Game Summary
With the team’s first 4-0 start since 2003, the Minnesota Vikings (4-0) will go back on the road this Sunday, October 11, to face the St. Louis Rams (0-4). Kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome is set for noon (CT).
Sunday’s game will be the 41st matchup between the two teams, with the Vikings holding the overall edge 22-16-2.
The last time the Vikings played the Rams was in the 2006 season finale, a game the Vikings lost 41-21 at the Metrodome. Next week the Vikings will return home to face the Baltimore Ravens while the Rams will head to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.
Key Links
Vikings at Rams Press Release (PDF)
Latest Vikings Depth Chart
Broadcast Info
TV: FOX Channel 9 in the Twin Cities
Play-By-Play: Chris Meyers Analysts: Charles Davis
Sideline Reporters: TBA
RADIO: KFAN-AM 1130/KTLK 100.3-FM
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline Reporter: Greg Coleman
Pre-Game Show: 10 a.m. CT
KFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the 74-station, 6-state Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Click here to view all stations on the Vikings Radio Network.
What To Watch For
- With a win, the Vikings will reach 400 regular season victories as an organization. The team currently has a record of 399-322-9.
- If the Vikings win, it will be the team’s 6th consecutive road win, dating back to 11/23/08 (JAC).
- If the Vikings don’t allow a Rams running back to reach 100 rushing yards, it will be the 28th consecutive game the Vikings haven’t given up 100 yards rushing to an individual. That is the 2nd-longest current streak behind the Baltimore Ravens 38. The last player to rush for 100 yards against the Vikings was Packers RB Ryan Grant on 11/11/07 (102 yards).
Stats of the Week
- The Vikings have outscored opponents 38-3 in the 3rd quarter. Minnesota’s 38 points in the 3rd quarter is the most of any team, and the Vikings rank 4th in overall scoring with 29.5 PPG.
- The Vikings had 2 penalties last week against Green Bay (10/5). Teams have now accepted just 19 Vikings flags through the first 4 games, which is tied for the 4th-lowest in the NFL.
- With the 4-0 start, the Vikings became the 9th team in the past 6 years to start a season 4-0 after beginning 1-3 or 0-4 the previous year. Seven of the 8 previous teams qualified for the playoffs.
- QB Brett Favre, who will turn 40 years old the day before the Vikings-Rams game, has now led 3 squads to 4-0 starts (1998-GB, 2007-GB, 2009-MN). Each of the previous 2 times, his teams advanced to the playoffs.
- The Vikings rushing defense continues to improve, climbing from 17th after Week 1 to 15th after Week 2 to 12th heading into last week’s game and now 9th. Minnesota is giving up 89.5 rushing yards per game.
- DE Jared Allen’s 4.5 sacks vs. Green Bay rank as the 2nd-most in a single game in Vikings history. Allen now has 6.5 sacks on the season, which is 3rd among all players.
- Allen set a new team record with his 3rd career safety last week. His 3 safeties ranks tied for 3rd in NFL history with 17 other players.
Vikings Big Days vs. Rams
- DE Jared Allen had 6 tackles, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his only game vs. the Rams as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs on 11/5/06. Allen’s first sack of the day caused QB Mark Bulger to fumble. The Chiefs scored on their first play following the recovery. On the next defensive series, Allen recovered a RB Stephen Jackson fumble that led to another Chief’s score.
- WR Bernard Berrian led the Chicago Bears with 3 catches for 62 yards and a TD in his only career game vs. St. Louis on 12/11/06.
- QB Brett Favre completed 23-of-32 passes (71.9 rating) for 268 yards and 2 TDs with a 104.7 rating when the Packers met the Rams on 10/19/2003. Favre played almost the entire game with a broken thumb on his throwing hand after injuring it in the game’s first series.
- The following season Favre started his 200th consecutive game against the rams on 11/29/04 and threw for 3 TDs and a 127.9 passer rating.
- LB E.J. Henderson recorded 8 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss when the teams last meet in the 2006 season finale (12/31).
- QB Tarvaris Jackson scored his first career rushing TD when the teams last meet in the 2006 season finale on 12/31. Jackson also went 20-of-34 passing on the day and threw a TD pass to WR Travis Taylor.
- TE Jim Kleinsasser had career-highs in both receptions and receiving yards with 10 catches for 79 yards vs. the Rams on 11/30/03.
- P Chris Kluwe kicked 6 times for a gross average of 45.2 yards and a net of 41.0 and long of 50-yards when the teams last met in the 2006 season finale (12/31/06). He also put the Rams inside their own 20- yard line twice. Kluwe moved into ties for most punts of 50+ yards in a single-season and most punts inside an opponent’s 20-yard line in a single season.
- CB Antoine Winfield led the Vikings with 9 tackles and also an INT when the team played on 12/11/05.
Vikings vs. Rams Series Notes
- The Vikings and Rams have played 40 times, including postseason games, with Minnesota holding 22-16-2 series record. Both ties in the series have been in Minnesota.
- The Vikings own the advantage in both the regular season and postseason series. The teams have met 33 previous times in the regular season with the Vikings holding an edge at 17-14-2. They have matched up 7 times in the postseason, where the Vikings are 5-2, including wins in the 1974 and 1976 NFC Championships games.
- The Vikings are 10-3-2 at home vs. the Rams in the regular season (14-3-2 overall), but only 7-11 (8-13 overall) as visitors in the series.
- Head Coach Brad Childress is 0-1 against the Rams, losing 41-21 the last time the two teams played in the 2006 season finale at the Metrodome (12/31/06).
- The last two games between the teams have been played in the Metrodome, but prior to that 10 of the last 12 were road games for the Vikings, including five straight from 1992-2003.
- Since the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1995 they are 3-2 vs. the Vikings in the regular season (4-2 including postseason) and have won 4 of the last 5 meetings including a win in the 1999 NFC Divisional Playoffs.
- Prior to the Rams move to St. Louis, the Vikings had won the previous 5 contests.
- The teams have played 3 OT games in the series and are 1-1-1.
A Win Would...
- Give the Vikings their first 5-0 start since 2003, when they started 6-0.
- Give the Vikings their 400th regular-season win as an organization. The team’s current all-time record is 399-322-9.
- Give the Vikings their 14th win in the last 17 regular season games, dating back to 10/6/08. The Vikings are 13-3 in the last 16 games.
- Improve the Vikings all-time record against the Rams to 23-16-2.
- Give the Vikings a 9-13 record on the road against St. Louis.
- Give the Vikings an all-time record of 327-251-9 against the NFC and a 59-53-3 record against the NFC West.
- Give Head Coach Brad Childress his first victory over St. Louis, improving his record to 1-1 against the Rams.
Last Time vs. St. Louis
Minnesota last met the Rams in the Metrodome for the 2006 season finale (12/31) with St. Louis defeating the Vikings 41-21. On offense, QB Tarvaris Jackson made his second career start and went 20-of-34 (58.8%) passing on the day for 213 yards. Jackson picked up his first career rushing touchdown and threw his second career TD pass on a 3-yard strike to WR Travis Taylor, who led the team with 5 catches for 54 yards Jackson also led the team in rushing with 7 attempts for 34 yards, including the 1-yard score, followed by RB Chester Taylor, who carried the ball 12 times for 31 yards and scored the Vikings other touchdown.
The Vikings defense was led by LB Napoleon Harris, who tallied 11 tackles, followed by S Darren Sharper and current Vikings CB Charles Gordon and LB E.J. Henderson, who each had 8.
K Ryan Longwell converted all 3 of his point after tries, while P Chris Kluwe had 6 punts average 45.2 yards and pinned the Rams inside their own 20-yard line twice and had a long of 50 yards. KR Bethel Johnson returned 8 kickoffs for 225 yards (28.1 avg.), including a return of 65 yards.
Rams RB Stephen Jackson had all 4 of the team’s offensive touchdowns, rushing for 3 and catching another. The Rams other touchdown on the day came on a 38-yard INT return by CB Ron Bartell. Notching one of the Rams’ 4 sack on the day was current Viking DT Jimmy Kennedy.
