–17. Drive: 16 plays, 87 yards, 9:09.
Top passers
TB – Josh Freeman – 19/36, 262 yards, 3 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 19/35, 251 yards, TD
Top rushers
TB – Doug Martin – 29 rushes, 135 yards, TD
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 15 rushes, 123 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Doug Martin – 3 receptions, 79 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 receptions, 90 yards, TD :

#### Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 14 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,584
* Referee: Jerome Boger (23)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 13:15. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:45.
SEA – Golden Tate 6-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 8:52. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 1:23.
SEA – Sidney Rice 11-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:15. Seahawks 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:05.
Second quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 11:46. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:29.
MIN – Blair Walsh 36-yard field goal, 5:25. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:49.
SEA – Golden Tate 11-yard pass from Russell Wilson (kick blocked), 0:44. Seahawks 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:41.
Third quarter
SEA – Marshawn Lynch 3-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:09. Seahawks 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 6:15.
MIN – Blair Walsh 55-yard field goal, 1:47. Seahawks 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:22.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 40-yard field goal, 6:23. Seahawks 30–20. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:26.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/22, 63 yards
SEA – Russell Wilson – 16/24, 173 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 182 yards, 2 TD
SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 26 rushes, 124 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Jerome Simpson – 1 reception, 14 yards
SEA – Sidney Rice – 4 receptions, 54 yards, TD :

#### Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Vikings | 10 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 34 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,059
* Referee: Pete Morelli (135)
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Jarius Wright 3-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 7:52. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:31.
MIN – Blair Walsh 48-yard field goal, 5:41. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 1:57.
Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, 11:07. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:47.
MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, 4:41. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 6:26.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, 5:11. Vikings 16–3. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:53.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 2:55. Vikings 16–10. Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 20-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Adrian Peterson run), 14:15. Vikings 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:40.
DET – Titus Young 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 11:32. Vikings 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 61-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 8:06. Vikings 31–17. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 1:07.
MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 4:36. Vikings 34–17. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 3:16.
DET – Calvin Johnson 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 1:53. Vikings 34–24. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/42, 329 yards, 3 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 24/32, 221 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 13 rushes, 43 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 27 rushes, 171 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 12 receptions, 207 yards, TD
MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 receptions, 65 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bears | 10 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 28 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,306
* Referee: Scott Green (19)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 12:17. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:50.
CHI – Michael Bush 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 7:17. Bears 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:50.
CHI – Robbie Gould 47-yard field goal, 0:32. Bears 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 25 yards, 5:13.
Second quarter
CHI – Michael Bush 1-yard run (Adam Podlesh run), 4:01. Bears 18–3. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:59.
CHI – Matt Spaeth 13-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 1:48. Bears 25–3. Drive: 1 play, 13 yards, 0:07.
Third quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 2-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 10:44. Bears 25–10. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:01.
CHI – Robbie Gould 46-yard field goal, 3:57. Bears 28–10. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:47.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 22/43, 159 yards, TD
CHI – Jay Cutler – 23/31, 188 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 18 rushes, 108 yards
CHI – Michael Bush – 21 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Kyle Rudolph – 5 receptions, 55 yards, TD
CHI – Brandon Marshall – 12 receptions, 92 yards :

#### Week 13: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Packers | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,567
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – James Jones 32-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:26. Packers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:34.
GB – Mason Crosby 30-yard field goal, 4:07. Packers 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 5:56.
Second quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 12:18. Packers 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:49.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 82-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 5:08. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 91 yards, 1:27.
Third quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 47-yard field goal, 7:47. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:04.
GB – James Starks 22-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 2:12. Packers 20–14. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:53.
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 31-yard field goal, 4:00. Packers 23–14. Drive: 18 plays, 73 yards, 11:00.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 12/25, 119 yards, TD
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 27/35, 286 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 rushes, 210 yards, TD
GB – James Starks – 15 rushes, 66 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Kyle Rudolph – 6 receptions, 51 yards, TD
GB – Randall Cobb – 6 receptions, 62 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Vikings | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,134
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 11:53. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:07.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 8:42. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:07.
Second quarter
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 23-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 1:52. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:41.
Third quarter
MIN – Harrison Smith 56-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 3:27. Vikings 21–7.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Brandon Marshall 16-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Robbie Gould kick), 1:48. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 2:02.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 22/44, 260 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/17, 91 yards
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forté – 13 rushes, 85 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 31 rushes, 154 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CHI – Brandon Marshall – 10 receptions, 160 yards, TD
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 4 receptions, 36 yards :

#### Week 15: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 36 |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 55,751
* Referee: Alberto Riveron (57)
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Christian Ponder 5-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 7:07. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:38.
Second quarter
STL – Brian Quick 4-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Greg Zuerlein kick), 12:39. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:36.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 82-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 12:21. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 82 yards, 0:18.
MIN – Blair Walsh 50-yard field goal, 9:11. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, −4 yards, 1:41.
MIN – Everson Griffen 29-yard interception return (Blair Walsh kick), 8:25. Vikings 24–7.
MIN – Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal, 3:11. Vikings 27–7. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 3:18.
MIN – Blair Walsh 42-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 30–7. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 1:00.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 53-yard field goal, 5:56. Vikings 33–7. Drive: 10 plays, 25 yards, 5:16.
Fourth quarter
STL – Danny Amendola 6-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Greg Zuerlein kick), 13:39. Vikings 33–14. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 7:17.
STL – Lance Kendricks 6-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Sam Bradford–Danny Amendola pass), 7:48. Vikings 33–22. Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, 2:05.
MIN – Blair Walsh 51-yard field goal, 5:31. Vikings 36–22. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:17.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 17/24, 131 yards
STL – Sam Bradford – 35/55, 377 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 24 rushes, 212 yards, TD
STL – Steven Jackson – 13 rushes, 73 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jerome Simpson – 4 receptions, 27 yards
STL – Brandon Gibson – 6 receptions, 76 yards :

#### Week 16: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Texans | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,688
* Referee: John Parry (132)
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Shayne Graham 51-yard field goal, 10:50. Texans 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:10.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 3-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 6:19. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:31.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 56-yard field goal, 8:15. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 5:21.
MIN – Blair Walsh 41-yard field goal, 0:37. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:02.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 11:31. Vikings 16–3. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:29.
HOU – Shayne Graham 33-yard field goal, 0:26. Vikings 16–6. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 5:17.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Toby Gerhart 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 4:44. Vikings 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 6:01.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/30, 174 yards, TD
HOU – Matt Schaub – 18/32, 178 yards
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 25 rushes, 86 yards
HOU – Ben Tate – 4 rushes, 17 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jarius Wright – 5 receptions, 53 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 97 yards :

#### Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
| Vikings | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 37 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,134
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 54-yard field goal, 10:47. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:13.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 7-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 5:44. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 14:51. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 4:42.
GB – Greg Jennings 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:01. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 5:06.
MIN – Jarius Wright 8-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 1:07. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:54.
GB – Mason Crosby 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
GB – Greg Jennings 5-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:56. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:04.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 2-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 4:00. Vikings 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:17.
GB – James Jones 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 2:04. Vikings 27–24. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 1:56.
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 40-yard field goal, 12:21. Tied 27–27. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 2:39.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 3-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 7:54. Vikings 34–27. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:27.
GB – Jordy Nelson 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 2:54. Tied 34–34. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:00.
MIN – Blair Walsh 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 37–34. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 28/40, 365 yards, 4 TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/28, 234 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
GB – DuJuan Harris – 14 rushes, 70 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 34 rushes, 199 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – Greg Jennings – 8 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 receptions, 90 yards, TD :
Adrian Peterson rushed for 199 yards, coming up nine yards short of breaking the single season record by Eric Dickerson. This included five rushes for 36 yards on the final drive to set up the winning field goal by Blair Walsh. This game was rated #3 on the Top 20 NFL Games of 2012 on NFL.com as AP2K.

### Standings

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Green Bay Packers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 433 | 336 | L1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Minnesota Vikings | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 379 | 348 | W4 |
| Chicago Bears | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 375 | 277 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 372 | 437 | L8 |

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Playoff round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| WC | January 5 | at Green Bay Packers | L 10–24 | 0–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap |

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: January 5
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 29 °F (−2 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,548
* Referee: Scott Green (19)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 9:26. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:34.
GB – DuJuan Harris 9-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 0:28. Packers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 5:43.
Second quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 20-yard field goal, 3:25. Packers 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:01.
GB – John Kuhn 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 0:38. Packers 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
GB – John Kuhn 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 9:25. Packers 24–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:35.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Michael Jenkins 50-yard pass from Joe Webb (Blair Walsh kick), 3:39. Packers 24–10. Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 0:36.
Passing
MIN – Joe Webb – 11/30, 180 yards, TD
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 23/33, 274 yards, TD
Rushing
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 22 rushes, 99 yards
GB – DuJuan Harris – 17 rushes, 47 yards, TD
Receiving
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD
GB – Greg Jennings – 4 receptions, 61 yards :
Having secured the NFC's #6 seed, the Vikings traveled to Lambeau Field for a rematch with the Packers, with the two teams meeting in the playoffs for only the second time ever. Despite not starting a game all season, the Vikings started Joe Webb over Christian Ponder due to the latter having an elbow injury. Blair Walsh capped the game's opening drive with a field goal to put the Vikings 3–0 up. However, the Packers then scored 24 unanswered points to take a 24–3 lead in the 3rd quarter. The Vikings tried to rally a comeback with a touchdown to make it 24–10, but it was too little, too late as time ran out for Minnesota.

## Statistics
### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Christian Ponder | 2,935 |
| Passing touchdowns | Christian Ponder | 18 |
| Rushing yards | Adrian Peterson | 2,097 * |
| Rushing touchdowns | Adrian Peterson | 12 |
| Receiving yards | Percy Harvin | 677 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Kyle Rudolph | 9 |
| Points | Blair Walsh | 141 |
| Kickoff return yards | Percy Harvin | 574 |
| Punt return yards | Marcus Sherels | 287 |
| Tackles | Chad Greenway | 148 |
| Sacks | Jared Allen | 12.0 |
| Interceptions | Harrison Smith Antoine Winfield | 3 |
| Forced fumbles | Jamarca Sanford | 4 |
* Vikings single season record.

### League rankings

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 2,751 | 171.9 | 31st |
| Rushing offense | 2,634 | 164.6 | 2nd |
| Total offense | 5,385 | 336.6 | 20th |
| Passing defense | 3,908 | 244.2 | 24th |
| Rushing defense | 1,692 | 105.8 | 11th |
| Total defense | 5,600 | 350.0 | 16th |

## Pro Bowl

Four Minnesota Vikings players were selected for the 2013 Pro Bowl: two on offense (running back partners Adrian Peterson and Jerome Felton), one on defense (DE Jared Allen) and one special teamer (K Blair Walsh). Of these, Peterson, Felton and Walsh were selected as starters, with Allen going as a reserve.
With the withdrawal of Dallas Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware on January 10 because of a shoulder injury, Vikings LB Chad Greenway was called up to the NFC roster as a replacement. TE Kyle Rudolph was also added to the NFC roster for his first Pro Bowl two weeks later after Atlanta Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez dropped out due to injury. Rookie Matt Kalil was also added later as a replacement for the Washington Redskins' tackle, Trent Williams, yet another casualty of injury. Rudolph was named the game's MVP.