The
2009 season was the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
' 49th in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
and their fourth under head coach
Brad Childress
Bradley Childress (born June 27, 1956) is a former American football coach. He worked for over 40 years as a coach for various college programs and National Football League (NFL) franchises. He was the offensive coordinator for Wisconsin from 19 ...
. The Vikings improved upon their 10–6 record and defended their
NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...
title from
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, their first successful defense of a divisional title since they won six
NFC Central
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...
titles in a row between
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
and
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
. They beat the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in the NFC Divisional Playoff at the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League ...
in Minneapolis, but lost the
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
in overtime to the
eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, missing out on what would have been their first Super Bowl since
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Minnesota Vikings to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
in 1976. This year's NFC Championship Game is also dubbed by many as the "
Bountygate Game" that also resulted in several players and coaching staff (including head coach
Sean Payton
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
) receiving 12-month suspensions three years later. The Vikings had 10 Pro Bowlers and four All-Pros on their roster, both league-highs for the season.
Offseason
Player and personnel moves
Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
announced that he would not sign with the Minnesota Vikings on July 28, 2009, after much speculation that he would.
Less than a month later, however, Favre signed a 2-year contract worth $25 million with the Vikings.
Releases and injuries
On February 18, the team released
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks (born July 22, 1978) is a former American football running back. He was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at North Carolina A&T.
Hicks has also played for the ...
.
On February 27, the team released
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph Frerotte (; born July 31, 1971) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa.
Frerotte, who was selected to ...
.
On March 3, the team released
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
Vinny Ciurciu.
On March 4, free agent center
Matt Birk
Matthew Robert Birk (born July 23, 1976) is a former American football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He spent most of his professional career playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He was the Republican nom ...
left the Vikings to join the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
.
On March 18, free agent safety
Darren Sharper
Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is an American convicted serial rapist and a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football at William & Mary and was selected ...
left the Vikings to join the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
.
Signings and extensions
![2009-0805-SRosenfels](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/2009-0805-SRosenfels.jpg)
On February 24, the team re-signed
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Charles Gordon to a 1-year $1 million contract.
On February 26, the team re-signed
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
Jayme Mitchell
Jayme Dondrell Mitchell (born March 15, 1984) is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Ole Miss.
Mitchell has also played for the Cleve ...
to a 2-year deal.
On February 27, the Vikings traded a 2009 4th round pick to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
for quarterback
Sage Rosenfels
Sage Jamen Rosenfels (born March 6, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Iowa State. He was then drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolp ...
. They then signed Rosenfels to a 2-year $9 million contract extension that will run through 2011.
On February 27, the team re-signed
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
Jim Kleinsasser
Jimmy Carter Kleinsasser (; born January 31, 1977) is a former American Football player who played fullback, H-back, and tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at North Dakota and played ...
to a 3-year $9 million contract.
On March 6, the team re-signed linebacker
Heath Farwell
Heath Charles Farwell (born December 31, 1981) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coac ...
to a 3-year $7.75 million contract.
On March 9, the team re-signed cornerback
Benny Sapp
Benjamin Lee Sapp, II (born January 20, 1981) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Northern Iowa.
Sapp also played for the Miami Dolph ...
to a 1-year contract.
On March 11, the team re-signed defensive tackle
Jimmy Kennedy
James Kennedy (20 July 1902 – 6 April 1984) was a Northern Irish songwriter. He was predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer" or co-writing with composers like Michael Carr, Wi ...
to a 1-year contract.
On March 19, the Vikings signed cornerback
Karl Paymah
Karl Paymah (born November 29, 1982) is a former American football cornerback. Paymah was last signed to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2005 NFL D ...
and wide receiver
Glenn Holt
Glenn Holt, Jr. (born July 31, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Kentucky.
Holt was also a member of the Minnesota Vikings ...
.
On March 21, cornerback
Cedric Griffin
Cedric Leonard Griffin (born November 11, 1982) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the ...
signed a 3-year contract extension.
On March 27, the team matched the Bengals' offer sheet for RFA fullback
Naufahu Tahi
Naufahu Anitoni Tahi (born October 30, 1981) is a former American football fullback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at BYU. Tahi has also been a member of the Minnesota Viki ...
.
On March 31, the team re-signed defensive end
Otis Grigsby
Otis Wayne Grigsby, Jr. (born November 19, 1980) is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Kentucky.
Grigsby has also been a member of the A ...
to a 1-year deal.
On April 6, the team re-signed defensive tackle
Fred Evans to a 1-year deal.
On July 24,
Antoine Winfield and the Vikings agreed on a 5-year extension through the 2013 season.
On August 18, after months of negotiations, the team signed formerly retired quarterback Brett Favre.
Draft
The Vikings had five selections in the
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
; they had traded their fourth-round selection to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
for quarterback
Sage Rosenfels
Sage Jamen Rosenfels (born March 6, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Iowa State. He was then drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolp ...
and, back in 2007, they had traded their sixth-round selection to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in exchange for quarterback
Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1995. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State ...
. In 2008, they received an extra 2009 seventh-round selection from the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
for defensive end
Erasmus James
Erasmus James (born November 4, 1982) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at University of Wisconsin, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 18th overall in the 2 ...
, but they used that extra pick to move from spot #158 to #150 in the fifth round.
The Vikings' top two selections, WR
Percy Harvin
William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida, when the Gators won the BCS National Championship in 2006 and 2008, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings o ...
and OT
Phil Loadholt
Philip Loadholt Jr. (born January 21, 1986) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Oklahoma, and played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 2009 until his retirement in 2015. ...
, both soon became 1st string players, while
Jasper Brinkley
Jasper Jerrell Brinkley (born July 12, 1985) is a former American football middle linebacker. He played college football for the University of South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of 2009 NFL Draft. He has a ...
finished the season as the team's starting MLB after
E.J. Henderson suffered a broken leg in a Week 13 game against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. Harvin was also voted the Offensive Rookie of the Year and was named as the NFC's starting kick returner for the
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site ...
on January 31, 2010.
:
The Vikings traded their fourth-round selection (122nd overall) to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
in exchange for QB
Sage Rosenfels
Sage Jamen Rosenfels (born March 6, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Iowa State. He was then drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolp ...
.
:
The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (158th overall) and the seventh-round selection they received from the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
(221st overall) for DE
Erasmus James
Erasmus James (born November 4, 1982) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at University of Wisconsin, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 18th overall in the 2 ...
back to Washington in exchange for the Redskins' fifth-round selection (150th overall).
:
The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (195th overall) to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in exchange for QB
Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1995. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State ...
.
Preseason
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 2: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
made his Minnesota Vikings debut, going 1–4 for just four yards and no first downs converted in his two series under center; he nonetheless got a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at the Metrodome.
Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris D'Andre Jackson (April 21, 1983 – April 12, 2020) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Jackson played college football for both Alabama State and Arkansas. He played professionally for the ...
completed two touchdowns, a 13-yard score to
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe O. Shiancoe (; born June 18, 1980) is a British former American football tight end. After playing college football for Morgan State, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the Giant ...
and a 64-yarder to
Darius Reynaud
Darius Reynaud (born December 29, 1984) is a former American football running back and return specialist. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at West Virginia.
He has also played ...
.
Week 3: at Houston Texans
Brett Favre completed 13 of 18 passes for 142 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to running back
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...
. Favre even got physical, laying a block (albeit an illegal one) on Texans safety
Eugene Wilson.
Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Regular season
As well as playing their
NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...
rivals both at home and on the road, the Vikings were scheduled to face opponents from the
AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
and the
NFC West
The National Football Conference - Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinal ...
. They were also handed fixtures against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
from the
NFC South
The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when ...
and the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
from the
NFC East
The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...
by virtue of having won their division in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
. Based on their opponents' results in 2008, the Vikings had the second-easiest schedule in the league in 2009, with their opponents having an overall record of 107–148–1 (.420) in 2008.
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1: at Cleveland Browns
The Vikings began their season at
Cleveland Browns Stadium
FirstEnergy Stadium is a stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, primarily for American football. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and h ...
for a Week 1 interconference duel with the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. In the first quarter, Minnesota trailed as Browns kicker
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He pl ...
got a 37-yard field goal. The Vikings answered with kicker
making a 21-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Minnesota took the lead as running back
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
got a 1-yard touchdown run. Cleveland retook their lead as Dawson kicked a 20-yard field goal, along with wide receiver
Joshua Cribbs
Joshua Cribbs (born June 9, 1983) is an American former football return specialist and wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Kent State University, and was signed by the Cleveland Browns ...
returning a punt 67 yards for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, the Vikings took control as Peterson got a 1-yard touchdown run, along with quarterback
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver
Percy Harvin
William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida, when the Gators won the BCS National Championship in 2006 and 2008, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings o ...
. Afterwards, Minnesota put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter; Ryan Longwell nailed a 37-yard field goal, while Adrian Peterson got a 64-yard touchdown run. The Browns closed out the game with quarterback
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Robert Royal
Robert Shelton Royal (born May 15, 1979) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU Tigers football, Louisiana State. He also pl ...
.
With the win, the Vikings began their season at 1–0.
Week 2: at Detroit Lions
Coming off their road win over the Browns, the Vikings flew to
Ford Field
Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state champ ...
for a Week 2 NFC North duel with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. Minnesota trailed early as Lions kicker
Jason Hanson
Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washi ...
got a 30-yard field goal. Detroit added to their lead in the second quarter as quarterback
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...
completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
. The Vikings ended the half with a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brett Favre to tight end
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe O. Shiancoe (; born June 18, 1980) is a British former American football tight end. After playing college football for Morgan State, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the Giant ...
.
In the third quarter, Minnesota took the lead as kicker Ryan Longwell made a 46-yard field goal, followed by running back Adrian Peterson getting a 27-yard touchdown run. The Vikings pulled away as Longwell nailed a 46-yard field goal, followed by Favre completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin. The Lions completed the scoring as Hanson got a 48-yard field goal.
With the win, the Vikings improved to 2–0.
Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Coming off their divisional road win over the Lions, the Vikings played their Week 3 home opener against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. Minnesota opened in the first quarter with quarterback Brett Favre's 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Sidney Rice
Sidney R. Rice (born September 1, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rice played college football at South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the s ...
. The Vikings added onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Ryan Longwell's 40-yard field goal, but the 49ers answered with quarterback
Shaun Hill
Shaun Christopher Hill (born January 9, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college fo ...
's 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Davis co-led the NFL in touchdown rec ...
. Minnesota came back with Longwell's 52-yard field goal, but San Francisco took the lead prior to halftime as cornerback
Nate Clements
Nathan D. Clements (born December 12, 1979) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Ohio State. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 21st overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, and a ...
returned a blocked field goal 59 yards for a touchdown.
The 49ers increased their lead in the second half with kicker
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney (born March 22, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996. He ...
's 37-yard field goal, but the Vikings immediately responded with rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin returning a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, San Francisco got the lead again with Hill hooking up with Davis on a 20-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, Minnesota came up with a dramatic win as Favre completed a game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Greg Lewis with 2 seconds remaining in the game. The pass was later awarded an
ESPY
An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...
for "Best Play". The game was also voted as the best game of the regular season by voters on NFL.com.
With the win, the Vikings improved to 3–0.
Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers
![2009 Minnesota Vikings vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/2009_Minnesota_Vikings_vs._Green_Bay_Packers.JPG)
Coming off their last-second win over the 49ers, the Vikings stayed at home, donned their throwback uniforms, and prepared for the highly anticipated Week 4 NFC North Monday Night Football duel with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
. This was a key divisional match-up, as the division lead was on the line, while quarterback Brett Favre was pitted against his former team. Favre entered the stadium to a series of boos coming from Green Bay fans throughout the stadium.
Minnesota started off the first quarter with Favre completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. The Packers responded with quarterback
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
completing a 62-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Jermichael Finley
Jermichael Decorean Finley (born March 26, 1987) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Packers, he attended the Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburg ...
. In the second quarter, the Vikings struck again with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Favre to wide receiver Sidney Rice, but Green Bay answered with linebacker
Clay Matthews stripping running back Adrian Peterson of the ball and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings closed out the half with a 1-yard touchdown run from Peterson.
Minnesota began to build a lead in the third quarter as Favre hooked up with wide receiver
Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian (born December 27, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State.
Berrian also played for the Minnes ...
on a 31-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings solidified their lead as defensive end
Jared Allen
Jared Scot Allen (born April 3, 1982) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football at Idaho State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth ...
sacked Rodgers in the Green Bay endzone for a safety. The Packers rallied with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver
Jordy Nelson
Jordy Ray Nelson (born May 31, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Kansas State, where he ...
(with a failed 2-point conversion), followed by kicker
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...
nailing a 31-yard field goal. However, the Packers' push came too late and Minnesota was able to run out the clock for the win.
With the victory, not only did the Vikings improve to 4–0, but Favre became the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 NFL teams.
Allen had a spectacular single-game performance with a career-best 4.5 sacks. Favre was awarded the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, marking the 14th time in his career he has earned this award.
Week 5: at St. Louis Rams
Coming off an impressive divisional home win over the Packers, the Vikings flew to the
Edward Jones Dome
The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in Downtown St. Louis, downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and ...
for a Week 5 duel with the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arri ...
. Minnesota got off to a fast start in the first quarter as running back Adrian Peterson got a 5-yard touchdown run, followed by defensive end Jared Allen's 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Rams got on the board with kicker
Josh Brown making a 29-yard field goal, but the Vikings replied with kicker Ryan Longwell booting a 47-yard field goal.
Minnesota kept its dominating performance going in the third quarter as quarterback Brett Favre hooked up with tight end Visanthe Shiancoe on a 13-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings continued to pull away as Peterson got a 7-yard touchdown run. St. Louis tried to rally with a 27-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger (; born April 5, 1977) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth ro ...
to wide receiver
Donnie Avery
Donnie Dion Avery (born June 12, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Houston and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Avery ...
, but Minnesota closed out the game with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...
.
With the win, not only did the Vikings make their first 5–0 start since 2003, but Favre earned his first 5–0 start in his career.
Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Coming off their easy road win over the Rams, the Vikings went home for a Week 6 inter-conference duel with the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. Minnesota got off to a fast start in the first quarter with quarterback Brett Favre completing a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bernard Berrian. Afterwards, the Ravens got the only points of the second quarter as kicker
Steven Hauschka getting a 29-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Vikings picked up where they left off with a 40-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Longwell. Baltimore responded with a 22-yard touchdown run from running back
Ray Rice
Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
, yet Longwell helped out Minnesota by nailing a 22-yard field goal. Afterwards, an action-packed fourth quarter ensued. Minnesota increased its lead with Favre hooking up with Shiancoe again on a 1-yard touchdown pass, but the Ravens continued to hang around as quarterback
Joe Flacco
Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltim ...
found wide receiver
Mark Clayton on a 32-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings replied with Longwell's 29-yard field goal, but Baltimore took lead for the first time in the game as Flacco hooked up with wide receiver
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the ...
on a 12-yard touchdown pass and Rice running 33 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota then regained the lead as Longwell booted a 31-yard field goal after a 58-yard pass from quarterback Brett Favre to wide receiver Sidney Rice. The Ravens got a last-minute drive into scoring range, but Hauschka's 44-yard field goal attempt went wide left, preserving the Vikings' perfect season.
With the win, the Vikings acquired their first 6–0 start since
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
(unfortunately that team did not make the playoffs). Also, dating back to Week 17 of the
2008 season, Minnesota has won seven-straight regular season games for the first time since
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
.
Week 7: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off their thrilling home win over the Ravens, the Vikings flew to
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
for a Week 7 interconference duel with the defending Super Bowl champion
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. Minnesota trailed late in the first quarter as Steelers kicker
Jeff Reed got a 39-yard field goal, but they took the lead in the second quarter as running back Adrian Peterson got a 1-yard touchdown. However, Pittsburgh retook the lead as quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
hooked up with wide receiver
Mike Wallace
Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...
on a 40-yard touchdown pass.
Both teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter as Reed nailed a 27-yard field goal, while Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell booted an 18-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Minnesota began to trail big as Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was stripped by defensive end
Brett Keisel
Brett Keisel (born September 19, 1978) is a former American football defensive end who played 12 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...
, causing a 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker
LaMarr Woodley
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seco ...
. The Vikings immediately struck back with rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin's 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Steelers' defense answered right back with linebacker
Keyaron Fox
Keyaron James Fox , born January 24, 1982) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) ...
's 82-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Vikings could not come back to win. The Steelers ended up winning 27–17.
With the loss, Minnesota fell to 6–1.
Week 8: at Green Bay Packers
Hoping to rebound from their first loss of the season to the Steelers, the Vikings flew to
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...
for the highly anticipated Week 8 divisional rematch with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, as quarterback Brett Favre made his first return to Lambeau since initially retiring after the
2007 season.
In the first quarter, the Packers scored the game's first points as kicker
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...
made a 37-yard field goal following a miscue by Vikings center
John Sullivan (Favre audibled for another play but Sullivan snapped the ball before Favre completed his audible). Minnesota responded with a 1-yard touchdown from running back Adrian Peterson. In the second quarter, the Vikings added onto their lead as Favre completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, followed by kicker Ryan Longwell (another former Packer) nailing a 41-yard field goal.
Minnesota picked up where they left off in the third quarter as Favre hooked up with rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin on a 51-yard touchdown pass, yet Green Bay started to rally as Crosby booted a 26-yard field goal, followed by quarterback
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
finding tight end
Spencer Havner
Spencer Rhett Havner AY-vner(February 2, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at UCLA.
Havner was also a member of the Green Bay ...
on a 16-yard and a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings answered in the fourth quarter with Favre connecting with tight end/fullback
Jeff Dugan on a 2-yard touchdown pass. The Packers tried to come back as Rodgers completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...
(with a failed 2-point conversion), but Minnesota pulled away with Favre finding wide receiver Bernard Berrian on a 16-yard touchdown pass.
With their first season-sweep of the Packers in four years, the Vikings went into their bye week at 7–1, and took a commanding -game lead in the NFC North over the second-place Packers. Favre threw at least 4 touchdowns for the 21st time in his career, matching the NFL record held by
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
. This also marks Vikings head coach Brad Childress' first win at Green Bay (he is 3–5 overall against the Packers) and the Vikings' first sweep of the Packers since 2005.
Week 9: Bye week
During the Vikings' bye week, both Green Bay and Chicago lost their games (to
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
38–28 and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
41–21 respectively), allowing the Vikings to gain a three-game lead in the division standings and moving them a step closer to qualification for the playoffs and first round bye.
Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions
Coming off their bye week, the Vikings were at home and met in an NFC North duel with the Detroit Lions, who hadn't won in the Metrodome since 1997. In the first quarter, the Vikings scored the period's only points as kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 22-yard field goal. They increased their lead in the second quarter as running back Adrian Peterson scored on a 22-yard touchdown run. However, Lions kicker Jason Hanson kicked a 38-yard field goal late in the quarter. At the beginning of the second half, a fumble by the Lions on their first play from scrimmage was recovered at their 29-yard line by the Vikings. Peterson ran twice on the ensuing drive, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run to make it a 17–3 lead. The Lions responded with a 15-play, 84-yard drive, capped off by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to tight end Will Heller. Nevertheless, the Vikings pulled away in the fourth quarter as Favre completed an 8-yard pass to tight end Jeff Dugan and kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 35-yard field goal.
With the win, the Vikings moved to 8–1, and compiled a 4–0 record against their NFC North rivals. The Vikings accrued nearly 500 yards of total offense, including 303 yards in the first half alone. The Vikings also had 13 penalties, a season-high. Wide receiver Sidney Rice had a big day, catching seven passes for 201 yards, including a 56-yard reception in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Rice was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 10, the first time he has received this award. Favre and Peterson were voted FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Week.
Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Coming off their penalty-plagued blowout win over the Lions, the Vikings stayed at home and met in a Week 11 duel with the Seattle Seahawks. After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings got on the board with quarterback Brett Favre completing a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Percy Harvin. Later in the same quarter, the Vikings increased their lead with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Favre to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. Closing out the first half was a 3-yard touchdown pass from Favre to wide receiver Bernard Berrian to make a 21–0 Vikings halftime lead, the first time of the season the Vikings kept their opponent scoreless in the first half. In the third quarter, the Vikings continued to dominate as Favre found wide receiver Sidney Rice on a 7-yard touchdown pass. Seattle scored their first points of the game when kicker Olindo Mare nailed a 40-yard field goal. Finally, the Vikings put the game away as second-string quarterback
Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris D'Andre Jackson (April 21, 1983 – April 12, 2020) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Jackson played college football for both Alabama State and Arkansas. He played professionally for the ...
found Rice again on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks tried to rally with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Justin Forsett (with a failed two-point conversion), but the Vikings prevented the Seahawks comeback from advancing any further.
With the win, the Vikings improved to 9–1. Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes for the 22nd time in his career (second of the season), breaking the mark set by Dan Marino.
Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears
Coming off their easy win over the Seahawks, the Vikings stayed at home, donned their throwback uniforms, and faced the Chicago Bears in a Week 12 duel. After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings drew first blood as quarterback Brett Favre completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin. The Bears responded with quarterback Jay Cutler firing a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Johnny Knox. The Vikings responded with Favre hooking up with running back Chester Taylor on a 10-yard touchdown pass, along with kicker Ryan Longwell nailing a 52-yard field goal. Finally, the Vikings closed out the first half with Favre finding tight end Visanthe Shiancoe on a 6-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter, the Bears tried to rally with kicker Robbie Gould nailing a 38-yard field goal. However, the Vikings finally shut out the Bears for the rest of the second half, and kicker Ryan Longwell made field goals of 37 and 20 yards. Running back Adrian Peterson also had a 5-yard touchdown run, though the extra point attempt was missed.
With the win, the Vikings improved to 10–1, and compiled a 5–0 record against their NFC North rivals. Their
magic number decreased to two, meaning that any combination of two Vikings wins or Packers losses would result in the Vikings clinching their second consecutive NFC North division title. On Wednesday, December 2, Brett Favre was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November; it was the sixth time in his career that he won the award.
Week 13: at Arizona Cardinals
![Brian Robison](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Brian_Robison.jpg)
Coming off their easy home win over the Bears, the Vikings flew to the desert for a Week 13 Sunday Night duel with the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. In the first quarter, Minnesota got on the board with quarterback Brett Favre completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. It was originally ruled an incomplete pass as Shiancoe was deemed to have stepped out of bounds, but Minnesota challenged and won based on the fact that Shiancoe had both feet inbounds and the referee counted Shiancoe's third step, thereby making the original ruling on the field to be overturned. The Cardinals then responded with quarterback Kurt Warner finding wide receiver Anquan Boldin on a 2-yard touchdown pass.
In the second quarter, Arizona took the lead with Warner finding Boldin again on a 39-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings responded with kicker Ryan Longwell nailing a 25-yard field goal. However, the Cardinals took the lead at halftime when Warner completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In the third quarter, Arizona increased their lead when kicker Neil Rackers kicked field goals of 31 and 30 yards. In the fourth quarter, Arizona kicker Neil Rackers nailed a 29-yard field goal. However, the Vikings tried to rally with Favre hooking up with rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin on a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings tried an onside kick, which they did not recover and Arizona ran out the clock to seal their win.
With only their second loss of the season, the Vikings not only fell to 10–2, but they lost starting linebacker
E. J. Henderson
Eric N. "E. J." Henderson (born August 3, 1980) is a former American football linebacker who played nine seasons for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the 2003 NFL Dra ...
to a season-ending broken leg.
Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Hoping to rebound from their devastating Sunday Night loss to the Cardinals, the Vikings went home and met the Cincinnati Bengals in a Week 14 duel. After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota took first blood as kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 41-yard field goal. They increased their lead later in the quarter with quarterback Brett Favre finding wide receiver Sidney Rice on a 9-yard touchdown pass. Cincinnati responded with quarterback Carson Palmer finding wide receiver Chad Ochocinco on a 15-yard touchdown pass, however the Vikings quickly scored two field goals by kicker Ryan Longwell (from 23 and 44 yards out) to put the Vikings up 16–7 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Vikings scored the period's only points as running back Adrian Peterson got a 1-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati tried to rally with kicker Shayne Graham nailing a 22-yard field goal, but the Vikings put the game away with running back Adrian Peterson's 3-yard touchdown run.
With the win, the Vikings not only improved to 11–2 on the season, they also secured a playoff berth for the second consecutive season and improved upon the record from the previous season (10–6). Their "magic number" decreased to one, meaning that either a Green Bay loss at Pittsburgh or a Vikings win against Carolina on Sunday night would make Minnesota repeat division champions for the first time since 1978, when they won six consecutive NFC Central titles. Also, if the Eagles lost against San Francisco, the Vikings would also clinch a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.
Week 15: at Carolina Panthers
Coming off their home win over the Bengals, the Vikings flew to Bank of America Stadium to face the Carolina Panthers in a Week 15 Sunday Night duel. The Vikings clinched the NFC North about an hour before the game thanks in part to Pittsburgh's 37–36 last-second win over the Packers. With a win, the Vikings would be one game behind New Orleans to clinch homefield advantage. After a scoreless first quarter, Carolina got on the board with quarterback Matt Moore finding fullback Brad Hoover on a 1-yard touchdown pass. The extra point attempt was blocked, however. The Vikings then took the lead later in the quarter with running back Adrian Peterson's 4-yard touchdown run. After yet another scoreless quarter, it was all Carolina as Matt Moore completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith, as well as running back Jonathan Stewart running in a 3-yard touchdown , as well as catching a 2-yard touchdown pass from Moore.
With the loss, the Vikings fell to 11–3. Reports surfaced after the game suggesting that there was tension between Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and head coach Brad Childress. The incident was later resolved.
Week 16: at Chicago Bears
Hoping to rebound from their fourth-quarter collapse to the Panthers, the Vikings flew to Soldier Field to face Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears in a Week 16 rematch to conclude the 40th season of Monday Night Football. Due to the Saints losing to Tampa Bay 20–17 in overtime the previous day, the Vikings needed to win their last two games and have the Saints lose to Carolina the next week in order to clinch homefield advantage. In the first quarter, the Bears drew first blood as kicker Robbie Gould nailed a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Bears increased their lead with Gould nailing a 42-yard field goal. They increased their lead with Cutler firing a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen. The Bears then closed out the first half with Gould's 41-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Vikes started to rally with running back Adrian Peterson's 1-yard touchdown run (with the extra point attempt blocked). The Bears increased their lead over the Vikings with Cutler's 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Desmond Clark
Desmond Darice Clark (born April 20, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Fore ...
. The Vikings then closed out the quarter with quarterback Brett Favre firing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. An exciting fourth quarter ensued. The Vikings started out the quarter's scoring with kicker Ryan Longwell's 41-yard field goal, along with Adrian Peterson's second 1-yard touchdown run. The Bears then responded with Cutler firing a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Earl Bennett. The Vikings then completed the remarkable comeback with Favre finding wide receiver Sidney Rice on a 6-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal with 15 seconds left in regulation. The Bears then took a knee to force overtime. In overtime, the Bears won the toss and marched down the field, stopping at the 35-yard line. However, the potential game-winning 45-yard field goal attempt by Gould went wide right, giving the Vikings a chance to win. After an exchange of punts, the Vikings had the ball at the 26-yard line with 11 minutes left in the period. On the first play of scrimmage, Favre fired a screen pass to Peterson who caught it and went 16 yards, before being confronted by Hunter Hillenmeyer, who caused Peterson to fumble the ball, which was then recovered by Bears' linebacker Nick Roach. The Bears then won on Jay Cutler's game-winning 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Aromashodu.
With the loss, not only did the Vikings fall to 11–4, they also surrendered homefield advantage to the Saints.
Week 17: vs. New York Giants
Hoping to break a two-game primetime losing skid, the Vikings went home to Mall of America Field for the Week 17 season finale against the New York Giants. The Vikings needed a win and an Eagles loss to Dallas later in the day in order to clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs. They also came into the game hoping to go 8–0 at home for the first time since the 15–1 season of 1998. The Vikings drew first blood in the first quarter with quarterback Brett Favre finding tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (a former Giant) on a 10-yard touchdown pass for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Vikings increased their lead with kicker Ryan Longwell's 41-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, it was all touchdowns as Adrian Peterson scored from one yard out, as well as Favre firing two touchdown passes to wide receiver Sidney Rice from 4 and 12 yards out. The 31–0 halftime lead was the second time of the season that the Vikes shut out their opponent in the first half, as well as tying a franchise record for the largest halftime lead. In the third quarter, the Vikings continued to destroy the Giants with Favre's 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Naufahu Tahi on 4th-and-goal, along with kicker Ryan Longwell's field goals of 24 and 27 yards. The Giants only mustered a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter by running back Danny Ware.
With the win, the Vikings improved to 12–4, the franchise's best record since the 15–1 1998 campaign. With Dallas beating Philadelphia 24–0 later in the day, the Vikings clinched a first-round bye. Brett Favre threw at least four touchdown passes for the third time this season, as well as being honored with his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. The three awards are the most he has received in one season in his 19-year NFL career.
Standings
Postseason
Schedule
Game summaries
NFC Wildcard Round: Bye week
As the NFC second-seed, the Minnesota Vikings received a bye to the Divisional Round.
NFC Divisional Round: vs. Dallas Cowboys
This game began while many TV show hosts and sports analysts were convinced that a red-hot Dallas team was going to end the Vikings' explosive season with Brett Favre.
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...
had been throwing more accurately than ever, and because the Vikings had a week off, even their own fans were feeling the pressure of facing a tough Dallas team.
Entering the playoffs as the NFC's number 2 seed, the Vikings began their playoff run at home in the NFC Divisional Round against the number 3
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. Minnesota delivered the opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
found wide receiver
Sidney Rice
Sidney R. Rice (born September 1, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rice played college football at South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the s ...
on a 47-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys got on the board in the second quarter with a 33-yard field goal from kicker
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed b ...
, yet the Vikings came right back with Favre hooking up with Rice again on a 16-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 23-yard field goal from kicker
. After a scoreless third quarter, Minnesota delivered the final strike in the fourth quarter as Longwell nailed a 28-yard field goal, followed by Favre's 45-yard touchdown pass to Rice and his 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe O. Shiancoe (; born June 18, 1980) is a British former American football tight end. After playing college football for Morgan State, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the Giant ...
.
With the win, the Vikings advanced to their ninth
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
in team history, and their first appearance since the 2000 season with a 13–4 record. Brett Favre became the oldest player to start and win a playoff game, but also won his first postseason game in four against Dallas. This would be the Vikings' final win in a playoff game until (after)
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
. This was also the last playoff game ever in the Metrodome, as the Vikings would not win the division again until the
2015 season, when they were playing at
TCF Bank Stadium
Huntington Bank Stadium (formerly known as TCF Bank Stadium) is an outdoor stadium located on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The stadium opened in 2009, after three years of construction. It is ...
while waiting for
U.S. Bank Stadium
U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the indoor stadium opened in 2016 and is the home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Footbal ...
to be completed.
NFC Championship Game: at New Orleans Saints
Coming off their dominant divisional home win over the Cowboys, the Vikings flew to the
Louisiana Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
for the
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
against the top-seeded
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. Minnesota delivered the opening strike in the first quarter with running back
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
's 19-yard touchdown run. The Saints answered with quarterback
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
completing a 38-yard touchdown pass to running back
Pierre Thomas, yet the Vikings regained the lead as quarterback Brett Favre found wide receiver Sidney Rice on a 5-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter, New Orleans tied the game again on Brees' 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Devery Henderson
Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. (born March 26, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 9 seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). The Louisiana-born Henderson played for Louisiana State Univer ...
.
The Saints took the lead in the third quarter with Thomas' 9-yard touchdown run, yet Minnesota tied the game as Peterson got a 1-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans got the lead again as Brees hooked up with running back
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
on a 5-yard touchdown pass, yet the Vikings tied the game again with Peterson's 2-yard touchdown run. After stopping the Saints offense the Vikings got the ball back and were close to field goal range in the final 30 seconds when they were flagged for too many men on the field; on the next play Favre rolled to the right as a hole opened up, but instead of running forward he threw the ball deep across his body and it was picked off by the Saints'
Tracy Porter
Tracy O'Neil Porter (born August 11, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Saints, he won Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts, sealin ...
, forcing overtime.
In overtime, after a 40-yard kickoff return by
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans drove downfield, converting on 4th-and-1 before a controversial pass interference penalty against linebacker
Ben Leber
Ben Leber (born December 7, 1978) is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft and later played for the Minnesota Vikings.
Earl ...
brought them into field goal range. Three plays later, Saints kicker
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
nailed the game-ending 40-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Vikings' season ended with an overall record of 13–5. Doomed by turnovers – the Vikings had six fumbles, three of which they lost, plus two interceptions by Brett Favre – the Vikings lost another NFC Championship Game in overtime, this one reminiscent of the 1998–99 loss to the
Falcons
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
in the Metrodome. The Saints' performance in the game, and leading into it, would later be subject to investigation, as it was eventually revealed that the Saints had been
involved in a bounty program beginning in the 2009 season.
Statistics
Team leaders
* Vikings single season
record
League rankings
Pro Bowl
Eight Minnesota Vikings players were originally selected for the
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site ...
: five on offense (Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson), two on defense (Jared Allen and Kevin Williams) and one special teamer (Heath Farwell). Of these, six were selected to start the game, with Favre and Rice going as reserves. However, as
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
wide receiver
DeSean Jackson
DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...
was voted as a starter at both wide receiver and kickoff returner, a replacement had to be selected at KR; Percy Harvin was added to the roster on January 4, 2010, making it nine Vikings in the NFC roster.
Antoine Winfield was added to the NFC roster as an extra
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
on January 19, 2010, bringing the Vikings' contribution to the roster to 10 players.
Had the Vikings reached
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
, none of their players would have appeared in the 2010 Pro Bowl, but they lost to the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in the NFC Championship Game. Nevertheless, QB Brett Favre (ankle), CB Antoine Winfield (foot) and KR Percy Harvin (migraine headaches) all pulled out as a result of their various ailments. OT Bryant McKinnie was cut from the NFC roster on January 30 after missing four of the five practice sessions and attending only one team meeting; he claimed, via text message to the ''
Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'', that his absence was due to a lack of physical fitness. McKinnie was not replaced in the roster and was also fined his game check.
Staff
Roster
References
External links
2009 Minnesota Vikings season at Pro Football Reference2009 Minnesota Vikings season at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Minnesota Vikings Season
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
Minnesota Vikings seasons
NFC North championship seasons
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...