Lions–Vikings rivalry
Encyclopedia
The Lions-Vikings rivalry is an NFL rivalry between two NFC North
teams, the Detroit Lions
and the Minnesota Vikings
.
The Lions
and Vikings
have been battling since the Vikings
entered the league in 1961
. The Vikings
have dominated the series, leading 66-32-2 in the all-time series. However, the Detroit Lions
have given the Minnesota Vikings
, a usual contender for the NFL playoffs
, many surprisingly close games over the years. As a result, the Lions
have given the Vikings
more trouble than they have to the other NFC North powers, the Chicago Bears
and the Green Bay Packers
.
Although this rivalry isn't on the level of the Packers–Vikings
, the Bears–Packers, or the Bears–Vikings
rivalries, it is still important to both these teams, due to the implications of division games and the fact that they meet twice each year.
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
teams, the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
The Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
have been battling since the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
entered the league in 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
. The Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
have dominated the series, leading 66-32-2 in the all-time series. However, the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
have given the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, a usual contender for the NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
, many surprisingly close games over the years. As a result, the Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
have given the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
more trouble than they have to the other NFC North powers, the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
Although this rivalry isn't on the level of the Packers–Vikings
Packers–Vikings rivalry
The Vikings-Packers rivalry is an NFL rivalry between two NFC North Teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.The rivalry began in 1961, when the Minnesota Vikings entered the league as an expansion team. The rivalry is known for being very close, both in the all-time series and in...
, the Bears–Packers, or the Bears–Vikings
Bears–Vikings rivalry
The Bears–Vikings rivalry is an NFL rivalry between two NFC North teams, the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings.The rivalry began when the Minnesota Vikings entered the league as an expansion team in 1961. The first time these two teams met, the Vikings stunned the Bears 37-13...
rivalries, it is still important to both these teams, due to the implications of division games and the fact that they meet twice each year.
| Detroit Lions–Minnesota Vikings | |
|---|---|
  |
|
| History | |
| First Meeting | November 19, 1961 Detroit Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... 37, Minnesota Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... 10 |
| Last Meeting | September 25, 2011 Detroit Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... 26, Minnesota Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... 23 (OT) |
| Next Meeting | December 11, 2011 |
| Rivalry status | 100 meetings |
| Largest victory | DET Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... : 45-7 (1981 1981 NFL season The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:... ) |
| Smallest victory | MIN Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... : 7-6 (1974 1974 NFL season The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings... ) |
| Current Streak | DET Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... : W2 (2011)- |
| Longest Streak | MIN Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... : W13 (1968–1974) |
| Current Trend | DET Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... /MIN Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... : MIN won sixteen of last twenty |
| All-Time Series | MIN Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... : leads 66-32-2 |
| Post Season History | |
| never occurred | |
Game results
| Lions regular season victory | Vikings regular season victory | Tied Game | Post Season Meeting NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the... |
1960s (Lions 9-7-2)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 1961 NFL season The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per... |
November 19 | Detroit Lions | 37-10 | Minnesota Vikings | 32,296 | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| 1961 | December 10 | Detroit Lions | 13-7 | Minnesota Vikings | 42,655 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1962 1962 NFL season The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee.... |
November 18 | Detroit Lions | 17-6 | Minnesota Vikings | 31,257 | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| 1962 | December 9 | Detroit Lions | 37-23 | Minnesota Vikings | 47,253 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1963 1963 NFL season The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;... |
October 27 | Detroit Lions | 28-10 | Minnesota Vikings | 44,509 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1963 | November 24 | Minnesota Vikings | 34-31 | Detroit Lions | 28,763 | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| 1964 1964 NFL season The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to... |
October 11 | Detroit Lions | 24-20 | Minnesota Vikings | 40,840 | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| 1964 | November 22 | Detroit Lions | 23-23 | Minnesota Vikings | 48,291 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1965 1965 NFL season The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the... |
September 26 | Detroit Lions | 31-29 | Minnesota Vikings | 46,826 | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| 1965 | December 12 | Minnesota Vikings | 29-7 | Detroit Lions | 45,420 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1966 1966 NFL season The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams... |
November 13 | Detroit Lions | 32-31 | Minnesota Vikings | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1966 | December 11 | Minnesota Vikings | 28-16 | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1967 1967 NFL season The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and... |
November 12 | Minnesota Vikings | 10-10 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1967 | December 17 | Detroit Lions | 14-3 | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1968 1968 NFL season The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The... |
October 6 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-10 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1968 | November 17 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-6 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1969 1969 NFL season The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the... |
October 26 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-10 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington,Minnesota | |
| 1969 | November 27 | Minnesota Vikings | 27-0 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
1970s (Vikings 17-3)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 1970 NFL season The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new... |
November 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 30-17 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1970 | November 15 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-20 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1971 1971 NFL season The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins... |
September 20 | Minnesota Vikings | 16-13 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1971 | December 11 | Minnesota Vikings | 29-10 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1972 1972 NFL season The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:... |
September 24 | Minnesota Vikings | 34-10 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1972 | November 12 | Minnesota Vikings | 16-14 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1973 1973 NFL season The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season... |
October 7 | Minnesota Vikings | 23-9 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1973 | November 11 | Minnesota Vikings | 28-7 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1974 1974 NFL season The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings... |
September 22 | Minnesota Vikings | 7-6 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 1974 | October 20 | Detroit Lions | 20-16 | Minnesota Vikings | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1975 1975 NFL season The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:... |
October 19 | Minnesota Vikings | 25-19 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1975 | December 14 | Detroit Lions | 17-10 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1976 1976 NFL season The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... |
September 26 | Minnesota Vikings | 10-9 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1976 | November 7 | Minnesota Vikings | 31-23 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1977 1977 NFL season The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central.... |
October 9 | Minnesota Vikings | 14-7 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1977 | December 17 | Minnesota Vikings | 30-21 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1978 1978 NFL season The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference... |
November 5 | Minnesota Vikings | 17-7 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1978 | December 9 | Detroit Lions | 45-14 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1979 1979 NFL season The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams... |
September 30 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-10 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1979 | November 18 | Minnesota Vikings | 14-7 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
1980s (Vikings 13-6)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 1980 NFL season The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws... |
September 28 | Detroit Lions | 27-7 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1980 | November 9 | Minnesota Vikings | 34-0 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1981 1981 NFL season The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:... |
September 20 | Minnesota Vikings | 26-24 | Detroit Lions | Bloomington, Minnesota | |
| 1981 | December 12 | Detroit Lions | 45-7 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1982 1982 NFL season The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule... |
December 19 | Minnesota Vikings | 34-31 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1983 1983 NFL season The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:... |
September 25 | Minnesota Vikings | 20-17 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1983 | December 5 | Detroit Lions | 13-2 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1984 1984 NFL season The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana.... |
September 23 | Minnesota Vikings | 29-28 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1984 | October 21 | Detroit Lions | 16-14 | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1985 1985 NFL season The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:... |
November 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 16-13 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1985 | November 17 | Detroit Lions | 41-21 | Minnesota Vikings | Ponticac, Michigan | |
| 1986 1986 NFL season The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:... |
September 7 | Detroit Lions | 13-10 | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1986 | November 9 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-10 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1987 1987 NFL season The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players... |
September 13 | Minnesota Vikings | 34-19 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1987 | December 20 | Minnesota Vikings | 17-14 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1988 1988 NFL season The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division.... |
November 6 | Minnesota Vikings | 44-17 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1988 | November 17 | Minnesota Vikings | 23-0 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1989 1989 NFL season The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement... |
October 8 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-17 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1989 | October 22 | Minnesota Vikings | 20-7 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
1990s (Lions/Vikings 10-10)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 1990 NFL season The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period... |
October 7 | Detroit Lions | 34-27 | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1990 | November 11 | Minnesota Vikings | 17-7 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1991 1991 NFL season The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills.... |
October 6 | Detroit Lions | 24-20 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1991 | November 24 | Detroit Lions | 34-14 | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1992 1992 NFL season The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that... |
September 13 | Detroit Lions | 31-17 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1992 | October 15 | Minnesota Vikings | 31-14 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1993 1993 NFL season The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new... |
October 31 | Detroit Lions | 30-27 | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1993 | December 15 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-0 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1994 1994 NFL season The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season... |
September 11 | Minnesota Vikings | 10-3 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1994 | December 17 | Detroit Lions | 41-19 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1995 1995 NFL season The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars... |
September 10 | Minnesota Vikings | 20-10 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1995 | November 23 | Detroit Lions | 44-38 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1996 1996 NFL season The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end... |
September 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 17-13 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1996 | December 8 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-22 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1997 1997 NFL season The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee... |
November 16 | Detroit Lions | 38-15 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1997 | December 14 | Detroit Lions | 14-13 | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1998 1998 NFL season The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS... |
September 20 | Minnesota Vikings | 29-6 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 1998 | October 25 | Minnesota Vikings | 34-13 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 1999 1999 NFL season The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season... |
October 17 | Detroit Lions | 25-23 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 2000 1999 NFL season The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season... |
January 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-17 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
2000s (Vikings 18-2)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000... |
October 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 31-24 | Detroit Lions | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 2000 | November 30 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-17 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2001 2001 NFL season The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day... |
October 14 | Minnesota Vikings | 31-26 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2001 | December 16 | Detroit Lions | 27-24 | Minnesota Vikings | Pontiac, Michigan | |
| 2002 2002 NFL season The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each... |
October 13 | Minnesota Vikings | 27-23 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2002 | December 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 38-36 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2003 2003 NFL season -Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *... |
September 21 | Minnesota Vikings | 23-13 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2003 | November 23 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-14 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... |
November 21 | Minnesota Vikings | 22-19 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2004 | December 19 | Minnesota Vikings | 28-27 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... |
November 6 | Minnesota Vikings | 27-14 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2005 | December 4 | Minnesota Vikings | 21-16 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
October 8 | Minnesota Vikings | 26-17 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2006 | December 10 | Minnesota Vikings | 30-20 | Detroit Lions | Detroit Michigan | |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
September 16 | Detroit Lions | 20-17 | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2007 | December 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 42-10 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
October 12 | Minnesota Vikings | 12-10 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2008 | December 7 | Minnesota Vikings | 20-16 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
September 20 | Minnesota Vikings | 27-13 | Detroit Lions | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2009 | November 15 | Minnesota Vikings | 27-10 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
2010s (Lions 2-1)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
September 26 | Minnesota Vikings | 24-10 | Detroit Lions | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2010 | January 2 | Detroit Lions | 20-13 | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... |
September 25 | Detroit Lions | 26-23 (OT) | Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |