52nd season in franchise history
2012 Minnesota Vikings season Owner Zygi Wilf Head coach Leslie Frazier Home field Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Record 10–6 Division place 2nd NFC North Playoff finish Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Packers ) 10–24 Pro Bowlers
RB Adrian Peterson FB Jerome Felton DE Jared Allen (bench) K Blair Walsh LB Chad Greenway (replacement) TE Kyle Rudolph (replacement) OT Matt Kalil (replacement)
AP All-Pros
RB Adrian Peterson (first team) FB Jerome Felton (second team) LB Chad Greenway (second team) K Blair Walsh (first team)
Team MVP Adrian Peterson
The 2012 season was the Minnesota Vikings ' 52nd in the National Football League , 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.[1] The bill was signed by Governor Mark Dayton on May 14,[2] and approved by the Minneapolis City Council by a vote of 7–6 on May 25.[3] [4]
Offseason [ ]
Adrian Peterson rushed to a new career franchise record against Jacksonville in week 1, overtaking
Robert Smith 's 6,818 rushing yards
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.
Draft [ ]
Main article: 2012 NFL draft
2012 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order
Player name
Position
College
Contract
Notes
Round
Overall
1
3
Traded to the Cleveland Browns [a]
4
Matt Kalil
T
USC
4 years[5]
From Browns [a]
29
Harrison Smith
S
Notre Dame
4 years[6]
From Ravens [b]
2
35
Traded to the Baltimore Ravens [b]
3
66
Josh Robinson
CB
Central Florida
4 years[7]
4
98
Traded to the Baltimore Ravens [b]
118
Jarius Wright
WR
Arkansas
4 years[7]
From Falcons via Browns[a]
128
Rhett Ellison
FB
USC
4 years[7]
Compensatory pick [c]
134
Greg Childs
WR
Arkansas
4 years[7]
Compensatory pick [c]
5
138
Traded to the Detroit Lions [d]
139
Robert Blanton
S
Notre Dame
4 years[7]
From Browns[a]
6
173
Traded to the Washington Redskins [e]
175
Blair Walsh
K
Georgia
4 years[7]
From Browns[f]
7
210
Audie Cole
ILB
NC State
4 years[7]
211
Traded to the Tennessee Titans [g]
From Browns[a]
219
Trevor Guyton
DE
California
4 years[7]
From Seahawks via Lions [d]
223
Traded to the Detroit Lions [d]
From Eagles via Patriots [d]
Brian Robison and the Vikings defense against the
Jacksonville Jaguars , September 9
Notes:
^[a] Cleveland traded their first-round selection (4th overall), fourth-round selection (118th overall), fifth-round selection (139th overall), and seventh-round selection (211th overall) to move up one spot to the third overall selection and draft RB Trent Richardson .
^[b] Minnesota traded their second-round selection (35th overall) and fourth-round selection (98th overall) to Baltimore to move up six spots to 29th overall selection and make this pick.
^[c] Minnesota was awarded two compensatory picks for the loss of free agents Ray Edwards , Ben Leber , Tarvaris Jackson , and Sidney Rice .
^[d] Detroit traded their seventh-round selection (219th overall) and 2013 fourth-round selection (102nd overall) to Minnesota for their fifth-round selection (138th overall) and the seventh-round selection (223rd overall) that they received from New England in the trade for Randy Moss in 2010.
^[e] Minnesota traded their sixth-round selection (173rd overall) to Washington for QB Donovan McNabb .
^[f] Cleveland traded their sixth-round selection (175th overall) to Minnesota in exchange for DE Jayme Mitchell .[8]
^[g] Tennessee traded their 2013 sixth-round selection (176th overall) to Minnesota for the seventh-round selection (211th overall) that they received in the first-round trade with Cleveland.[a] Minnesota later traded the pick they received from Tennessee to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a seventh-round pick and CB A. J. Jefferson .
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 [ ]
Preseason Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
3
3
0 0 6
49ers
7
10
0 0 17
at Candlestick Park , San Francisco , California
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
Fourth quarter
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 rec, 52 yards
SF – Chris Owusu – 3 rec, 35 yards
Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills [ ]
Preseason Week 2: Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 17Game time : 7:00 p.m.Game weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 56,430Referee : 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
Receiving
BUF – T. J. Graham – 2 rec, 69 yards
MIN – Emmanuel Arceneaux – 2 rec, 50 yards
Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers [ ]
Preseason Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 24Game time : 7:00 p.m.Game weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 62,800Referee : 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
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
Receiving
Week 4: at Houston Texans [ ]
Preseason Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
0
10
14 0 24
Texans
7
7
14 0 28
at Reliant Stadium , Houston , Texas
Date : August 30Game time : 6:00 p.m.Game weather : Fair, 71 °F (22 °C)Game attendance : 71,116Referee : 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
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 rec, 122 yards, TD
HOU – DeVier Posey – 2 rec, 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
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
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 [ ]
Week One: Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 9Game time : 12:00 p.m. CDT Game weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 56,607Referee : 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 rec, 74 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 84 yards
Week 2: at Indianapolis Colts [ ]
Week Two: Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
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 16Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDT /12:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)Game attendance : 63,912Referee : 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 rec, 104 yards
IND – Donnie Avery – 9 rec, 111 yards
Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers [ ]
Week Three: San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 23Game time : 12:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 57,288Referee : 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
Week 4: at Detroit Lions [ ]
Week Four: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
10
3
7 0 20
Lions
3
3
0 7 13
at Ford Field , Detroit, Michigan
Date : September 30Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 63,616Referee : Clete Blakeman (34)TV announcers (Fox) : Thom Brennaman , Brian Billick and Laura OkminRecap , 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 rec, 50 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 6 rec, 72 yards
Minnesota playing at Detroit , September 30
Josh Robinson and Calvin Johnson
Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans [ ]
Week Five: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 7Game time : 3:25 p.m. CDTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 57,652Referee : 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 rec, 66 yards
MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 108 yards, TD
Week 6: at Washington Redskins [ ]
Week Six: Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
9
0
3 14 26
Redskins
0
17
7 14 38
at FedExField , Landover, Maryland
Date : October 14Game time : 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDTGame weather : Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)Game attendance : 78,476Referee : Tony Corrente (99)TV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton , John Lynch and Jennifer HaleRecap , 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 rec, 133 yards
WAS – Fred Davis – 3 rec, 46 yards
Week 7: vs. Arizona Cardinals [ ]
Week Seven: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 21Game time : 12:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 61,068Referee : Terry McAulay (77)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers , Tim Ryan and Jaime MaggioRecap , 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
Top passers
ARI – John Skelton – 25/36, 262 yards, TD
MIN – Christian Ponder – 8/17, 58 yards, TD
Top rushers
Top receivers
ARI – Andre Roberts – 7 rec, 103 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 4 rec, 37 yards, TD
Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ ]
Week Eight: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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
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 rec, 79 yards, TD
MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 90 yards, TD
Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks [ ]
Week Nine: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
7
10
3 0 20
Seahawks
14
6
7 3 30
at CenturyLink Field , Seattle, Washington
Date : November 4Game time : 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST Game weather : Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)Game attendance : 67,584Referee : Jerome Boger (23)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime MaggioRecap , 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 rec, 14 yards
SEA – Sidney Rice – 4 rec, 54 yards, TD
Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions [ ]
Week Ten: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 11Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 64,059Referee : Pete Morelli (135)TV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer HaleRecap , 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 rec, 207 yards, TD
MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 rec, 65 yards, TD
Chris Kluwe , Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen at the coin flip
Week 12: at Chicago Bears [ ]
Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
3
0
7 0 10
Bears
10
15
3 0 28
at Soldier Field , Chicago, Illinois
Date : November 25Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Partly cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)Game attendance : 62,306Referee : Scott Green (19)TV announcers (Fox) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony SiragusaRecap , 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
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 rec, 55 yards, TD
CHI – Brandon Marshall – 12 rec, 92 yards
Week 13: at Green Bay Packers [ ]
Week Thirteen: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
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 2Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)Game attendance : 70,567Referee : 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 rec, 51 yards, TD
GB – Randall Cobb – 6 rec, 62 yards
Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears [ ]
Week Fourteen: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 9Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 64,134Referee : Walt Coleman (65)TV announcers (Fox) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony SiragusaRecap , 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 rec, 160 yards, TD
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 4 rec, 36 yards
Week 15: at St. Louis Rams [ ]
Week Fifteen: Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams – Game summary
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 16Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 55,751Referee : Alberto Riveron (57)TV announcers (Fox) : Gus Johnson , Charles Davis and Kristina PinkRecap , 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 rec, 27 yards
STL – Brandon Gibson – 6 rec, 76 yards
Week 16: at Houston Texans [ ]
Week Sixteen: Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
7
6
3 7 23
Texans
3
0
3 0 6
at Reliant Stadium , Houston, Texas
Date : December 23Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 71,688Referee : John Parry (132)TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime MaggioRecap , 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 rec, 53 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 rec, 97 yards
Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers [ ]
Week Seventeen: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
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 30Game time : 3:25 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (domed stadium)Game attendance : 64,134Referee : Mike Carey (94)TV announcers (Fox) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam OliverRecap , 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 rec, 120 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 rec, 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 5 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 .[9]
Blair Walsh and Larry Dean line up to kick off against Green Bay , December 30
Vikings players before the game
Adrian Peterson is tackled
Peterson rushes against Green Bay
Aaron Rodgers is sacked by Everson Griffen
Kyle Rudolph running in the week 17 contest
Chris Kluwe and Blair Walsh, December 30
Green Bay at Minnesota, week 17
Standings [ ]
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 [ ]
NFC Wild Card Round: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
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 5Game time : 7:00 p.m. CST Game weather : Cloudy, 29 °F (−2 °C)Game attendance : 71,548Referee : 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 rec, 96 yards, TD
GB – Greg Jennings – 4 rec, 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, 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.[10]
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.[11] 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.[12] Rookie Matt Kalil was also added later as a replacement for the Washington Redskins ' tackle, Trent Williams , yet another casualty of injury.[13] Rudolph was named the game's MVP.
Staff [ ]
2012 Minnesota Vikings staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Special Teams Coordinator – Mike Priefer
Assistant Special Teams –
Strength and conditioning
Head Athletic Trainer/Director of Sports Medicine –
Strength and Conditioning –
Assistant Strength and Conditioning –
Assistant Strength and Conditioning –
Roster [ ]
2012 Minnesota Vikings final roster
Quarterbacks
4 McLeod Bethel-Thompson
7 Christian Ponder
14 Joe Webb
Running backs
Wide receivers
19 Devin Aromashodu
11 Stephen Burton
84 Michael Jenkins
81 Jerome Simpson
17 Jarius Wright
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
69 Jared Allen DE
99 Christian Ballard DT
90 Fred Evans DT
97 Everson Griffen DE
98 Letroy Guion DT
92 George Johnson DE
91 D'Aundre Reed DE
96 Brian Robison DE
93 Kevin Williams DT
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
5 Chris Kluwe P
46 Cullen Loeffler LS
3 Blair Walsh K
Reserve lists
85 Greg Childs WR (IR )
12 Percy Harvin WR (IR )
73 DeMarcus Love OT (IR )
39 CB (IR )
Practice squad
Rookies in italics
53 active, 4 inactive, 8 practice squad
Notes and references [ ]
^ "New Minnesota Vikings stadium law heads to governor amid questions over state's financing" . CBSNews.com . CBS Interactive. May 11, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2018 .
^ "Dayton Signs $975M Vikings Stadium Bill" . CBS Minnesota . CBS Broadcasting. May 14, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2018 .
^ Melo, Frederick (May 24, 2012). "Vikings stadium wins Minneapolis City Council's final approval" . TwinCities.com . Digital First Media. Retrieved January 28, 2018 .
^ "City Council's Final Vote In Favor Of Stadium, 7-6" . CBS Minnesota . CBS Broadcasting. May 25, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2018 .
^ Fowler, Jeremy (July 27, 2012). "Minnesota Vikings sign Matt Kalil" . TwinCities.com . MediaNews Group. Retrieved August 1, 2012 .
^ "Harrison Smith signs rookie contract; was Vikings first-round pick" . SportingNews.com. May 31, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012 .
^ a b c d e f g h "Minnesota Vikings – Player Contract Information" . Rotoworld.com . NBC Sports Digital. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2012 .
^ Florjancic, Matt (March 26, 2012). "" Browns awarded four compensatory picks" " . ClevelandBrowns.com . Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2012 .
^ "Archived copy" . Archived from the original on 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2013-11-28 .CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )
^ "2013 Pro Bowl rosters: AFC, NFC" . NFL.com . National Football League. December 26, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2012 .
^ Pelissero, Tom (January 10, 2013). "Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway added to NFC Pro Bowl roster" . 1500ESPN . Hubbard Broadcasting. Archived from the original on February 14, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2013 .
^ "Rudolph Selected To First Pro Bowl" . vikings.com . Minnesota Vikings Football. January 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved January 23, 2013 .
^ "Kalil Selected To His First Pro Bowl" . vikings.com . Minnesota Vikings Football. January 25, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved January 26, 2013 .
External links [ ]
Bold indicates
NFL Championship (1920–69) or
Super Bowl (1966–) victory
Italics indicates
Super Bowl (1966–) appearance
Minnesota Vikings
Founded in 1961
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (20) Conference championships (4) League championships (1) Retired numbers Current league affiliations