The Lions–Vikings rivalry is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

rivalry between 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 For ...

and

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 expansi ...

. It is the most lopsided divisional rivalry in the NFC based on winning percentage. The Lions and Vikings have played twice annually since the Vikings entered the league’s Western Conference in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

. The two teams moved to the

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 ...

after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, which became the NFC North after the NFL's 2002 realignment. This is the only NFC North rivalry without any head-to-head postseason meetings. Both teams play in indoor stadiums, and both are known for their bad luck. Since the rivalry's establishment with the Vikings joining the NFL in 1961, Minnesota has largely dominated the series. The most lopsided decades were in the 1970s and 2000s, with the Vikings going 35–5 against the Lions in those two decades. The Vikings lead the series 80–41–2 as of 2022.

Game results

, - , , style=", , style=", Lions
13–7 , style=", Lions
37–10 , Lions
2–0 , Vikings join NFL as an expansion team. , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
37–23 , style=", Lions
17–6 , Lions
4–0 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
28–10 , style=", Vikings
34–31 , Lions
5–1 , , - , , style=", , Tie
23–23 , style=", Lions
24–20 , Lions
6–1–1 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
29–7 , style=", Lions
31–29 , Lions
7–2–1 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
28–16 , style=", Lions
32–31 , Lions
8–3–1 , , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
14–3 , Tie
10–10 , Lions
9–3–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
13–6 , style=", Vikings
24–10 , Lions
9–5–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
27–0 , style=", Vikings
24–10 , Lions
9–7–2 , Detroit meeting took place on Thanksgiving. Vikings win 1969 NFL Championship, lose

Super Bowl IV Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking e ...

. , - , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
30–17 , style=", Vikings
24–20 , Tie
9–9–2 , Both teams placed in the NFC Central after AFL-NFL merger. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
16–13 , style=", Vikings
29–10 , Vikings
11–9–2 , Vikings take first series lead in the rivalry, a lead that has yet to be relinquished since. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
34–10 , style=", Vikings
16–13 , Vikings
13–9–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
23–9 , style=", Vikings
28–7 , Vikings
15–9–2 , Vikings lose Super Bowl VIII. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
7–6 , style=", Lions
20–16 , Vikings
16–10–2 , Vikings win 13 straight meetings (1968–74). Lions win in Bloomington came as the Lions intercepted a pass in the end zone on the game's final play. Vikings lose Super Bowl IX. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
17–10 , style=", Vikings
25–19 , Vikings
17–11–2 , Lions open Pontiac Silverdome. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
10–9 , style=", Vikings
31–23 , Vikings
19–11–2 , Vikings lose Super Bowl XI. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
30–21 , style=", Vikings
14–7 , Vikings
21–11–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
45–14 , style=", Vikings
17–7 , Vikings
22–12–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
13–10 , style=", Vikings
14–7 , Vikings
24–12–2 , , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
27–7 , style=", Vikings
34–0 , Vikings
25–13–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
45–7 , style=", Vikings
26–24 , Vikings
26–14–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
34–31 , ''no game'' , Vikings
27–14–2 , Game in Minneapolis cancelled due to players strike reducing the season to 9 games. Vikings move to

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' ...

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
13–2 , style=", Vikings
20–17 , Vikings
28–15–2 , Vikings win 7 straight home meetings (1976–83) , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
29–28 , style=", Lions
16–14 , Vikings
29–16–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
41–21 , style=", Vikings
16–13 , Vikings
30–17–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
24–10 , style=", Lions
13–10 , Vikings
31–18–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
17–14 , style=", Vikings
34–19 , Vikings
33–18–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
23–0 , style=", Vikings
44–17 , Vikings
35–18–2 , Game in Pontiac took place on Thanksgiving. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
20–7 , style=", Vikings
24–17 , Vikings
37–18–2 , Vikings win 7 straight meetings (1986–89). , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
17–7 , style=", Lions
34–27 , Vikings
38–19–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
10–6 , style=", Lions
34–14 , Vikings
38–21–2 , Lions' first season sweep since 1962. Barry Sanders rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns in the game in Minneapolis. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
31–17 , style=", Vikings
31–14 , Vikings
39–22–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
13–0 , style=", Lions
30–27 , Vikings
40–23–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
41–19 , style=", Vikings
10–3 , Vikings
41–24–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
44–38 , style=", Vikings
20–10 , Vikings
42–25–2 , Lions' 44–38 win is the highest scoring game in the rivalry's history (82 points). Game in Pontiac took place on Thanksgiving. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
24–22 , style=", Vikings
17–13 , Vikings
44–25–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
38–15 , style=", Lions
14–13 , Vikings
44–27–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
34–13 , style=", Vikings
29–6 , Vikings
46–27–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
25–23 , style=", Vikings
24–17 , Vikings
47–28–2 , The meeting in Minnesota assured the winner would host their first playoff game, a Lions' victory in this game would've resulted in a rematch the following week in the Wild Card Round in Detroit. , - , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
31–24 , style=", Vikings
24–17 , Vikings
49–28–2 , Vikings' WR

Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennesse ...

has 168 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in the game in Detroit. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
27–24 , style=", Vikings
31–26 , Vikings
50–29–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
38–36 , style=", Vikings
27–23 , Vikings
52–29–2 , Lions open Ford Field. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
23–13 , style=", Vikings
24–14 , Vikings
54–29–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
28–27 , style=", Vikings
22–19 , Vikings
56–29–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
21–16 , style=", Vikings
27–14 , Vikings
58–29–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
30–20 , style=", Vikings
26–17 , Vikings
60–29–2 , Vikings win 10 straight meetings (2002–06). , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
20–17 , style=", Vikings
42–10 , Vikings
61–30–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
20–16 , style=", Vikings
12–10 , Vikings
63–30–2 , Lions' QB

Dan Orlovsky Daniel John Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American football analyst for ESPN and former American football quarterback who was active for twelve seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL ...

infamously runs out of the back of his own end zone for a safety in the game in Minneapolis. Lions complete first 0–16 season in NFL history. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
27–13 , style=", Vikings
27–10 , Vikings
65–30–2 , , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
20–13 , style=", Vikings
24–10 , Vikings
66–31–2 , Vikings win 13 straight home meetings. , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
34–28 , style=", Lions
26–23(OT) , Vikings
66–33–2 , Lions win in Minneapolis (and sweep the season series) for first time since 1997. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
20–13 , style=", Vikings
34–24 , Vikings
68–33–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
34–24 , style=", Vikings
14–13 , Vikings
69–34–2 , Game in Minneapolis was the final game played at the Metrodome. , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
16–14 , style=", Lions
17–3 , Vikings
69–36–2 , Vikings move to TCF Bank Stadium. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
28–19 , style=", Vikings
26–16 , Vikings
71–36–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
16–13 , style=", Lions
22–16(OT) , Vikings
71–38–2 , Vikings open U.S. Bank Stadium. Detroit meeting took place on Thanksgiving. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
30–23 , style=", Lions
14–7 , Vikings
72–39–2 , First time since 1993 that the away team won both meetings. Detroit meeting took place on Thanksgiving. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
27–9 , style=", Vikings
24–9 , Vikings
74–39–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
42–30 , style=", Vikings
20–7 , Vikings
76–39–2 , , - , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
37–35 , style=", Vikings
34–20 , Vikings
78–39–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
29–27 , style=", Vikings
19–17 , Vikings
79–40–2 , Vikings win 8 straight meetings (2017–21). , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
34–23 , style=", Vikings
28–24 , Vikings
80–41–2 , , - , - , Regular season , style=", , , , , -

References

External links

NFL.com All-Time Team vs. Team Results

mcubed.net's Lions-Vikings Series History 1966-present

Game results

See also

References

External links

Further reading