Lions–Vikings rivalry

The Lions–Vikings rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.

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, which was later renamed the NFC North after the NFL's realignment in 2002.

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.

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 to the Los Angeles Rams 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 Vikings 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 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 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), 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 Chicago Bears, 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.