2005 Minnesota Vikings season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Minnesota Vikings 2005 9–7 2nd NFC North Mike Tice Rob Brzezinski Zygi Wilf Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Did not qualify File:Vikings 2005 XLV.png FS Darren SharperKR Koren Robinson FS Darren Sharper (2nd team) Vikings seasons The 2005 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), and Mike Tice's fourth and final season as head coach. The Vikings finished the season with a 9–7 record and missed the playoffs despite going 8–3 over the final 11 weeks. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper was injured after seven games, resulting in Brad Johnson taking over as starter. The loss of Culpepper and the departure of Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders resulted in the Vikings dropping from 2nd in passing offense in 2004 to 20th in 2005. During the team's bye week in week 5, a scandal arose surrounding an alleged sex party aboard a pair of boats on Lake Minnetonka. 3 Offseason In February 2005, Vikings owner Red McCombs agreed to sell the team to Arizona-based entrepreneur Reggie Fowler; however, Fowler was unable to prove his finances sound enough to complete the purchase and his application to buy the team was rejected by the league. He brought in various partners, including New York-based real estate developer Zygi Wilf, who took over as the lead owner, with Fowler as one of the minor partners. The deal to install Wilf as owner was concluded in May 2005.Brandt Williams NFL owners approve Vikings sale to Wilf http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/05/25_williamsb_vikingsale/ Minnesota Public Radio May 25, 2005 February 7, 2018 Acquisitions +AdditionsPlayerPositionStatus (previous team)Darren SharperSFree agent (GB)Pat WilliamsDTFree agent (BUF)Fred SmootCBFree agent (WAS)Brad JohnsonQBFree agent (TB)Travis TaylorWRFree agent (BAL)Koren RobinsonWRFree agent (SEA) Departures +AdditionsPlayerPositionStatus (new team)Brian RussellSFree agent (CLE)Chris HovanDTFree agent (TB) Trades Date Trade partner From Vikings To Vikings March 2, 2005 Oakland Raiders WR Randy Moss LB Napoleon Harris2005 1st round pick2005 7th round pick March 19, 2005 New York Jets 2005 7th round pick LB Sam Cowart 2005 draft 2005 NFL draft 2005 Minnesota Vikings Draft Draft order Player name Position College Notes Round Selection 1 7 Troy Williamson Wide receiver South Carolina From RaidersRaiders The Vikings traded WR Randy Moss to the Raiders in exchange for LB Napoleon Harris, and first- and seventh-round selections (7th and 219th overall). 18 Erasmus James Defensive end Wisconsin 2 49 Marcus Johnson Offensive tackle Ole Miss 3 80Dustin Fox Cornerback Ohio State 4 112 Ciatrick Fason Running back Florida From RedskinsRedskins The Vikings traded their fourth- and fifth-round selections (120th and 154th overall) to the Redskins in exchange for a fourth-round selection (112th overall). 120 Traded to the Washington RedskinsRedskins 5 154 Traded to the Washington RedskinsRedskins 6 191 C. J. Mosley Defensive tackle Missouri 7 219 Adrian Ward Cornerback UTEP From RaidersRaiders 230 Traded to the New York JetsThe Vikings traded their seventh-round selection (230th overall) to the Jets in exchange for LB Sam Cowart. Notes: Undrafted free agents + 2005 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeDavid BamiroLinebackerSUNY-Stony BrookJohn BowenkampQuarterbackNorth DakotaEric ColemanDefensive tackleClemson Staff 2005 Minnesota Vikings Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf Owner/president – Mark Wilf Vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski Head coach – Mike Tice Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator – Ted Cottrell Offensive coordinator/offensive line – Steve Loney Quarterbacks – Rich Olson Running backs – Dean Dalton Wide receivers – Wes Chandler Tight ends/assistant offensive line – John Tice Offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks – Randy Hanson Defensive line – Brian Baker Assistant defensive line – Jim Panagos Linebackers – Pete Bercich Coverage coordinator – Chuck Knox Jr. Assistant secondary – Kevin Ross Special teams coordinator – Rusty Tillman Assistant special teams – Jim Panagos Strength and conditioning – Kurtis Shultz Assistant strength and conditioning – Mark Ellis 2009 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide 251 http://www.vikings.com/news/media-guide.html March 6, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101224103239/http://www.vikings.com/news/media-guide.html December 24, 2010 dead mdy-all Final roster 2005 Minnesota Vikings 53 11 8 13 Shaun Hill 14 Brad Johnson American football  9 J. T. O'Sullivan 23 Michael Bennett running back 39 Adimchinobe Echemandu 35 Ciatrick Fason y 30 Mewelde Moore 81 Nate Burleson 17 Chris Jones wide receiver, born 1982 y 18 Koren Robinson 87 Marcus Robinson American football 89 Travis Taylor American football 19 Troy Williamson y 86 Richard Angulo 83 Jeff Dugan 40 Jim Kleinsasser 49 Richard Owens American football 85 Jermaine Wiggins 67 Melvin Fowler C 73 Adam Goldberg American football G 64 Anthony Herrera American football G 76 Chris Liwienski G 72 Marcus Johnson offensive lineman G/OT y 74 Bryant McKinnie LT 75 Mike Rosenthal RT 60 Cory Withrow C 99 Erasmus James DE y 97 Spencer Johnson American football DE 51 Lance Johnstone DE 96 C. J. Mosley defensive lineman DT y 98 Darrion Scott DE 93 Kevin Williams defensive tackle DT 94 Pat Williams American football DT 55 Sam Cowart MLB 50 Rod Davis gridiron football MLB 59 Heath Farwell OLB y 58 Napoleon Harris OLB 56 E. J. Henderson OLB 52 Keith Newman OLB 57 Raonall Smith OLB 54 Dontarrious Thomas OLB 33 Ralph Brown cornerback CB 21 Corey Chavous SS 31 Ukee Dozier y CB 36 Dovonte Edwards CB y 25 Will Hunter SS 42 Darren Sharper FS 27 Fred Smoot CB 29 Brian Williams cornerback CB 26 Antoine Winfield Sr. CB  1 Paul Edinger K  5 Chris Kluwe P y 46 Cullen Loeffler LS 78 Matt Birk C IR -- T. J. Cottrell TE IR 11 Daunte Culpepper QB IR 79 Toniu Fonoti G IR 37 Dustin Fox y CB IR 28 Laroni Gallishaw CB IR -- Aaron Hosack WR NF-Inj. 24 Willie Offord S IR 32 Onterrio Smith RB Susp. 95 Kenechi Udeze DE IR 20 Moe Williams RB IR -- Phil Archer linebacker y LB -- Sean Bubin OT -- Kelvin Kight WR -- Elton Patterson DE 90 Eric Taylor gridiron football DT 34 Butchie Wallace RB -- Marvin Ward y CB 63 Mark Wilson American football OT Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance NFL.comrecap 1 August 12 Kansas City Chiefs W 27–16 1–0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 63,621 Recap 2 August 19 at New York Jets L 21–28 1–1 Giants Stadium 76,441 Recap 3 August 26 San Diego Chargers W 19–16 2–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,172 Recap 4 September 2 at Seattle Seahawks W 23–21 3–1 Qwest Field 63,746 Recap Game summaries Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary August 12, 2005 7:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 3 0 6 7 Vikings 7 13 0 7 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,621 Ron Winter (14) Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Nate Burleson 33-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 11:52. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:08. KC – Lawrence Tynes 19-yard field goal, 3:14. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:11. Second quarter MIN – Mewelde Moore 7-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:00. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:25. MIN – Aaron Elling 40-yard field goal, 1:43. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:33. MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 0:01. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 0:32. Third quarter KC – Lawrence Tynes 29-yard field goal, 9:40. Vikings 20–6. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:20. KC – Lawrence Tynes 51-yard field goal, 2:27. Vikings 20–9. Drive: 7 plays, 4 yards, 4:07. Fourth quarter MIN – Ciatrick Fason 1-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 6:37. Vikings 27–9. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 8:11. KC – James Kilian 3-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:29. Vikings 27–16. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 2:07. Top passers KC – Damon Huard – 14/26, 125 yards, INT MIN – Brad Johnson – 9/12, 87 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Priest Holmes – 4 rushes, 42 yards MIN – Mewelde Moore – 5 rushes, 62 yards Top receivers KC – Richard Smith – 3 receptions, 36 yards MIN – Ryan Hoag – 5 receptions, 63 yards Week 2: at New York Jets Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at New York Jets – Game summary August 19, 2005 8:05 p.m. EDT/7:05 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 7 7 7 Jets 0 14 7 7 71 F C Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 76,441 Jeff Triplette (42) Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 8:27. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:37. NYJ – Laveranues Coles 20-yard pass from Chad Pennington (Mike Nugent kick), 4:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:33. NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 18-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Mike Nugent kick), 2:47. Jets 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:45. Third quarter NYJ – Jay Fiedler 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 11:41. Jets 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:06. MIN – Troy Williamson 13-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Aaron Elling kick), 3:47. Jets 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:42. Fourth quarter MIN – Adimchinobe Echemandu 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 14:09. Tied 21–21. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:05. NYJ – Cedric Houston 10-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 5:52. Jets 28–21. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:56. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 11/13, 146 yards NYJ – Chad Pennington – 9/10, 86 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 6 rushes, 24 yards NYJ – Cedric Houston – 6 rushes, 26 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Troy Williamson – 2 receptions, 67 yards, TD NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 6 receptions, 57 yards, TD Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary August 26, 2005 7:05 p.m. CDT Chargers 7 0 3 6 Vikings 3 13 3 0 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 64,172 Tom White (123) Recap, Game Book First quarter SD – Keenan McCardell 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 5:34. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:33. MIN – Paul Edinger 25-yard field goal, 0:15. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:19. Second quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 30-yard field goal, 6:50. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:54. MIN – Paul Edinger 50-yard field goal, 3:01. Vikings 9–7. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:50. MIN – Adimchinobe Echemandu 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 0:04. Vikings 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:43. Third quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 20-yard field goal, 4:50. Vikings 19–7. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:39. SD – Nate Kaeding 46-yard field goal, 0:18. Vikings 19–10. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:32. Fourth quarter SD – Carl Morris 13-yard pass from Cleo Lemon (run failed), 3:48. Vikings 19–16. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:33. Top passers SD – Cleo Lemon – 14/19, 136 yards, TD MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 12/14, 197 yards Top rushers SD – Derek Farmer – 2 rushes, 31 yards MIN – Adimchinobe Echemandu – 14 rushes, 55 yards, TD Top receivers SD – Duncan Reid – 3 receptions, 51 yards MIN – Nate Burleson – 5 receptions, 97 yards Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary September 2, 2005 6:05 p.m. PDT/8:05 p.m. CDT Vikings 7 3 0 13 Seahawks 7 0 7 7 Sunny, 70 F C Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington 63,746 Pete Morelli (135) Recap, Game Book First quarter SEA – Jerramy Stevens 24-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 6:41. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:02. MIN – Daunte Culpepper 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 1:07. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:34. Second quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 8:10. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:47. Third quarter SEA – Leonard Weaver 31-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 6:30. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:18. Fourth quarter MIN – Butchie Wallace 3-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 14:51. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:56. SEA – Marquis Weeks 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 11:28. Seahawks 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:23. MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 5:42. Seahawks 21–20. Drive: 4 plays, −7 yards, 1:41. MIN – Paul Edinger 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 2:10. Top passers MIN – Shaun Hill – 10/17, 110 yards SEA – Seneca Wallace – 14/19, 96 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Butchie Wallace – 11 rushes, 33 yards, TD SEA – Marquis Weeks – 17 rushes, 61 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Ryan Hoag – 2 receptions, 49 yards SEA – Darrell Jackson – 2 receptions, 36 yards Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance NFL.comrecap 1 September 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 13–24 0–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 63,939 Recap 2 September 18 at Cincinnati Bengals L 8–37 0–2 Paul Brown Stadium 65,763 Recap 3 September 25 New Orleans Saints W 33–16 1–2 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 63,952 Recap 4 October 2 at Atlanta Falcons L 10–30 1–3 Georgia Dome 69,552 Recap 5 Bye 6 October 16 at Chicago Bears L 3–28 1–4 Soldier Field 62,143 Recap 7 October 23 Green Bay Packers W 23–20 2–4 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,278 Recap 8 October 30 at Carolina Panthers L 13–38 2–5 Bank of America Stadium 73,502 Recap 9 November 6 Detroit Lions W 27–14 3–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 63,813 Recap 10 November 13 at New York Giants W 24–21 4–5 Giants Stadium 78,637 Recap 11 November 21 Monday at Green Bay Packers W 20–17 5–5 Lambeau Field 70,610 Recap 12 November 27 Cleveland Browns W 24–12 6–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 63,814 Recap 13 December 4 at Detroit Lions W 21–16 7–5 Ford Field 61,375 Recap 14 December 11 St. Louis Rams W 27–13 8–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,005 Recap 15 December 18 Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–18 8–6 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,136 Recap 16 December 25 at Baltimore Ravens L 23–30 8–7 M&T Bank Stadium 70,246 Recap 17 January 1 Chicago Bears W 34–10 9–7 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,023 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 11 12:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 0 17 0 7 Vikings 7 0 3 3 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,939 Mike Carey (94) Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Darren Sharper 88-yard interception return (Paul Edinger kick), 2:44. Vikings 7–0. Second quarter TB – Alex Smith 23-yard pass from Brian Griese (Matt Bryant kick), 14:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:49. TB – Alex Smith 2-yard pass from Brian Griese (Matt Bryant kick), 4:38. Buccaneers 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:25. TB – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 0:17. Buccaneers 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 2:43. Third quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 53-yard field goal, 3:52. Buccaneers 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 7:07. Fourth quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 6:13. Buccaneers 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:37. TB – Cadillac Williams 71-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:23. Buccaneers 24–13. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:22. Top passers TB – Brian Griese – 18/29, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 22/33, 233 yards, 3 INT Top rushers TB – Cadillac Williams – 27 rushes, 148 yards, TD MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 3 rushes, 19 yards Top receivers TB – Joey Galloway – 5 receptions, 97 yards MIN – Nate Burleson – 3 receptions, 45 yards Curt Menefee, J.C. Pearson & Jay Glazer FOX The Vikings opened the season with five turnovers on the way to their first opening-day loss since 2002. Free agent signing Darren Sharper started off the scoring for the Vikings by returning an interception 88 yards for a touchdown, but the Buccaneers defense was able to limit the Vikings to 26 yards rushing and intercepted reigning Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper three times, including two for cornerback Brian Kelly. By contrast, the Buccaneers' rookie running back Cadillac Williams managed 148 yards rushing in his first NFL game, capped off with a 71-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes left to seal the game for Tampa Bay. Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary September 18 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 0 0 8 Bengals 14 13 7 3 Sunny, 74 F C Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 65,763 Bill Carollo (63) Recap, Game Book First quarter CIN – Chad Johnson 70-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick), 14:08. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:52. CIN – T. J. Houshmandzadeh 12-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick), 7:19. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:48. Second quarter CIN – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 5:02. Bengals 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 5:35. CIN – Shayne Graham 29-yard field goal, 3:19. Bengals 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:23. CIN – Matt Schobel 8-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick), 0:12. Bengals 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 1:41. Third quarter CIN – T. J. Houshmandzadeh 16-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 2:06. Bengals 34–0. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:08. Fourth quarter CIN – Shayne Graham 30-yard field goal, 5:41. Bengals 37–0. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:25. MIN – Daunte Culpepper 5-yard run (Daunte Culpepper–Marcus Robinson pass), 3:17. Bengals 37–8. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:24. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 21/37, 236 yards, 5 INT CIN – Carson Palmer – 27/40, 337 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Michael Bennett – 3 rushes, 36 yards CIN – Rudi Johnson – 22 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers MIN – Travis Taylor – 7 receptions, 75 yards CIN – Chad Johnson – 7 receptions, 139 yards, TD FOX Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Jay Glazer The Vikings' misfortunes continued in Week 2, losing 37–8 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Cornerback Fred Smoot was beaten by Chad Johnson on a 70-yard touchdown in the first minute of the game, with Carson Palmer adding two more touchdown passes in the first half to give the Bengals a 27–0 lead at halftime. The Bengals piled on 167 yards rushing, with wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh adding a 16-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Daunte Culpepper continued his early season struggles, throwing five interceptions, bringing his total to eight in the first two weeks. Culpepper did ensure the Vikings avoided the shutout by scoring on a five-yard touchdown run. The Vikings were again hampered by their rushing attack, being held to 77 yards rushing. Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 25 12:00 p.m. CDT Saints 0 6 3 7 Vikings 17 7 0 9 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,952 Pete Morelli (135) Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Travis Taylor 24-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 14:47. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:06. MIN – Paul Edinger 24-yard field goal, 7:18. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:49. MIN – Travis Taylor 13-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 0:33. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:34. Second quarter MIN – Troy Williamson 53-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 5:37. Vikings 24–0. Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:07. NO – Ernie Conwell 13-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (pass failed), 1:54. Vikings 24–6. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 3:43. Third quarter NO – John Carney 22-yard field goal, 5:38. Vikings 24–9. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:34. Fourth quarter NO – Deuce McAllister 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 11:40. Vikings 24–16. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:12. MIN – Paul Edinger 28-yard field goal, 6:17. Vikings 27–16. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 5:23. MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 4:29. Vikings 30–16. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:36. MIN – Paul Edinger 34-yard field goal, 1:08. Vikings 33–16. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:30. Top passers NO – Aaron Brooks – 12/32, 199 yards, TD, 2 INT MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 21/29, 300 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Deuce McAllister – 14 rushes, 63 yards, TD MIN – Mewelde Moore – 23 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers NO – Devery Henderson – 3 receptions, 95 yards MIN – Troy Williamson – 3 receptions, 83 yards, TD FOX Ron Pitts & Tim Ryan In Week 3, the Vikings looked to turn their season around at home to the New Orleans Saints, who were suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, which had devastated their city only a few weeks earlier. The Vikings started positively, forcing a fumble from the Saints' return man Aaron Stecker on the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, Daunte Culpepper found Travis Taylor for a 24-yard touchdown, and the Vikings did not look back. Culpepper threw two more first-half touchdown passes, and stayed mistake free. The Vikings also found a running game, going for 146 yards, led by Mewelde Moore's 101 yards. Defensively, the Vikings held Aaron Brooks to just 12 completions on 32 pass attempts, intercepting him twice (Antoine Winfield and Keith Newman). Paul Edinger added four field goals for the Vikings in the victory. Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary October 2 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 0 0 10 Falcons 7 17 3 3 None (indoor stadium) Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 69,552 Jeff Triplette (42) Recap, Game Book First quarter ATL – Alge Crumpler 5-yard pass from Michael Vick (Todd Peterson kick), 7:44. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:36. Second quarter ATL – T. J. Duckett 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 12:55. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:50. ATL – Warrick Dunn 37-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 3:40. Falcons 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:22. ATL – Todd Peterson 38-yard field goal, 0:01. Falcons 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 1:18. Third quarter ATL – Todd Peterson 26-yard field goal, 0:04. Falcons 27–0. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 5:28. Fourth quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 8:13. Falcons 27–3. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:21. ATL – Todd Peterson 39-yard field goal, 5:24. Falcons 30–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:49. MIN – Troy Williamson 16-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 2:33. Falcons 30–10. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 2:51. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 23/34, 250 yards, TD, 2 INT ATL – Michael Vick – 6/8, 49 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 14 rushes, 57 yards ATL – Warrick Dunn – 18 rushes, 126 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 6 receptions, 63 yards ATL – Brian Finneran – 3 receptions, 31 yards FOX Kenny Albert & Brian Baldinger After notching their first win of the season the week before, the Vikings returned to form in Atlanta the following week, losing 30–10 to the Falcons. The visitors sacked Daunte Culpepper nine times, and added two more interceptions to bring his total for the season to 10 through four games. The Falcons' rushing offense was almost unstoppable, going for 285 yards, with almost half of that total provided by Warrick Dunn (126 yards). For the second time in the season, the Vikings' only points of the game came in the fourth quarter, via a 16-yard pass from Culpepper to Troy Williamson. Week 6: at Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 16 12:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 3 0 0 Bears 0 7 7 14 Sunny, 57 F C Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,143 Bernie Kukar (86) Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 23-yard field goal, 6:55. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 7:18. CHI – Desmond Clark 3-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick), 0:37. Bears 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 2:40. Third quarter CHI – Desmond Clark 2-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick), 7:28. Bears 14–3. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:36. Fourth quarter CHI – Thomas Jones 24-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 13:03. Bears 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:43. CHI – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:11. Bears 28–3. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 26/48, 237 yards, 2 INT CHI – Kyle Orton – 16/25, 117 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 14 rushes, 57 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 23 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIN – Jermaine Wiggins – 10 receptions, 68 yards CHI – Muhsin Muhammad – 5 receptions, 48 yards FOX Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Jay Glazer Following a bye week marred by the "love boat" scandal, the Vikings returned to action with a trip to face the 1–3 Chicago Bears. The Vikings marched down the field on their opening drive, only to botch a fake field goal attempt from the 18-yard line. After trading several punts, the Vikings put together a 13-play drive that resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Paul Edinger, who was making his first return to Chicago, for whom he had played for the last five years. However, those were to be the Vikings' only points of the game as they failed to get any further than the Bears' 30-yard line, while Daunte Culpepper added another two interceptions to his total for the season. The Bears' offense was limited by rookie quarterback Kyle Orton, who threw for 117 yards, but did find Desmond Clark for two touchdowns. The Bears were also held to 95 yards, led by 89 yards by Thomas Jones, who did find the end zone twice in the fourth quarter to close out the game. Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 23 12:00 p.m. CDT Packers 0 17 0 3 Vikings 0 0 10 13 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 64,278 Bill Leavy (127) Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter GB – Donald Driver 22-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:11. Packers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 96 yards, 4:52. GB – Antonio Chatman 4-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 4:33. Packers 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:14. GB – Ryan Longwell 53-yard field goal, 0:22. Packers 17–0. Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 3:51. Third quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal, 10:02. Packers 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:58. MIN – Marcus Robinson 27-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 4:48. Packers 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:35. Fourth quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 9:01. Packers 17–13. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:25. MIN – Mewelde Moore 14-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Paul Edinger kick), 3:10. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:36. GB – Ryan Longwell 39-yard field goal, 0:24. Tied 20–20. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:46. MIN – Paul Edinger 56-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 0:24. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 28/36, 315 yards, 2 TD MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 23/31, 280 yards, 2 TD Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 16 rushes, 49 yards MIN – Mewelde Moore – 13 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers GB – Donald Driver – 8 receptions, 114 yards, TD MIN – Marcus Robinson – 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD FOX Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Jay Glazer The Vikings hosted the Packers in Week 7 with the two teams propping up the NFC North with 1–4 records. After a scoreless first quarter, Brett Favre started to find success against the Vikings defense, leading the Packers on two-second-quarter touchdown drives in a row, culminating in touchdown passes to Donald Driver and Antonio Chatman. After the Chatman touchdown, Koren Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the Packers' 30-yard line, only for Mewelde Moore to fumble on the Vikings' first play from scrimmage. Favre then led the Packers downfield, and set up a 53-yard Ryan Longwell field goal as time expired in the first half, giving the Packers a 17–0 lead. The Vikings mounted a comeback in the second half; starting with a field goal on their opening drive, the Vikings defense then forced a three-and-out, before Daunte Culpepper capped the next drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Robinson. After a missed field goal by Longwell, Paul Edinger made a field goal of his own before Culpepper again led the Vikings down the field, finding Mewelde Moore for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 20–17 lead with three minutes left. Favre then led the Packers down the field, resulting in a 39-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, to tie the game with 28 seconds left. Daunte Culpepper then completed back-to-back passes to Mewelde Moore and Marcus Robinson to set up a game-winning 56-yard field goal by Edinger as time expired. Week 8: at Carolina Panthers Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary October 30 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 0 7 6 Panthers 7 17 7 7 Sunny, 70 F C Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 73,502 Scott Green (19) Recap, Game Book First quarter CAR – Stephen Davis 7-yard run (John Kasay kick), 10:19. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:41. Second quarter CAR – John Kasay 44-yard field goal, 9:45. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:48. CAR – Stephen Davis 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 3:57. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:06. CAR – Steve Smith 13-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 0:38. Panthers 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 1:44. Third quarter MIN – Mewelde Moore 4-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 11:45. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:15. CAR – Kris Mangum 1-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 7:25. Panthers 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:20. Fourth quarter CAR – Keary Colbert 25-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 7:38. Panthers 38–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 8:07. MIN – Marcus Robinson 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (run failed), 1:55. Panthers 38–13. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:15. Top passers MIN – Brad Johnson – 13/28, 162 yards, TD CAR – Jake Delhomme – 21/30, 341 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 9 rushes, 30 yards, TD CAR – DeShaun Foster – 12 rushes, 51 yards Top receivers MIN – Marcus Robinson – 4 receptions, 77 yards, TD CAR – Steve Smith – 11 receptions, 201 yards, TD FOX Curt Menefee & J.C. Pearson The Vikings failed to build on their come-from-behind win, falling to a 38–13 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. The Panthers received the opening kickoff and mounted a 10-play drive, resulting in a 7-yard touchdown run by Stephen Davis. On the final play of the first quarter, Daunte Culpepper tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in a low tackle by Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble following an 18-yard run. Brad Johnson replaced Culpepper at quarterback, but he was unable to prevent the Panthers from increasing their lead in the first half, going into the halftime interval with the score at 24–0. The Vikings did find the end zone twice in the second half, first with a Mewelde Moore touchdown to bring the score to 24–7, then a five-yard touchdown reception by Marcus Robinson with two minutes to go; however, the Panthers scored twice themselves to nullify the Vikings' attempted comeback. Panthers receiver Steve Smith finished the day with 11 catches for 201 yards. Week 9: vs. Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 6 12:00 p.m. CST Lions 0 7 0 7 Vikings 3 21 0 3 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,813 Bill Vinovich (52) Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 21-yard field goal, 5:55. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:53. Second quarter MIN – Michael Bennett 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:26. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:22. MIN – Ciatrick Fason 3-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 5:45. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:22. MIN – Nate Burleson 15-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 4:02. Vikings 24–0. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:53. DET – Artose Pinner 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 0:48. Vikings 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:14. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DET – Marcus Pollard 23-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 14:55. Vikings 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:57. MIN – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 7:30. Vikings 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 3:32. Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 28/48, 263 yards, TD, 2 INT MIN – Brad Johnson – 15/22, 136 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DET – Joey Harrington – 4 rushes, 17 yards MIN – Michael Bennett – 18 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers DET – Scottie Vines – 9 receptions, 109 yards MIN – Travis Taylor – 4 receptions, 27 yards FOX Curt Menefee, J.C. Pearson & Jay Glazer With Culpepper out for the rest of the season, Brad Johnson made his first start for the Vikings since week 2 of the 1998 season. After a defensively dominated first quarter resulting in only a Vikings field goal, Johnson found Michael Bennett for a five-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Joey Harrington then fumbled on a Brian Williams sack, leading to a touchdown run by Ciatrick Fason. Harrington then compounded the Lions' problems, throwing an interception to Antoine Winfield three plays later, leading to a 15-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Nate Burleson, giving the Vikings a 24–0 lead. The Lions added a touchdown before halftime on an Artose Pinner run. After a scoreless third quarter, Harrington found Marcus Pollard for a 23-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, cutting the Vikings lead to 10. In an attempt to wind down the clock, the Vikings leant on their running game, rushing for 164 yards, including 106 yards by Michael Bennett. Darren Sharper sealed the victory for the Vikings, intercepting Harrington with 18 seconds left to give the Vikings their third victory of the season. Week 10: at New York Giants Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants – Game summary November 13 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 7 14 3 Giants 0 6 7 8 Cloudy, 64 F C Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 78,637 Terry McAulay (77) Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter MIN – Darren Sharper 92-yard interception return (Paul Edinger kick), 14:43. Vikings 7–0. NYG – Jay Feely 35-yard field goal, 11:49. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:54. NYG – Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 3:39. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:31. Third quarter MIN – Koren Robinson 86-yard kickoff return (Paul Edinger kick), 14:49. Vikings 14–6. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:11. NYG – Amani Toomer 23-yard pass from Eli Manning (Jay Feely kick), 11:46. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:03. MIN – Mewelde Moore 71-yard punt return (Paul Edinger kick), 5:27. Vikings 21–13. Fourth quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 3-yard run (Tiki Barber run), 1:21. Tied 21–21. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 1:56. MIN – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 0:10. Vikings 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 1:11. Top passers MIN – Brad Johnson – 18/31, 144 yards NYG – Eli Manning – 23/48, 291 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers MIN – Michael Bennett – 19 rushes, 16 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 23 rushes, 95 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Koren Robinson – 1 reception, 44 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 8 receptions, 111 yards FOX Kenny Albert, Brian Baldinger & Jay Glazer In Week 10, the Vikings traveled to the Meadowlands seeking consecutive victories for the first time in the season against the 6–2 New York Giants. The Vikings were unable to capitalize on a fumble by Willie Ponder on the opening kickoff, as Paul Edinger missed a 40-yard field goal after the Vikings failed to earn a first down. After trading punts, Eli Manning was intercepted by Darren Sharper, only for Edinger to have a 32-yard field goal attempt blocked on the ensuing possession. After the scoreless first quarter, Sharper intercepted Manning a second time, this time returning it 92 yards for his second touchdown of the season. The Vikings offense was unable to add to the scoreboard in the first half, and a pair of field goals from Jay Feely meant the Vikings went into the halftime break with a 7–6 lead. To start the second half, Koren Robinson returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a 14–6 lead. The Giants responded immediately, with Manning finding Amani Toomer for a 23-yard touchdown pass to again reduce the Vikings' lead to a single point. The Vikings punted on their next possession, before forcing the Giants to do the same, with Mewelde Moore returning Jeff Feagles' kick 71 yards to give the Vikings a 21–13 lead; the score made the Vikings the first team in NFL history to return an interception, kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game. Manning was intercepted two more times, including a third for Sharper; however, a non-existent Vikings offense (including 12 yards rushing on 21 carries) meant the Giants still had a chance. Following the two-minute warning, Manning put together a drive in which he completed 5 out of 7 pass attempts, leading to a three-yard touchdown run by Tiki Barber; Barber then ran in the two-point conversion to tie the scores. With 1:21 left, Johnson was sacked by Osi Umenyiora on the first play of the ensuing drive. After a Giants timeout trying to get the ball back, Johnson completed passes to Jermaine Wiggins, Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor to set up Paul Edinger's 48-yard game-winning field goal, giving the Vikings consecutive wins for the first time in 2005. Week 11: at Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary November 21 Monday 8:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 7 7 6 Packers 7 7 0 3 Cold, 36 F C Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 70,610 Walt Anderson (66) Recap, Game Book First quarter GB – Donald Driver 15-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:16. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:21. Second quarter MIN – Dovonte Edwards 51-yard interception return (Paul Edinger kick), 1:04. Tied 7–7. GB – Donald Driver 53-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:26. Packers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:38. Third quarter MIN – Ciatrick Fason 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 0:46. Tied 14–14. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 8:33. Fourth quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 24-yard field goal, 10:13. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:22. GB – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 3:03. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 1:46. MIN – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:03. Top passers MIN – Brad Johnson – 18/30, 196 yards, INT GB – Brett Favre – 20/33, 227 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 22 rushes, 122 yards GB – Tony Fisher – 4 rushes, 14 yards Top receivers MIN – Jermaine Wiggins – 7 receptions, 67 yards GB – Donald Driver – 5 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD ABC Al Michaels, John Madden & Sam Ryan The Vikings were again on the road in Week 11, traveling to Green Bay for a Monday night contest against the 2–7 Packers, as the Vikings attempted to get back to .500 and reignite their hopes of making the playoffs; however, the Vikings fell behind in the first quarter with Brett Favre finding Donald Driver for a 15-yard touchdown. The Vikings leveled the scores late in the second quarter, with Dovonte Edwards returning an interception 51 yards for a touchdown, only for Favre to throw another touchdown pass to Driver, hitting him on a 53-yard touchdown with 28 seconds remaining, to give the Packers a 14–7 halftime lead. Late in the third quarter, the Vikings snapped a streak of eight consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown, tying the game on a 1-yard touchdown by Ciatrick Fason at the end of a 14-play drive. A fourth-quarter Edinger field goal gave the Vikings the lead for the first time in the game, only to be matched by a Longwell field goal with three minutes remaining. The Packers then attempted a short kickoff to avoid a big return by Koren Robinson, only to give the Vikings strong field position. Mewelde Moore ran three times for 18 yards on the drive, giving him 122 yards for the game. Brad Johnson then found Robinson for 35 yards, bringing the Vikings to the Packers' 6-yard line. After three kneeldowns by Brad Johnson to run down the clock, Edinger connected on a 27-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Vikings their third consecutive victory. Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 27 12:00 p.m. CST Browns 0 3 3 6 Vikings 3 7 7 7 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,814 Tony Corrente (99) Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 7:58. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 7:02. Second quarter MIN – Marcus Robinson 15-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 4:22. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 35 yards, 1:01. CLE – Phil Dawson 32-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:18. Third quarter MIN – Marcus Robinson 15-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:24. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 2:11. CLE – Phil Dawson 38-yard field goal, 3:27. Vikings 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:57. Fourth quarter MIN – Marcus Robinson 2-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 8:47. Vikings 24–6. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:52. CLE – Dennis Northcutt 9-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (run failed), 1:06. Vikings 24–12. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 2:00. Top passers CLE – Trent Dilfer – 23/35, 214 yards, TD, 2 INT MIN – Brad Johnson – 19/28, 207 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Reuben Droughns – 19 rushes, 73 yards MIN – Mewelde Moore – 21 rushes, 67 yards Top receivers CLE – Steve Heiden – 5 receptions, 55 yards MIN – Travis Taylor – 5 receptions, 70 yards CBS Bill Macatee & Rich Baldinger The Vikings returned home in Week 12 to face the 4–6 Cleveland Browns, seeking their fourth straight victory, and a return to a winning record. Brad Johnson recorded his best game of the season so far, throwing for 207 yards and three touchdowns, all to Marcus Robinson, while Mewelde Moore added a further 67 yards rushing. Defensively, Darren Sharper intercepted both Browns quarterbacks, Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye, while Antoine Winfield also picked off Dilfer. The Vikings also sacked Dilfer five times, and held Cleveland to 78 yards rushing. The Browns did find the end zone with one minute remaining, with Dennis Northcutt catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from Dilfer. Week 13: at Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 4 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 7 7 7 0 Lions 3 3 3 7 None (indoor stadium) Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,375 Tom White (123) Recap, Game Book First quarter DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 8:06. Lions 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 35 yards, 6:54. MIN – Koren Robinson 80-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 7:56. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:10. Second quarter MIN – Michael Bennett 7-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 13:53. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:12. DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, 0:08. Vikings 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 10 yards, 0:28. Third quarter MIN – Michael Bennett 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 10:45. Vikings 21–6. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:15. DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 1:51. Vikings 21–9. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:34. Fourth quarter DET – Artose Pinner 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 7:38. Vikings 21–16. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:50. Top passers MIN – Brad Johnson – 17/23, 256 yards, 2 TD DET – Jeff Garcia – 17/35, 126 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Michael Bennett – 22 rushes, 79 yards, TD DET – Artose Pinner – 14 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Koren Robinson – 4 receptions, 148 yards, TD DET – Artose Pinner – 3 receptions, 39 yards FOX Curt Menefee & J.C. Pearson The Vikings headed to Detroit in Week 13 seeking their fifth straight win, and an opportunity to firmly entrench themselves in the playoff race against the 4–7 Lions. The Vikings completely shut down Jeff Garcia and the Lions passing attack, holding him to 17 completions on 35 attempts for 126 yards. Offensively, Brad Johnson bettered his performance from the previous week against the Browns, completing 17 of 23 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Koren Robinson in the first quarter. Michael Bennett also had a strong game, scoring touchdowns in the second and third quarters, finishing with 89 scrimmage yards. The Lions finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, as an Artose Pinner rushing touchdown brought them to within five points with 7:42 remaining. After the Lions forced a Vikings punt, Corey Chavous intercepted Jeff Garcia on the goal line with a minute remaining, securing the Vikings fifth consecutive victory. Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: St. Louis Rams at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 11 12:00 p.m. CST Rams 0 6 7 0 Vikings 7 6 14 0 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 64,005 Larry Nemmers (20) Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Koren Robinson 13-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 5:36. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:22. Second quarter STL – Jeff Wilkins 51-yard field goal, 6:54. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:38. MIN – Paul Edinger 37-yard field goal, 4:52. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:02. MIN – Paul Edinger 44-yard field goal, 0:59. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:19. STL – Jeff Wilkins 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 0:59. Third quarter STL – Ryan Fitzpatrick 14-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 10:42. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:38. MIN – Michael Bennett 7-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 8:05. Vikings 20–13. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:37. MIN – Ciatrick Fason 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 3:11. Vikings 27–13. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:50. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers STL – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 26/45, 235 yards, 5 INT MIN – Brad Johnson – 16/25, 146 yards Top rushers STL – Steven Jackson – 19 rushes, 67 yards MIN – Michael Bennett – 18 rushes, 70 yards, TD Top receivers STL – Torry Holt – 10 receptions, 95 yards MIN – Marcus Robinson – 1 reception, 49 yards FOX Kenny Albert & Brian Baldinger The Vikings returned home again in Week 14 to face a St. Louis Rams team quarterbacked by rookie Ryan Fitzpatrick making his second career start. The Vikings opened the scoring with a 13-yard end-around by Koren Robinson. Both teams added a pair of field goals each in the second quarter, resulting in the Vikings taking a 13–6 lead into the locker at halftime. The Rams capped their opening drive of the second half with a 14-yard touchdown run from Fitzpatrick to tie the contest. The Vikings responded with a long pass from Brad Johnson to Marcus Robinson, setting up a 7-yard touchdown run by Michael Bennett. Fitzpatrick then threw five interceptions to four different Vikings (Brian Williams (2), Darren Sharper, Fred Smoot, and Antoine Winfield), as the Vikings increased their lead to 14 points on a touchdown run from Ciatrick Fason. There were no further points in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings holding on despite Johnson only throwing for 146 yards, to give them an 8–5 record on the season. Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 18 12:00 p.m. CST Steelers 3 7 6 2 Vikings 3 0 0 0 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 64,136 Ed Hochuli (85) Recap, Game Book First quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 21-yard field goal, 11:07. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:53. MIN – Paul Edinger 20-yard field goal, 1:59. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:26. Second quarter PIT – Ben Roethlisberger 3-yard run (Jeff Reed kick), 3:30. Steelers 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 3:12. Third quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 41-yard field goal, 3:49. Steelers 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 6:11. PIT – Jeff Reed 26-yard field goal, 0:36. Steelers 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 3:13. Fourth quarter PIT – Michael Bennett tackled in the end zone by Larry Foote and Joey Porter for a safety, 11:45. Steelers 18–3. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 10/15, 149 yards MIN – Brad Johnson – 16/30, 143 yards, 2 INT Top rushers PIT – Willie Parker – 14 rushes, 81 yards MIN – Michael Bennett – 11 rushes, 43 yards Top receivers PIT – Heath Miller – 2 receptions, 58 yards MIN – Marcus Robinson – 2 receptions, 38 yards CBS Kevin Harlan & Randy Cross The Vikings hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. With both teams holding an 8–5 record, victory was essential for their playoff chances. The Vikings had a strong defense and only allowed a 21-yard field goal by Jeff Reed on the Steelers' first possession; however, the offense struggled and had to be content with tying the scores with a Paul Edinger field goal late in the first quarter. Brad Johnson struggled in particular, and was intercepted by both Joey Porter and Deshea Townsend in the first half. Ben Roethlisberger scored the game's only touchdown towards the end of the second quarter, running in from three yards. Johnson failed to complete a pass in the second half, and the Vikings' only first down came via a penalty. Reed added two more field goals for the Steelers in the third quarter, and rounded out the game's scoring with a fourth-quarter safety after tackling Michael Bennett in the end zone. The loss put the Vikings at 8–6 and on the brink of playoff elimination. Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary December 25 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST Vikings 7 7 6 3 Ravens 7 3 7 13 Cold, 43 F C M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 70,246 Gerry Austin (34) Recap, [ Game Book] First quarter MIN – Travis Taylor 13-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 11:01. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:59. BAL – Todd Heap 6-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 1:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 17 plays, 73 yards, 9:26. Second quarter MIN – Jermaine Wiggins 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 1:06. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:57. BAL – Matt Stover 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 1:06. Third quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 36-yard field goal, 13:29. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:23. BAL – Mark Clayton 47-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 9:49. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:40. MIN – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 4:14. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 33 yards, 5:35. Fourth quarter BAL – Derrick Mason 39-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 14:47. Ravens 24–20. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:27. BAL – Matt Stover 38-yard field goal, 1:55. Ravens 27–20. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:12. BAL – Matt Stover 19-yard field goal, 1:03. Ravens 30–20. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:28. MIN – Paul Edinger 46-yard field goal, 0:15. Ravens 30–23. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 0:48. Top passers MIN – Brad Johnson – 25/36, 248 yards, 2 TD BAL – Kyle Boller – 24/34, 289 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 10 rushes, 49 yards BAL – Jamal Lewis – 24 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers MIN – Troy Williamson – 1 reception, 56 yards BAL – Derrick Mason – 9 receptions, 103 yards, TD ESPN Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire & Suzy Kolber In Week 16, the Vikings traveled to Baltimore for a Christmas night game in the knowledge that a loss would eliminate them from playoff contention. Brad Johnson recovered from his poor performance against the Steelers and led the Vikings to a touchdown on their opening drive, finding Travis Taylor on a 13-yard pass for the score. Kyle Boller responded for the Ravens, leading them on a 17-play drive that culminated with a 6-yard touchdown reception for Todd Heap. It took until late in the second quarter for the next points to arrive, with Johnson finding Jermaine Wiggins in the end zone on a 5-yard pass with 1:06 remaining in the half; however, Matt Stover cut the Vikings' lead to 14–10 going into the half with a 37-yard field goal as time expired. The Vikings opened the second half with a 36-yard field goal from Paul Edinger, only for the Ravens to score with passes of 47 yards and 39 yards to Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason respectively, either side of another Edinger field goal to leave the Vikings trailing 24–20 with 14:47 remaining in the game. The Ravens' defense forced two consecutive punts and a Brad Johnson fumble, which resulted in two field goals by Stover to give the Ravens a 30–20 lead with just over a minute to play. Edinger cut the Ravens' lead to 7 points with 15 seconds remaining, but the Ravens recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving the Ravens the win, and eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs. Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 2005 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary January 1 3:15 p.m. CST Bears 3 0 0 7 Vikings 0 17 7 10 None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 64,023 Mike Carey (94) Recap, Game Book First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yard field goal, 5:14. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 7:26. Second quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 54-yard field goal, 14:53. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 0:54. MIN – Ciatrick Fason 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 7:37. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:38. MIN – Travis Taylor 17-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 0:03. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:45. Third quarter MIN – Mewelde Moore 7-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick), 3:58. Vikings 24–3. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 8:28. Fourth quarter MIN – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal, 14:52. Vikings 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, −1 yard, 1:06. CHI – Justin Gage 4-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Robbie Gould kick), 7:08. Vikings 27–10. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 7:44. MIN – Michael Bennett 61-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 5:10. Vikings 34–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:58. Top passers CHI – Kyle Orton – 6/14, 59 yards MIN – Brad Johnson – 27/40, 247 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 12 rushes, 62 yards MIN – Michael Bennett – 6 rushes, 82 yards, TD Top receivers CHI – Justin Gage – 6 receptions, 67 yards, TD MIN – Travis Taylor – 5 receptions, 68 yards, TD FOX Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston & Tony Siragusa With the Vikings now out of the playoff race, they returned home for the final game of the season against the division champion Chicago Bears, who would go into the playoffs as the NFC's #2 seed. The Bears rested their now-healthy starting quarterback Rex Grossman, with Kyle Orton under center. Orton and running back Thomas Jones led the Bears to a field goal to start the scoring, before most prominent Bears players were removed from the game at the end of the first quarter. With the Bears defense now missing the likes of Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman, the Vikings scored 17 points in the second quarter, starting with a 54-yard Paul Edinger field goal, followed by a 2-yard run by Ciatrick Fason and a 17-yard pass from Brad Johnson to Travis Taylor. Johnson threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the game, with Mewelde Moore adding 101 yards from scrimmage. Moore added another touchdown for the Vikings late in the third quarter, followed by another Edinger field goal from 27 yards to start the fourth. The Bears found the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Blake to Justin Gage. The Vikings then capped the scoring with a 61-yard touchdown run from Michael Bennett, giving Minnesota a 34–10 win, securing a winning season for the Vikings. Defensively, the Vikings held the Bears to 97 yards passing, with Kevin Williams recording two sacks. Despite the team finishing with a winning record, owner Zygi Wilf announced the dismissal of head coach Mike Tice only a few hours after the game. Standings Statistics Team leaders Category Player(s) Value Passing yards Brad Johnson 1,885 Passing touchdowns Brad Johnson 12 Rushing yards Mewelde Moore 662 Rushing touchdowns Ciatrick Fason 4 Receiving yards Travis Taylor 604 Receiving touchdowns Marcus Robinson 5 Points Paul Edinger 106 Kickoff return yards Koren Robinson 1221 Punt return yards Mewelde Moore 245 Tackles Antoine Winfield 98 Sacks Lance Johnstone 7.5 Interceptions Darren Sharper 9 Forced fumbles Brian Williams Richard Owens 2 League rankings Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank(out of 32) Passing offense 3,146 196.6 20th Rushing offense 1,467 91.7 27th Total offense 4,613 288.3 25th Passing defense 3,332 208.2 22nd Rushing defense 1,841 115.1 19th Total defense 5,173 323.3 21st References Category:Minnesota Vikings seasons Minnesota Minnesota