2011 Minnesota Vikings season

51st season in franchise history August 2023 March 2026 Minnesota Vikings 2011 3–13 4th NFC North Leslie Frazier Zygi Wilf Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Did not qualify DE Jared AllenLB Chad Greenway (alternate) File:Vikings 2006-2012 with throwback.png Vikings seasons The 2011 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), and the first full season under head coach Leslie Frazier, who served as the team's interim head coach for the final six games of the 2010 season. The team failed to improve on their 6–10 record from 2010, going 2–6 before their bye week, before being eliminated from playoff contention in week 12 with a 2–9 record. The team also suffered its first six-game losing streak since the 1984 season. The team started the season with a new starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb, who had enjoyed great success with the Eagles but had a subpar year with the Redskins in 2010. McNabb played respectably, having a passer rating of 82.9 and only turning the ball over twice, but his 1–5 record as starter led to him being benched in favor of rookie Christian Ponder in Week 6, and McNabb was later waived on December 1, 2011. Despite a poor year for the team as a whole, Jared Allen set a franchise record for most sacks in a season with 22. The team led the league in sacks with 50, but also tied a team record for fewest interceptions caught in a season with only eight. 3 Offseason Players Additions Michael Jenkins-signed from the Atlanta Falcons. Scott Kooistra-signed from the Baltimore Ravens. Donovan McNabb-signed from the Washington Redskins. Players lost Ryan Cook-signed with the Miami Dolphins. Ray Edwards-signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Brett Favre-Announced to retire. Heath Farwell-signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Tarvaris Jackson-signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Jimmy Kennedy-signed with the New York Giants. Ben Leber-signed with the St. Louis Rams. Bryant McKinnie-signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Sidney Rice-signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Lito Sheppard-signed with the Oakland Raiders. Frank Walker-signed with the Tennessee Titans. Madieu Williams-signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Pat Williams-Announced to retire. 2011 draft 2011 NFL draft After finishing with a 6–10 record in the 2010 season, the Vikings were allocated the 12th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Pro Bowler 2011 Minnesota Vikings Draft Draft order Player name Position College Contract Notes Round Overall 1 12 Christian Ponder QB Florida State 4 years 2 43 Kyle Rudolph TE Notre Dame 4 years 3 74Traded to the New England PatriotsThe Vikings traded their third-round selection (74th overall) to the Patriots in exchange for WR Randy Moss and a 2012 seventh-round selection (223rd overall). 4 106 Christian Ballard DE Iowa 4 years 5 139 Brandon Burton CB Utah 4 years 150Traded to the Cleveland BrownsBrowns trade The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (150th overall) to the Browns in exchange for two sixth-round selections (168th and 170th overall). From GiantsThe Vikings traded RB Darius Reynaud and QB Sage Rosenfels to the Giants in exchange for the a fifth-round selection (150th overall) and a conditional 2012 seventh-round selection, which was not exercised. 6 168 DeMarcus Love OT Arkansas 4 years From Broncos, via BrownsBrowns trade 170 Mistral Raymond S South Florida 4 years From BrownsBrowns trade 172 Brandon Fusco C Slippery Rock 4 years 200 Ross Homan LB Ohio State 4 years Compensatory pickCompensatory pick The Vikings were awarded two compensatory picks for the loss of free agent G Artis Hicks and RB Chester Taylor. 7 215 D'Aundre Reed DE Arizona 4 years 236 Stephen Burton WR West Texas A&M 4 years Compensatory pickCompensatory pick thumb|Oakland at Minnesota in week 11 Notes: Undrafted free agents Player Position CollegeChris AdingupuSafetyPrairie View A&MDavid AkinniyiDefensive endNorth Carolina StateConan AmituianaGuardArizonaMatt AsiataRunning backUtahLarry DeanLinebackerValdosta StateMarcell GipsonCornerbackWyomingRyan HillSafetyMiami (FL)Andre HolmesWide receiverHillsdaleRod HuntleyGuardTexas-El PasoByron IsomGuardAuburnDominique JohnsonWide receiverCal PolyAllen ReisnerTight endIowaDevon TorranceCornerback/SafetyOhio StateNathan WhitakerKickerStanford Staff Minnesota Vikings 2011 staff Front office Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf Owner/president – Mark Wilf Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf Vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski Vice president of player personnel – Rick Spielman Director of player personnel – George Paton Director of college scouting – Scott Studwell Assistant director of college scouting – Jamaal Stephenson Head coaches Head coach – Leslie Frazier Assistant to the head coach – Cameron Turner Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Bill Musgrave Quarterbacks – Craig Johnson Assistant quarterbacks – Kevin Stefanski Running backs – James Saxon Wide receivers – George Stewart Assistant wide receivers – Ryan Ficken Tight ends – Jimmie Johnson Offensive line – Jeff Davidson Assistant offensive line – Ryan Silverfield Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Fred Pagac Defensive line – Karl Dunbar Assistant defensive line – Diron Reynolds Linebackers – Mike Singletary Defensive backs/secondary – Joe Woods Assistant defensive backs/secondary – Matt Sheldon Defensive assistant – Jeff Imamura Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Mike Priefer Assistant special teams – Chris White Strength and conditioning Head athletic trainer/director of sports medicine – Eric Sugarman Strength and conditioning – Tom Kanavy Assistant strength and conditioning – Juney Barnett Assistant strength and conditioning – Martin Streight Assistant strength and conditioning – Chaz Mahle Roster 2011 Minnesota Vikings 53 10 7  7 Christian Ponder y 18 Sage Rosenfels 14 Joe Webb 27 Lorenzo Booker KR 44 Ryan D'Imperio FB 32 Toby Gerhart 38 Caleb King y 29 Jordan Todman y 16 Emmanuel Arceneaux 19 Devin Aromashodu 85 Greg Camarillo 12 Percy Harvin KR 40 Jim Kleinsasser 82 Kyle Rudolph y 81 Visanthe Shiancoe 86 Mickey Shuler Jr. 61 Joe Berger C/G 79 Patrick Brown American football T 63 Brandon Fusco y G 64 Anthony Herrera American football G 74 Charlie Johnson offensive tackle T 71 Phil Loadholt T 75 DeMarcus Love y T 65 John Sullivan center C 69 Jared Allen DE 92 Remi Ayodele DT 99 Christian Ballard y DT 90 Fred Evans defensive tackle DT 97 Everson Griffen DE 98 Letroy Guion DT 91 D'Aundre Reed y DE 96 Brian Robison DE 93 Kevin Williams defensive tackle DT 57 Xavier Adibi MLB 51 Larry Dean gridiron football y OLB 52 Chad Greenway OLB 56 E. J. Henderson MLB 50 Erin Henderson OLB 55 Kenny Onatolu OLB 21 Asher Allen CB 36 Brandon Burton y CB 31 Chris Cook cornerback CB 37 Eric Frampton SS 23 Cedric Griffin CB 24 Jarrad Page FS 41 Mistral Raymond y FS 33 Jamarca Sanford SS 22 Benny Sapp CB 34 Andrew Sendejo FS 35 Marcus Sherels CB/PR 48 Matt Katula LS  4 Chris Kluwe P  8 Ryan Longwell K 39 Husain Abdullah FS IR 54 Jasper Brinkley MLB IR 11 Stephen Burton y WR IR 76 Steve Hutchinson American football G IR 84 Michael Jenkins wide receiver WR IR 25 Tyrell Johnson American football FS/SS IR 73 Scott Kooistra T IR 46 Cullen Loeffler LS IR 28 Adrian Peterson RB IR 26 Antoine Winfield Sr. CB IR 17 Kris Adams y WR 72 Chris DeGeare G 20 Reggie Jones cornerback, born 1986 CB 68 Butch Lewis American football y T 59 Tyrone McKenzie LB 89 Allen Reisner y TE 15 Kerry Taylor American football y WR Preseason Schedule The Vikings' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011. Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap 1August 13at Tennessee TitansL 3–140–1LP FieldRecap 2August 20 at Seattle SeahawksW 20–71–1CenturyLink FieldRecap 3August 27 Dallas CowboysL 17–231–2Mall of America FieldRecap 4September 1 Houston TexansW 28–02–2Mall of America FieldRecap Game summaries Week 1: at Tennessee Titans Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Preseason Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans – Game summary August 13 19:00 Vikings 0 0 3 0 Titans 0 14 0 0 LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee 69,143 Sunny, 82 °F °C Scott Green (19) KARE-11 Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter TEN – Yamon Figurs 45-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), 4:55. Titans 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 45 yards, 0:08. TEN – Jamie Harper 2-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 1:47. Titans 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:36. Third quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 9:32. Titans 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:28. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 8/13, 84 yards TEN – Jake Locker – 7/10, 89 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 9 rushes, 47 yards TEN – Jamie Harper – 8 rushes, 27 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 3 rec, 32 yards TEN – Yamon Figurs – 1 rec, 45 yards, TD Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Preseason Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary August 20 21:00 Vikings 7 6 0 7 Seahawks 0 0 0 7 CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington 65,599 Sunny, 82 °F °C Clete Blakeman (34) KARE-11 Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Marcus Sherels 64-yard interception return (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:35. Vikings 7–0. Second quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 36-yard field goal, 6:33. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 7:19. MIN – Ryan Longwell 34-yard field goal, 1:47. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 2:25. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter SEA – Anthony McCoy 3-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (Jeff Reed kick), 14:54. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 16 plays, 89 yards, 8:40. MIN – Tristan Davis 35-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:09. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:15. Top passers MIN – Donovan McNabb – 6/8, 81 yards SEA – Charlie Whitehurst – 14/19, 97 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Lorenzo Booker – 7 rushes, 37 yards SEA – Josh Portis – 4 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 rec, 30 yards SEA – Dominique Byrd – 4 rec, 32 yards Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys {{Americanfootballbox |titlestyle=Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; |state=autocollapse |title=Preseason Week 3: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary |date=August 27 |time=19:00 |road=Cowboys |R1=3 |R2=14 |R3=3 |R4=3 |home=Vikings |H1=7 |H2=3 |H3=7 |H4=0 |stadium=Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota |attendance=62,800 |weather=None (domed stadium) |referee=John Parry (132) |TV=KARE-11 |TVAnnouncers=Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver |reference=Recap, Game Book |scoring= First quarter MIN – Bernard Berrian 49-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:58. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:47. DAL – Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 2:52. ''Vikings 7–3. Drive:Second quarterDAL – Alan Ball 20-yard return of blocked field goal (Shayne Graham kick), 14:36. Cowboys 10–7. DAL – Felix Jones 5-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 6:53. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:10. MIN – Ryan Longwell 44-yard field goal, 3:43. Cowboys 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:10.Third quarterDAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 8:05. Cowboys 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:11. MIN – Joe Webb 10-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:06. Cowboys 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 2:59.Fourth quarterDAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 1:07. Cowboys 23–17. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:49. |stats=Top passersDAL – Tony Romo – 15/20, 141 yards MIN – Donovan McNabb – 12/18, 164 yards, TDTop rushersDAL – DeMarco Murray – 7 rushes, 32 yards MIN – Adrian Peterson – 14 rushes, 81 yardsTop receiversDAL – Dez Bryant – 5 rec, 67 yards MIN – Bernard Berrian – 2 rec, 64 yards, TD }} Week 4: vs. Houston Texans Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Preseason Week 4: Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 1 19:00 Texans 0 0 0 0 Vikings 0 7 7 14 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,148 None (domed stadium) Walt Coleman (65) KARE-11 Ari Wolfe, Mike Mayock and Randy Shaver Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter MIN – Kyle Rudolph 5-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:39. Third quarter MIN – Alexander Robinson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:19. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:16. Fourth quarter MIN – Caleb King 7-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:47. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:53. MIN – Caleb King 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:47. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:26. Top passers HOU – Matt Leinart – 13/16, 145 yards MIN – Christian Ponder – 10/16, 83 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Chris Ogbonnaya – 14 rushes, 62 yards MIN – Caleb King – 19 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD Top receivers HOU – Garrett Graham – 6 rec, 71 yards MIN – Jaymar Johnson – 2 rec, 28 yards Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap 1September 11at San Diego ChargersL 17–240–1Qualcomm StadiumRecap 2September 18Tampa Bay BuccaneersL 20–240–2Mall of America FieldRecap 3September 25Detroit LionsL 23–26 (OT)0–3Mall of America FieldRecap 4October 2at Kansas City ChiefsL 17–220–4Arrowhead StadiumRecap 5October 9Arizona CardinalsW 34–101–4Mall of America FieldRecap 6October 16at Chicago BearsL 10–391–5Soldier FieldRecap 7October 23Green Bay PackersL 27–331–6Mall of America FieldRecap 8October 30at Carolina PanthersW 24–212–6Bank of America StadiumRecap 9Bye 10November 14at Green Bay PackersL 7–452–7Lambeau FieldRecap 11November 20Oakland RaidersL 21–272–8Mall of America FieldRecap 12November 27at Atlanta FalconsL 14–242–9Georgia DomeRecap 13December 4Denver BroncosL 32–352–10Mall of America FieldRecap 14December 11at Detroit LionsL 28–342–11Ford FieldRecap 15December 18New Orleans SaintsL 20–422–12Mall of America FieldRecap 16December 24at Washington RedskinsW 33–263–12FedExFieldRecap 17January 1 Chicago BearsL 13–173–13Mall of America FieldRecap LEGEND Team names in bold''' indicate Vikings' home games. Game summaries Week 1: at San Diego Chargers Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 11 3:15 p.m. CDT Vikings 7 10 0 0 Chargers 7 0 7 10 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 66,716 74 °F °C Sunny Terry McAulay (77) Fox Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Percy Harvin 103-yard kickoff return (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15. SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 11:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 1:21. Second quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 12:56. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:34. MIN – Michael Jenkins 3-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:44. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:28. Third quarter SD – Mike Tolbert 7-yard run (Mike Scifres kick), 10:43. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:17. Fourth quarter SD – Mike Scifres 40-yard field goal, 10:05. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:45. SD – Mike Tolbert 19-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 5:01. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:10. Top passers MIN – Donovan McNabb – 7/15, 39 yards, TD SD – Philip Rivers – 33/48, 335 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 98 yards SD – Ryan Mathews – 12 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 rec, 26 yards, TD SD – Antonio Gates – 8 rec, 74 yards Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 18 12:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 0 0 10 14 Vikings 7 10 0 3 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,461 None (domed stadium) Jeff Triplette (42) Fox Dick Stockton and John Lynch Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:02. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:41. Second quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 22-yard field goal, 5:06. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:45. MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:52. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:47. Third quarter TB – LeGarrette Blount 27-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 10:59. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:40. TB – Connor Barth 36-yard field goal, 0:29. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:59. Fourth quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 29-yard field goal, 9:41. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:48. TB – Arrelious Benn 25-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 6:39. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:02. TB – LeGarrette Blount 4-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 0:31. Buccaneers 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:41. Top passers TB – Josh Freeman – 22/31, 243 yards, TD MIN – Donovan McNabb – 18/30, 228 yards Top rushers TB – LeGarrette Blount – 13 rushes, 71 yards, 2 TD MIN – Adrian Peterson – 25 rushes, 120 yards, 2 TD Top receivers TB – Preston Parker – 6 rec, 98 yards MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 76 yards Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 25 12:00 p.m. CDT Lions 0 0 10 13 3 Vikings 6 14 0 3 0 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,466 None (domed stadium) Ron Winter (14) Fox Dick Stockton and John Lynch Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 9:38. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:22. MIN – Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal, 5:19. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 2:36. Second quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:01. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:04. MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 8-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:09. Vikings 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 0:41. Third quarter DET – Calvin Johnson 32-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 9:22. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:39. DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 3:14. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:58. Fourth quarter DET – Calvin Johnson 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 14:55. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:53. DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, 5:20. Tied 20–20. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:13. DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, 2:30. Lions 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:43. MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 1:11. Tied 23–23. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 1:19. Overtime DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, 13:01. Lions 26–23. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:59. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/46, 378 yards, 2 TD MIN – Donovan McNabb – 22/36, 211 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Jahvid Best – 12 rushes, 14 yards MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 rushes, 78 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DET – Brandon Pettigrew – 11 rec, 112 yards MIN – Michael Jenkins – 9 rec, 88 yards Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary October 2 12:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 7 0 3 7 Chiefs 3 6 6 7 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 72,931 65 °F °C Sunny Bill Leavy (127) Fox Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Tim Brewster Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Ryan Succop 40-yard field goal, 7:16. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 21 yards, 5:56. MIN – Devin Aromashodu 34-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:47. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:29. Second quarter KC – Ryan Succop 24-yard field goal, 5:15. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:32. KC – Ryan Succop 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 9–7. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 2:22. Third quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 9:15. Vikings 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:50. KC – Ryan Succop 54-yard field goal, 5:18. Chiefs 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:57. KC – Ryan Succop 22-yard field goal, 0:09. Chiefs 15–10. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:52. Fourth quarter KC – Dwayne Bowe 52-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 13:51. Chiefs 22–10. Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:46. MIN – Michael Jenkins 1-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:50. Chiefs 22–17. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 8:01. Top passers MIN – Donovan McNabb – 18/30, 202 yards, 2 TD KC – Matt Cassel – 18/29, 260 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 23 rushes, 80 yards KC – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 37 yards Top receivers MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe – 6 rec, 58 yards KC – Dwayne Bowe – 5 rec, 107 yards, TD Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 9 12:00 p.m. CDT Cardinals 0 3 7 0 Vikings 28 0 3 3 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,479 None (domed stadium) Scott Green (19) Fox Chris Myers and Tim Ryan Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:18. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:35. MIN – Adrian Peterson 24-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:55. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:07. MIN – Donovan McNabb 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:50. MIN – Adrian Peterson 14-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:41. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:01. Second quarter ARI – Jay Feely 51-yard field goal, 10:29. Vikings 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:25. Third quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:23. Vikings 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:41. MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 3:35. Vikings 31–10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 4:48. Fourth quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 53-yard field goal, 2:09. Vikings 34–10. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 4:33. Top passers ARI – Kevin Kolb – 21/42, 232 yards MIN – Donovan McNabb – 10/21, 169 yards Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 20 rushes, 60 yards, TD MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 122 yards, 3 TD Top receivers ARI – Early Doucet – 8 rec, 92 yards MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 rec, 81 yards Week 6: at Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 16 7:20 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 3 7 0 Bears 16 10 10 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,322 56 °F °C Clear Walt Anderson (66) NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Game Book First quarter CHI – Devin Hester 48-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 12:17. Bears 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:13. CHI – Donovan McNabb sacked in the end zone by Stephen Paea for a safety, 6:52. Bears 9–0. CHI – Marion Barber 3-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 3:39. Bears 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:13. Second quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 12:37. Bears 16–3. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:02. CHI – Dane Sanzenbacher 13-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:41. Bears 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:23. CHI – Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal, 0:28. Bears 26–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 1:27. Third quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:23. Bears 26–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:24. CHI – Devin Hester 98-yard kickoff return (Robbie Gould kick), 10:09. Bears 33–10. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14. CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 5:44. Bears 36–10. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yard field goal, 14:50. Bears 39–10. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:13. Top passers MIN – Donovan McNabb – 19/24, 177 yards CHI – Jay Cutler – 21/31, 267 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 12 rushes, 39 yards, TD CHI – Matt Forté – 17 rushes, 87 yards Top receivers MIN – Percy Harvin – 7 rec, 78 yards CHI – Devin Hester – 5 rec, 91 yards, TD Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 23 3:15 p.m. CDT Packers 7 6 20 0 Vikings 7 10 0 10 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,946 None (domed stadium) Pete Morelli (135) Fox Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 2-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:58. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:02. GB – John Kuhn 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 8:34. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:24. Second quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:43. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:39. GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, 4:55. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:48. MIN – Ryan Longwell 52-yard field goal, 0:55. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:00. GB – Mason Crosby 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:55. Third quarter GB – Greg Jennings 79-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:09. Packers 20–17. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:51. GB – Jermichael Finley 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:29. Packers 27–17. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 2:19. GB – Mason Crosby 24-yard field goal, 3:18. Packers 30–17. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:44. GB – Mason Crosby 58-yard field goal, 0:18. Packers 33–17. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 1:59. Fourth quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 13:48. Packers 33–20. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:30. MIN – Michael Jenkins 24-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:49. Packers 33–27. Drive: 10 plays, 93 yards, 4:41. Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/30, 335 yards, 3 TD MIN – Christian Ponder – 13/32, 219 yards, 2 TD Top rushers GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 75 yards MIN – Adrian Peterson – 24 rushes, 175 yards, TD Top receivers GB – Greg Jennings – 7 rec, 147 yards, TD MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 rec, 111 yards, TD Week 8: at Carolina Panthers Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary October 30 12:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 7 7 7 3 Panthers 0 14 7 0 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 72,095 54 °F °C Sunny Ed Hochuli (85) Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Percy Harvin 10-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:34. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:39. Second quarter CAR – Jeremy Shockey 1-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 13:22. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:27. CAR – Greg Olsen 39-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 10:18. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:41. MIN – Adrian Peterson 19-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:42. Tied 14–14. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:21. Third quarter CAR – Steve Smith 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 11:07. Panthers 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:53. MIN – Adrian Peterson 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:58. Tied 21–21. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 5:41. Fourth quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 31-yard field goal, 2:43. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:10. Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 18/28, 236 yards, TD CAR – Cam Newton – 22/35, 290 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 rushes, 86 yards, TD CAR – Cam Newton – 6 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 5 rec, 76 yards, TD CAR – Steve Smith – 7 rec, 100 yards, TD Week 10: at Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary November 14 7:30 p.m. CST Vikings 0 0 7 0 Packers 14 3 14 14 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 70,519 47 °F °C Mike Carey (94) ESPN Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Rachel Nichols Recap, Game Book First quarter GB – Randall Cobb 80-yard punt return (Mason Crosby kick), 13:42. Packers 7–0. GB – Greg Jennings 24-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:02. Packers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:53. Second quarter GB – Mason Crosby 25-yard field goal, 12:04. Packers 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:10. Third quarter GB – Jordy Nelson 17-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:45. Packers 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:15. MIN – Adrian Peterson 3-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:41. Packers 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:29. GB – John Kuhn 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 6:21. Packers 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:20 Fourth quarter GB – Jordy Nelson 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:59. Packers 38–7. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:30. GB – Matt Flynn 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 4:27. Packers 45–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 6:03. Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/34, 190 yards GB – Aaron Rodgers – 23/30, 250 yards, 4 TD Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 14 rushes, 51 yards, TD GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 52 yards GB – Jermichael Finley – 3 rec, 67 yards After being swept by the Packers, the Vikings dropped to 2–7. As of 2025, this is the Vikings' most lopsided loss to the Packers. Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 20 12:00 p.m. CST Raiders 3 21 3 0 Vikings 7 0 0 14 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,748 None (domed stadium) Jerome Boger (23) CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 12-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:17. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:24. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 29-yard field goal, 0:57. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:20. Second quarter OAK – Chaz Schilens 11-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:10. Raiders 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:50. OAK – Michael Bush 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:20. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:22. OAK – Carson Palmer 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:08. Raiders 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:06. Third quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 26-yard field goal, 0:51. Raiders 27–7. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:27. Fourth quarter MIN – Percy Harvin 26-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:52. Raiders 27–14. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:59. MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:08. Raiders 27–21. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:50. Top passers OAK – Carson Palmer – 17/23, 164 yards, TD MIN – Christian Ponder – 19/33, 211 yards, 2 TD Top rushers OAK – Michael Bush – 30 rushes, 109 yards, TD MIN – Christian Ponder – 5 rushes, 71 yards Top receivers OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 4 rec, 43 yards MIN – Percy Harvin – 6 rec, 73 yards, TD Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary November 27 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 0 7 7 Falcons 7 10 0 7 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 68,115 None (domed stadium) Alberto Riveron (57) Fox Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin Recap, Game Book First quarter ATL – Harry Douglas 27-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:08. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:39. Second quarter ATL – Roddy White 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:04. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:01. ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 0:37. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 1:23. Third quarter MIN – Toby Gerhart 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:58. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:53. Fourth quarter MIN – Percy Harvin 39-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:13. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 0:52. ATL – Michael Palmer 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:40. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:59. Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 17/25, 186 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 27/34, 262 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIN – Toby Gerhart – 17 rushes, 44 yards, TD ATL – Michael Turner – 19 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 95 yards, TD ATL – Roddy White – 10 rec, 120 yards, TD Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 4 12:00 p.m. CST Broncos 7 0 14 14 Vikings 5 10 7 10 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,939 None (domed stadium) Terry McAulay (77) Fox Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Willis McGahee tackled in end zone by Jared Allen for a safety, 12:39. Vikings 2–0. DEN – Mario Haggan 16-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 5:42. Broncos 7–2. MIN – Ryan Longwell 40-yard field goal, 1:24. Broncos 7–5. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:21. Second quarter MIN – Kyle Rudolph 19-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:33. Vikings 12–7. Drive: 12 plays, 96 yards, 5:57. MIN – Ryan Longwell 25-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 15–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 0:39. Third quarter DEN – Demaryius Thomas 21-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 11:18. Vikings 15–14. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:42. MIN – Percy Harvin 52-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:12. Vikings 22–14. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:23. DEN – Demaryius Thomas 41-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 2:48. Vikings 22–21. Drive: 1 play, 41 yards, 0:24. Fourth quarter MIN – Percy Harvin 48-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:41. Vikings 29–21. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:36. DEN – Willis McGahee 24-yard run (Tim Tebow run), 8:52. Tied 29–29. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:49. MIN – Ryan Longwell 39-yard field goal, 3:06. Vikings 32–29. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:46. DEN – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal, 1:33. Tied 32–32. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:33. DEN – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 35–32. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 1:25. Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow – 10/15, 202 yards, 2 TD MIN – Christian Ponder – 29/47, 381 yards, 3 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee – 20 rushes, 111 yards, TD MIN – Toby Gerhart – 21 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 4 rec, 144 yards, 2 TD MIN – Percy Harvin – 8 rec, 156 yards, 2 TD With the loss, the Vikings were swept by the AFC West & fell to 2-10, resulting in them being eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight time. This game was also notable for being the first NFL on Fox regular season game to have an NFC vs AFC match-up despite the AFC team (Denver) being the road team and the last until 2014. The game was originally meant to be on CBS. However, because of the Colts-Patriots match-up was flexed out of Sunday Night Football for Lions-Saints, FOX got the rights to air this game since CBS wasn't able to air due to not having enough members to air 7 1PM games involving AFC road teams. Week 14: at Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 11 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 7 7 7 7 Lions 21 10 0 3 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 63,988 None (domed stadium) John Parry (132) Fox Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin Recap, Game Book First quarter DET – Stephen Tulloch fumble recovery in end zone (Jason Hanson kick), 12:56. Lions 7–0. DET – Titus Young 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 9:45. Lions 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:43. DET – Brandon Pettigrew 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 5:54. Lions 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:52. MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:51. Lions 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:03. Second quarter DET – Alphonso Smith 30-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 12:33. Lions 28–7. MIN – Percy Harvin 6-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:36. Lions 28–14. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:57. DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, 1:05. Lions 31–14. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:15. Third quarter MIN – Joe Webb 65-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 4:21. Lions 31–21. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 3:41. Fourth quarter DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, 12:17. Lions 34–21. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 7:04. MIN – Toby Gerhart 2-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:54. Lions 34–28. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:23. Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/21, 115 yards, 2 TD DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/29, 227 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Joe Webb – 7 rushes, 109 yards, TD DET – Keiland Williams – 12 rushes, 43 yards Top receivers MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 rec, 69 yards, TD DET – Titus Young – 4 rec, 87 yards, TD With the loss, the Vikings were swept by the Lions for the first time since 1997 and fell to 2-11. Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 18 12:00 p.m. CST Saints 7 14 14 7 Vikings 3 10 0 7 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,623 None (domed stadium) Walt Anderson (66) Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 44-yard field goal, 12:20. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:20. NO – Lance Moore 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 2:51. Saints 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:36. Second quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 13:13. Saints 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:09. NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:04. Saints 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:09. MIN – Toby Gerhart 10-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:59. Saints 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:05. NO – Darren Sproles 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 1:33. Saints 21–13. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:26. Third quarter NO – John Gilmore 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 12:15. Saints 28–13. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:44. NO – Lance Moore 47-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:18. Saints 35–13. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:56. Fourth quarter NO – Pierre Thomas 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 12:50. Saints 42–13. Drive: 19 plays, 87 yards, 10:36. MIN – Toby Gerhart 16-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:12. Saints 42–20. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:13. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 32/40, 412 yards, 5 TD MIN – Christian Ponder – 14/31, 120 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NO – Chris Ivory – 18 rushes, 74 yards MIN – Adrian Peterson – 10 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers NO – Marques Colston – 8 rec, 91 yards MIN – Toby Gerhart – 4 rec, 46 yards, 2 TD Week 16: at Washington Redskins Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins – Game summary December 24 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 3 7 13 10 Redskins 0 10 10 6 FedExField, Landover, Maryland 68,370 45 °F °C Sunny Tony Corrente (99) Fox Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 36-yard field goal, 7:11. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:23. Second quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:56. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:52. WAS – Donté Stallworth 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 10:46. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:10. WAS – Graham Gano 26-yard field goal, 1:02. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:34. Third quarter WAS – Graham Gano 53-yard field goal, 10:40. Redskins 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 4 yards, 2:39. MIN – Joe Webb 9-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:23. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:17. WAS – Jabar Gaffney 4-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 5:57. Redskins 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:26. MIN – Kyle Rudolph 17-yard pass from Joe Webb (kick missed), 2:41. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:16. Fourth quarter WAS – Graham Gano 25-yard field goal, 12:41. Tied 23–23. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:00. MIN – Percy Harvin 8-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:06. Vikings 30–23. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:35. MIN – Ryan Longwell 23-yard field goal, 4:05. Vikings 33–23. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:27. WAS – Graham Gano 47-yard field goal, 1:25. Vikings 33–26. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 2:40. Top passers MIN – Joe Webb – 4/5, 84 yards, 2 TD WAS – Rex Grossman – 26/41, 284 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Toby Gerhart – 11 rushes, 109 yards WAS – Evan Royster – 19 rushes, 132 yards Top receivers MIN – Percy Harvin – 5 rec, 65 yards, TD WAS – Jabar Gaffney – 6 rec, 77 yards, TD With the win, the Vikings improved to 3-12 & finished 2-6 on the road. Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary January 1 12:00 p.m. CST Bears 0 14 0 3 Vikings 10 3 0 0 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 62,867 None (domed stadium) Mike Carey (94) Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 8:53. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:38. MIN – Percy Harvin 5-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:43. Second quarter CHI – Roy Williams 22-yard pass from Josh McCown (Robbie Gould kick), 14:19. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:23. CHI – Charles Tillman 22-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 13:37. Bears 14–10. MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 0:55. Bears 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:17. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 27-yard field goal, 10:19. Bears 17–13. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:19. Top passers CHI – Josh McCown – 15/25, 160 yards, TD MIN – Joe Webb – 17/32, 200 yards Top rushers CHI – Kahlil Bell – 17 rushes, 54 yards MIN – Toby Gerhart – 15 rushes, 67 yards Top receivers CHI – Roy Williams – 4 rec, 60 yards, TD MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 rec, 115 yards With the loss, the Vikings finished their season at 3-13 (0-6 against the NFC North), their worst record since 1984, and they finished 1-7 at home. Standings Statistics Team leaders Category Player(s) Value Passing yards Christian Ponder 1,853 Passing touchdowns Christian Ponder 13 Rushing yards Adrian Peterson 970 Rushing touchdowns Adrian Peterson 12 Receiving yards Percy Harvin 967 Receiving touchdowns Percy Harvin 6 Points Ryan Longwell 104 Kickoff return yards Percy Harvin 520 Punt return yards Marcus Sherels 277 Tackles Chad Greenway 154 Sacks Jared Allen 22.0 * Interceptions Jamarca Sanford 2 Forced fumbles Jared Allen 4 *Led the league and a new Vikings single-season record. League rankings Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank(out of 32) Passing offense 2,957 184.8 28th Rushing offense 2,318 144.9 4th Total offense 5,275 329.7 18th Passing defense 4,019 251.2 26th Rushing defense 1,712 107.0 11th Total defense 5,731 358.2 12th Notes and references Minnesota Category:Minnesota Vikings seasons Minnesota