The Vikings improved on their 7–9 record from
2014 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since
2012. They also won their first NFC North title since
2009 with a Week 17 victory at the
Packers. As a result, they hosted the
Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the
2015–16 NFL playoffs, but lost 10–9 after kicker
Blair Walsh missed a potential game-winning 27 yard field goal in the final seconds.[1]
The Vikings opened their 2015 season on the road against the
San Francisco 49ers. Despite allowing San Francisco to start with the ball, the Vikings made a positive start, as
Andrew Sendejo blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt from
Phil Dawson, which
Marcus Sherels returned 44 yards to the San Francisco 26-yard line. Minnesota QB
Teddy Bridgewater was unable to complete a single pass on the next drive, forcing
Blair Walsh to attempt a 44-yard field goal; however, he pushed it wide right. After forcing the 49ers to punt on the next series, the Vikings were themselves forced to punt immediately afterwards, only for the 49ers' rookie former
rugby league star
Jarryd Hayne to muff the catch, allowing the Vikings to recover the ball. The next drive saw the Vikings attempt to convert on 4th-and-3, but Bridgewater's completed pass to
tight endKyle Rudolph fell a yard short of a fresh set of downs.
Both sides exchanged punts at the start of the second quarter, with the 49ers eventually returning one 85 yards for a touchdown, only for it to be called back for an illegal block by a San Francisco player. However, the ensuing possession ended with a 49ers touchdown, as they drove 93 yards in just under 5 minutes, before
Carlos Hyde finished the series with a 10-yard touchdown run; after finding nowhere to go on his initial run to the right, he beat a Minnesota defender with a spin move and ran back to the left side of the field, where quarterback
Colin Kaepernick led him into the end zone. With the Vikings unable to score in the remaining 47 seconds, the first half ended 7–0 to San Francisco.
Minnesota started the third quarter with the ball, but they were unable to make it out of their half before being forced to punt. The 49ers then extended their lead on the ensuing possession, driving 73 yards to the Minnesota 11-yard line to set up a 30-yard field goal attempt for Dawson. The Vikings finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, as Walsh finished off a 66-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal, but the 49ers pulled further ahead with a second touchdown for Hyde on a 17-yard run. Bridgewater attempted to spark the Vikings back into the game, but a deep pass intended for Rudolph was intercepted by
Tramaine Brock, setting up a 25-yard field goal for Dawson. The next drive saw the Vikings go for it again on 4th-and-8, but Bridgewater was sacked for a loss of 14 yards, allowing the 49ers to kneel out the game.
Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 2: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Teddy Bridgewater's best game of his career, going 17/20, 231 yards, and 4 touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown on the ground. Before this game, Bridgewater had only 9 passing touchdowns, and afterwards, he had 13.
Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears were stopped to 17 points, while Cutler also having a good game with 26/37 for 231 and 2 touchdowns.
Week 16: vs. New York Giants
Week 16: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
^
abGreen Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcdSt. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcThe New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
The Vikings' only points in this game came from the foot of kicker Blair Walsh, whose three field goals put them 9–0 up by the end of the third quarter; however, Seattle outscored them 10–0 in the final period, with a touchdown catch from
Doug Baldwin being followed by a 46-yard
Steven Hauschka field goal in the first seven minutes of the quarter. The Vikings had a chance to win it with 20 seconds remaining, but Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal, reminding Vikings fans of
Gary Anderson's
missed field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.
^
abcThe Vikings traded their third-round selection (76th overall) to the
Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Kansas City's third- and sixth-round selections (80th and 193rd overall).[2]
^
abcThe Vikings traded the third-round selection they received from
Kansas City (80th overall) to the
Detroit Lions in exchange for Detroit's third-round selection and the fifth-round selection they received from Chicago via Denver (88th and 143rd overall).[2]
^
abcThe Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from
Tampa Bay via
Buffalo (137th overall) to the
Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's fifth- and sixth-round selections (146th and 185th overall).[2]
^
abcThe Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (187th overall) and QB
Matt Cassel to the
Buffalo Bills in exchange for the fifth-round selection Buffalo received from
Tampa Bay (137th overall) and a
2016 seventh-round selection (240th overall).[3]
^
abcThe Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (149th overall) to the
Miami Dolphins in exchange for the seventh-round selection Miami received from
San Francisco (232nd overall) and WR
Mike Wallace.[4]
The Vikings improved on their 7–9 record from
2014 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since
2012. They also won their first NFC North title since
2009 with a Week 17 victory at the
Packers. As a result, they hosted the
Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the
2015–16 NFL playoffs, but lost 10–9 after kicker
Blair Walsh missed a potential game-winning 27 yard field goal in the final seconds.[1]
The Vikings opened their 2015 season on the road against the
San Francisco 49ers. Despite allowing San Francisco to start with the ball, the Vikings made a positive start, as
Andrew Sendejo blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt from
Phil Dawson, which
Marcus Sherels returned 44 yards to the San Francisco 26-yard line. Minnesota QB
Teddy Bridgewater was unable to complete a single pass on the next drive, forcing
Blair Walsh to attempt a 44-yard field goal; however, he pushed it wide right. After forcing the 49ers to punt on the next series, the Vikings were themselves forced to punt immediately afterwards, only for the 49ers' rookie former
rugby league star
Jarryd Hayne to muff the catch, allowing the Vikings to recover the ball. The next drive saw the Vikings attempt to convert on 4th-and-3, but Bridgewater's completed pass to
tight endKyle Rudolph fell a yard short of a fresh set of downs.
Both sides exchanged punts at the start of the second quarter, with the 49ers eventually returning one 85 yards for a touchdown, only for it to be called back for an illegal block by a San Francisco player. However, the ensuing possession ended with a 49ers touchdown, as they drove 93 yards in just under 5 minutes, before
Carlos Hyde finished the series with a 10-yard touchdown run; after finding nowhere to go on his initial run to the right, he beat a Minnesota defender with a spin move and ran back to the left side of the field, where quarterback
Colin Kaepernick led him into the end zone. With the Vikings unable to score in the remaining 47 seconds, the first half ended 7–0 to San Francisco.
Minnesota started the third quarter with the ball, but they were unable to make it out of their half before being forced to punt. The 49ers then extended their lead on the ensuing possession, driving 73 yards to the Minnesota 11-yard line to set up a 30-yard field goal attempt for Dawson. The Vikings finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, as Walsh finished off a 66-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal, but the 49ers pulled further ahead with a second touchdown for Hyde on a 17-yard run. Bridgewater attempted to spark the Vikings back into the game, but a deep pass intended for Rudolph was intercepted by
Tramaine Brock, setting up a 25-yard field goal for Dawson. The next drive saw the Vikings go for it again on 4th-and-8, but Bridgewater was sacked for a loss of 14 yards, allowing the 49ers to kneel out the game.
Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 2: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Teddy Bridgewater's best game of his career, going 17/20, 231 yards, and 4 touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown on the ground. Before this game, Bridgewater had only 9 passing touchdowns, and afterwards, he had 13.
Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears were stopped to 17 points, while Cutler also having a good game with 26/37 for 231 and 2 touchdowns.
Week 16: vs. New York Giants
Week 16: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
^
abGreen Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcdSt. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcThe New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
The Vikings' only points in this game came from the foot of kicker Blair Walsh, whose three field goals put them 9–0 up by the end of the third quarter; however, Seattle outscored them 10–0 in the final period, with a touchdown catch from
Doug Baldwin being followed by a 46-yard
Steven Hauschka field goal in the first seven minutes of the quarter. The Vikings had a chance to win it with 20 seconds remaining, but Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal, reminding Vikings fans of
Gary Anderson's
missed field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.
^
abcThe Vikings traded their third-round selection (76th overall) to the
Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Kansas City's third- and sixth-round selections (80th and 193rd overall).[2]
^
abcThe Vikings traded the third-round selection they received from
Kansas City (80th overall) to the
Detroit Lions in exchange for Detroit's third-round selection and the fifth-round selection they received from Chicago via Denver (88th and 143rd overall).[2]
^
abcThe Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from
Tampa Bay via
Buffalo (137th overall) to the
Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's fifth- and sixth-round selections (146th and 185th overall).[2]
^
abcThe Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (187th overall) and QB
Matt Cassel to the
Buffalo Bills in exchange for the fifth-round selection Buffalo received from
Tampa Bay (137th overall) and a
2016 seventh-round selection (240th overall).[3]
^
abcThe Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (149th overall) to the
Miami Dolphins in exchange for the seventh-round selection Miami received from
San Francisco (232nd overall) and WR
Mike Wallace.[4]