The Lions–Vikings rivalry is a

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL)

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

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) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

and

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

. The Vikings entered the NFL as an expansion team during the 1961 season and were assigned to the Western Division, becoming divisional rivals with the Lions. Following the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, both teams transitioned to the

NFC Central The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for t ...

, which was later renamed the NFC North after the NFL's realignment in 2002. While the two teams initially maintained a closely contested rivalry, the Vikings dominated in the 1970s, taking a big lead over the Lions. The Vikings have outperformed the Lions since the inception of their rivalry and the most one-sided decades occurred during the 1970s and 2000s, where the Vikings went 35–5 against the Lions. Based on winning percentage, it is one of the most lopsided divisional rivalries in the NFL. The Vikings lead the overall series, 80–45–2. The two teams have not met in the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

Background

Detroit Lions (1930–1960)

The Lions were founded in 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans, located in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. Due to financial troubles, the team was purchased by George A. Richards, who relocated them to

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

for the 1934 season and renamed them as the Detroit Lions. The team won its first championship in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

, but it would subsequently endure decades of mediocrity, failing to qualify for the playoffs since then. By the 1952 season, the Lions experienced a turnaround in their fortunes, being led by Hall-of-Fame quarterback Bobby Layne and head coaches Buddy Parker and George Wilson. During the 1950s, the Lions appeared in four NFL championship games, winning in three of them. During that same timeframe, the Lions were placed in the NFL National Conference following the AAFC–NFL merger, which would be renamed to the Western Conference in the 1953 season. The early 1960s saw the Lions win three consecutive Playoff Bowl, a post-season exhibition game to determine third place.

Minnesota Vikings

The

were founded in 1960 by a group of investors led by

Max Winter Max Winter (June 29, 1903 – July 26, 1996) was a Minneapolis businessman and sport executive who helped found the Minnesota Vikings. Biography Winter was born in Ostrava, Austria-Hungary (modern day Czech Republic, Czechia). He emigrated wi ...

, Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund, Ole Haugsrud and Bernard H. Ridder, Jr and began playing in the 1961 season. They were placed in the Western Conference, becoming divisional rivals with the Detroit Lions and resulting in two meetings annually.

1961–1967: Beginning of annual meetings

The Lions and

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

inaugural meeting between one another occurred on November 19, 1961 in Minnesota, which saw the Vikings score the first 10 points in the first quarter before being shut out by the Lions on route to a 37–10 Lions blowout win. On December 10, they would meet again in Detroit for the first time, where the Lions won 13–7, completing a sweep of the inaugural season series against the Vikings. The Lions won their next three games against the Vikings, increasing their winning streak to five, one of their longest. It wasn't until the 1963 season that the

defeated the Lions for the first time, winning 34–31 on November 24 in Minnesota. In the 1964 season on October 11 in Minnesota, a miscommunication led to both the Lions and

starting the game in identical white jerseys, marking the first and only time of two teams wearing the same color in a NFL game. At the start of the second quarter, the Vikings changed into their purple jerseys. The Lions would win the game 24–20. Later that season on November 22 in Detroit, Lions' K Wayne Walker kicked a 37-yard field goal under less than a minute left to lead to the first tie result between the two teams. In the 1965 season on December 12 in Detroit,

beat the Lions 29–7 to record their first victory in Detroit. In the 1966 season on November 13 in Minnesota, Lions K Garo Yepremian kicked 6 field goals, setting a then-NFL record, as he helped the Lions beat the Vikings 32–31. The record would be broken by K Jim Bakken in the 1967 season. In the 1967 season, the NFL divided its teams into two eight-team conferences split into two divisions each. Consequently, the Lions and Vikings were placed in the Western Conference and the

, alongside the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

and

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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, thereby continuing their divisional rivalry. Later that season on November 12 in Minnesota, the Lions fumbled 11 times in a 10–10 tie against the

, setting an NFL record.

2000s: Vikings dominate the rivalry

In the 2000s, the Vikings had a commanding 18–2 record against the Lions.

2020s: Lions and Vikings compete for playoffs

In the 2021 offseason, the Lions decided to trade QB

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...

to the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

in exchange for QB Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. In the 2021 season, the Lions and

experienced slow starts before their encounter in Minneapolis on October 10. Going into the 4th quarter, the Vikings held a 13–6 lead. K Greg Joseph added to the Vikings' score by making another field goal, increasing their lead to 16–6. A failed 4th down attempt by the Lions allowed the Vikings to gain possession on Detroit's 34-yard line. Despite having successfully converted 3 field goals earlier, Joseph missed the 49-yard field goal. The Lions quickly responded by converting a field goal, making it 16–9. The Vikings encountered misfortune as RB Alexander Mattison fumbled the ball, allowing LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin to recover it at Minnesota's 20-yard line with less than 2 minutes remaining. RB

D'Andre Swift D'Andre Tiyon Swift (born January 14, 1999) is an American professional American football, football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georgia B ...

capitalized on the turnover by scoring a touchdown. Instead of playing it safe and aiming for overtime, HC Dan Campbell decided to go for a two-point conversion. Goff's pass to WR KhaDarel Hodge successfully put the Lions ahead at 17–16. The Vikings got the ball back with 33 seconds left. QB

Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...

completed two deep passes to WR Adam Thielen for 40 yards and one pass to WR Dede Westbrook for 6 yards to set up a 54-yard game-winning field goal try with 3 seconds left. Joseph redeemed himself by successfully making the kick, securing a thrilling 19–17 victory for the Vikings. This win also marked the eighth consecutive victory for the Vikings over the Lions. After suffering consecutive defeats on game-winning field goals (the first one against the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

), Dan Campbell was visibly emotional during the post-game press conference. He expressed, "When you see your players give all that they have and you lose that way, it's tough. You know, you don't want that for them." The Lions were still on the hunt for their first win of the season when they clashed again in Detroit on December 5. With a standing of 0–10–1, their most recent victory dated back to December 6, 2020, against the

, slightly over a year ago. The Vikings took a 6–0 lead in the 1st quarter, but the Lions swiftly turned the tables by scoring 20 consecutive points, resulting in a 20–6 lead for them at halftime. The Vikings trimmed the lead to 23–21 by the start of the 4th quarter. With hopes of closing out the game, the Lions took a risk by going for it on 4th-and-one from their own 28-yard line. However, Goff was sacked by LB Blake Lynch and fumbled the ball, which Lynch promptly recovered. The Vikings took advantage of this turnover, with Cousins connecting with WR Justin Jefferson for a touchdown, giving them a 27–23 lead with only 1:50 left on the clock. Without any timeouts, Goff engineered a 75-yard drive into Minnesota territory. In the final play with just 4 seconds left, Goff connected with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown for an 11-yard touchdown pass, securing a 29–27 Lions victory. The Lions not only ended an eight-game losing streak against the Vikings but also celebrated their first win in 364 days.

Season-by-season results

, - , , style=", , style=", Lions
13–7 , style=", Lions
37–10 , Lions
2–0 , Vikings join the NFL as an expansion team. They were placed in the Western Division, resulting in two meetings annually with the Lions. , - , , 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 , In Minnesota, the Lions and Vikings began the game wearing the same white jersey colors due to a miscommunication, the first and only time this happened in NFL history. , - , , 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 , In Minnesota, Lions K Garo Yepremian kicked 6 field goals, setting an NFL record (broken by Jim Bakken in the 1967 season).
Following the Lions' loss in Detroit, fans threw snowballs at Lions head coach Harry Gilmer. , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
14–3 , Tie
10–10 , Lions
9–3–2 , As a result of expansion, the two eight-team divisions became two eight-team conferences split into two divisions, with the Lions and Vikings placed in the NFL Central division.
In Minnesota, Lions fumbled 11 times, setting an NFL record. , - , , 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 , Following their loss in Minnesota, Lions players had to bathe with cold water, prompting Lions HC Joe Schmidt to remark that they would give the Vikings "an ice bath" in their next game.
Detroit meeting took place on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

.
Last time the Lions held the overall series record.
Vikings win 1969 NFL Championship, but lose Super Bowl IV. , - , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
30–17 , style=", Vikings
24–20 , Tie
9–9–2 , As a result of the

AFL–NFL merger The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, wh ...

, the Lions and Vikings were placed in the newly formed

National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...

(NFC) and the

(later renamed to the NFC North in the 2002 season). , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
16–13 , style=", Vikings
29–10 , Vikings
11–9–2 , Vikings take the overall series lead.
In Minnesota, Vikings clinched the NFC Central with their win. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
34–10 , style=", Vikings
16–14 , Vikings
13–9–2 , In Minnesota, Vikings CB Bobby Bryant blocked Lions K Errol Mann's 33-yard field goal on the game's final play. , - , , 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 (1968–1974).
Lions' win came when DB Lem Barney intercepted Vikings' QB

Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940), nicknamed "the Scrambler", is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He is wi ...

's pass in the end zone of the game's final play.
Last matchup at Tiger Stadium.
Vikings lose

Super Bowl IX Super Bowl IX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1974 Minnesota Vikings season, Mi ...

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
17–10 , style=", Vikings
25–19 , Vikings
17–11–2 , Lions open

Pontiac Silverdome The Pontiac Silverdome (also known as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, the fi ...

. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
10–9 , style=", Vikings
31–23 , Vikings
19–11–2 , Vikings lose

Super Bowl XI Super Bowl XI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1976 Oakland Raiders season, Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings ...

. , - , , 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 , In Detroit, Lions score their most points in a game against the Vikings. , - , , 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 , In Minneosta, Vikings record their largest victory over the Lions with a 34–point differential.
Both teams finished with 9–7 records, but the Vikings clinched the NFC Central based on a better conference record, eliminating the Lions from playoff contention. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
45–7 , style=", Vikings
26–24 , Vikings
26–14–2 , In Detroit, Lions record their largest victory over the Vikings with a 38–point differential and tied their most points scored in a game against the Vikings (

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 ...

).
Last matchup at

Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the West North Central states, north central United State ...

. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
34–31 , ''canceled'' , Vikings
27–14–2 , Due to the 1982 NFL player strike, the game scheduled in Minnesota was cancelled.
Vikings open Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
13–2 , style=", Vikings
20–17 , Vikings
28–15–2 , Vikings win eight straight home meetings (1975–1983). , - , , 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 , In Minnesota, Vikings score their most points in a game against the Lions.
Game in Detroit was played on

. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
20–7 , style=", Vikings
24–17 , Vikings
37–18–2 , , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
17–7 , style=", Lions
34–27 , Vikings
38–19–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
24–20 , style=", Lions
34–14 , Vikings
38–21–2 , In Minnesota, Lions' RB Barry Sanders rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns as he led the Lions to their first season sweep of the Vikings since the 1962 season. , - , , 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 , Game in Detroit was played on

. The game's final score is the highest-scoring game between the two teams (82 points). , - , , 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 , Both teams finished with 9–7 records, but the Lions clinched the better playoff seed based on their head-to-head sweep. , - , , 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 , Vikings' win clinched them a better playoff seed than the Lions, along with home-field advantage in the Wild Card round. Had the Lions won, the Vikings would have traveled to Detroit for their first playoff matchup against each other. , - , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
31–24 , style=", Vikings
24–17 , Vikings
49–28–2 , In Detroit, Vikings' WR Randy Moss finished with 168 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
27–24 , style=", Vikings
31–26 , Vikings
50–29–2 , Lions snapped a 13-game losing streak and recorded their first win of the season with their win.
Last matchup at

. , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
38–36 , style=", Vikings
31–24 , Vikings
52–29–2 , Lions open

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), the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL), the Mid-Americ ...

. , - , , 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 ten straight meetings (2002–2006). , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
20–17 (OT) , style=", Vikings
42–10 , Vikings
61–30–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Vikings
20–16 , style=", Vikings
12–10 , Vikings
63–30–2 , In Minnesota, Lions' QB

Dan Orlovsky Dan Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American American football, football analyst for ESPN and former professional football player. He played as a quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily as a backup. Or ...

infamously runs out of the back of his own end zone for a safety.
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 thirteen straight home meetings (1998–2010). , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
34–28 , style=", Lions
26–23(OT) , Vikings
66–33–2 , Lions win in Minnesota and sweep the season series for the first time since the 1997 season. , - , , 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 Minnesota was the final game played at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
16–14 , style=", Lions
17–3 , Vikings
69–36–2 , Vikings temporarily play at TCF Bank Stadium (now known as Huntington Bank Stadium) for two seasons. , - , , 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.
Game in Detroit took place on

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Vikings
30–23 , style=", Lions
14–7 , Vikings
72–39–2 , Game in Detroit took place on

.
Road team splits the season series for the first time since the 1993 season. , - , , 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 on a game-winning field goal to extend their winning streak to eight (2017–2021).
In Detroit, Lions' QB Jared Goff throws a touchdown pass to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown on the game's final play to record their first win of the season and their first win in over a year, breaking a 15-game winless streak. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Lions
34–23 , style=", Vikings
28–24 , Vikings
80–41–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
30–20 , style=", Lions
30–24 , Vikings
80–43–2 , In Minnesota, Lions clinch their first NFC North title and first division title since the 1993 season with their win. , - , , style=", , style=", Lions
31–9 , style=", Lions
31–29 , Vikings
80–45–2 , Lions' win in Minnesota was the Vikings' only home loss in their 2024 season.
In Detroit, Lions clinched the NFC North title, the NFC #1 seed, and win all of their division games for the first time in franchise history with their win. , - , - , Regular season , style=", , , , , -

References

External links

NFL.com All-Time Team vs. Team Results

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