Game Summary
Fresh off the bye weekend, the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) will play the fi rst of 3 consecutive home games at Mall of America Field this weekend, taking on the Detroit Lions (1-7) on Sunday, November 15.
Sunday’s game will be the 97th matchup between the 2 teams. The Vikings currently hold a 64-30-2 record in the overall series and have won 14 of the last 15 games since 2002. The Vikings have swept the Lions in 6 of the last 7 seasons, with the team’s only loss (20- 17) coming in overtime at Detroit on September 16, 2007.
Key Links
Lions at Vikings Press Release (PDF)
Latest Vikings Depth Chart
Broadcast Info
TV: FOX Channel 9 in the Twin Cities
Play-By-Play: Sam Rosen Analysts: Tim Ryan
Sideline Reporters: Chris Myers
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
- If the Vikings win, it will be the team’s 17th win in the last 21 regular season games and it will mark the team’s first 8-1 start since 1998.
- If the Vikings do not allow a Lions running back to reach 100 rushing yards, it will be the 32nd consecutive game the team hasn’t given up 100 yards rushing to an individual. The Vikings current streak of 31 games is the longest active stretch in the NFL. The last player to rush for 100 yards against the Vikings was Packers RB Ryan Grant on 11/11/07 (102 yards).
- With a passer rating of 100+, QB Brett Favre will collect his 100th career game with a 100+ QB rating. Favre’s teams are 91-8 in his 99 career games with a 100+ rating.
- Favre currently has thrown for at least 2 TDs in 11 straight games at Mall of America Field (8 with Green Bay, 3 with Minnesota). With 2 passing TDs this week, Favre will tie the longest streak for consecutive games with multiple TD passes at one stadium. Favre (Lambeau Field, 1994-96) and Kurt Warner (Trans World Dome/Edward Jones Dome, 1999-2000) each had a streak of 12 games, the longest in NFL history.
Stats of the Week
- In the Vikings last game before the bye, the team notched 6 sacks of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, bringing the Vikings 2009 sack total against the Packers to 14. Even more impressive, however, was the fact the team did not allow a sack of Vikings QB Brett Favre in either game.
- Despite not playing a game last week, the Vikings took a bigger lead in the NFC North as the Bears, Lions and Packers all lost on Sunday. The Vikings now have a 3-game lead.
- QB Brett Favre, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his last performance before the bye week, currently ranks 2nd in the NFL with a 106.0 passer rating. Favre is also in the top five for most passing TDs (16 - tied for 3rd), highest completion percentage (68.0 - 4th) and least number of interceptions among QBs with 200+ attempts (1st). Favre’s 1.2% INT rate is the lowest of all players, and the Vikings 3 intercepted passes are the lowest of any team.
- The Vikings have scored 221 offensive points this season (244 total points), the 2nd-highest total in the NFL behind New Orleans’ 255. The Vikings 30.5 points per game also ranks 2nd.
- KR Percy Harvin currently ranks 2nd in the NFL with 860 kickoff return yards (30.5 avg.) on the season. The Vikings record for the most return yards in a season is 1,345 (Buster Rhymes-1985). The team’s highest season average is 28.7 (Aundrae Allison-2007), and the record for the fewest games needed to reach 1,000 yards is 11 (Koren Robinson-2005).
Vikings Big Days vs. Lions
- DE Jared Allen recorded 2.0 sacks, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble when the teams met on 12/7/08. Allen also collected his first career safety when the teams met earlier that season on 10/12/08.
- WR Bernard Berrian caught 5 catches for 131 yards and a TD against Detroit on 10/12/08.
- DE Ray Edwards scored his first career NFL touchdown with his 9-yard fumble return for a score at Detroit (9/16/07).
- QB Brett Favre broke the NFL record for most consecutive starts in his first game against Detroit as a member of the Vikings on 9/20/09. Favre celebrated the occasion by completing over 85% of his passes (23-27), throwing for 2 TDs, and finishing with a 115.3 rating.
- Favre was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his 9/24/06 matchup against the Lions when he threw for 340 yards and 3 TDs, including a 75-yarder. He ended the day with a passer rating of 127.1
- LB Chad Greenway intercepted 2 passes off Lions QB Matthew Stafford and returned them for a combined 49 yards when the Vikings played the Lions earlier this season (9/20). Greenway was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
- CB Cedric Griffi n earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance at Detroit (12/10/06) when he had an interception, forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, and had a fumble recovery.
- LB E.J. Henderson intercepted the 1st pass of his career when he picked off Jon Kitna vs. Detroit (10/8/06) and returned it 45 yards to score his 1st career TD.
- P Chris Kluwe set a new team record with a 57.5-yard gross punting average (230 yards on 4 punts) at Detroit (9/16/07), breaking Mitch Berger’s mark of 55.8 set vs. Cincinnati (11/15/98). Kluwe also grossed 57.0 yards on the 2 punts he had when the teams last met on 12/7/08.
- LB Ben Leber recovered a Jon Kitna fumble forced by Pat Williams in the end zone vs. Detroit (10/8/06) to score his 3rd career TD.
- K Ryan Longwell booted his second career game-winning OT kick vs. Detroit (12/11/05) on Sunday Night Football when he hit a 28-yarder for Green Bay. Longwell also kicked a game winner with 9 seconds remaining on 10/12/08 to give the Vikings a 12-10 victory and connected on a 50-yarder when the teams met last (12/7/08).
- RB Adrian Peterson picked up 116 yards on 15 carries and scored 2 TDs on the ground in a 42-10 win against the Lions on 12/2/07.
- CB Antoine Winfield recorded 12 tackles and picked off a Joey Harrington pass vs. Detroit on 11/6/05.
- DT Kevin Williams notched a career-high 4.0 sacks against Detroit on 10/12/08, which is tied for the most in a single game in 2008 and ranks tied for 2nd in Vikings history.
- DT Pat Williams sacked Jon Kitna and forced a fumble that was recovered by LB Ben Leber for a TD vs. Detroit on 10/8/06.
Vikings vs. Lions Series Notes
- The Vikings lead the all-time series with the Lions, 64-30-2.
- The Vikings’ 64 wins against Detroit are the most vs. any opponent.
- From 1961-67, Detroit led the series 9-3-2. Since 1968, the Vikings have won 61 of the last 82 games (61-21-0).
- Minnesota has an all-time home record of 34-12-1 against the Lions.
- The Vikings have won 11 straight games against Detroit at the Metrodome, dating back to 1997 and 18 of the last 20 games between the teams overall in the past 10 years.
- The Vikings loss to Detroit in 2007 was the first in 11 games and the first since 2001.
- The Vikings have swept the Lions 7 times since 2000.
- The Lions haven’t scored a rushing touchdown on the Vikings in the last 6 meetings between the 2 teams, dating back to 10/8/06.
- Head Coach Brad Childress is 6-1 against the Lions.
- The Vikings played their first Thanksgiving game in team history at Detroit on 11/27/69.
A Win Would...
- Give the Vikings a 4-0 record against the NFC North division in 2009.
- Give the Vikings their 8th sweep of Detroit since 2000.
- Improve the Vikings all-time record against the Lions to 65-30-2.
- Give the Vikings their 15th win in the last 16 games against Detroit.
- Give the Vikings their 17th victory in the last 21 regular season games, dating back to 2008. The Vikings are 16-4 in the last 20 games.
- Give the Vikings their first 8-1 start since 1998.
- Improve the Vikings all-time record against NFC North opponents to 164-122-5.
- Improve Head Coach Brad Childress’ all-time record against the Lions to 7-1.
Keep An Eye On...
- QB Brett Favre will play in his 300th consecutive game, including playoffs.
- With a 100+ passer rating, Favre would collect his 100th game with a 100+ QB rating. Favre’s teams are 91-8 in his previous 99 games with a 100+ rating.
- With 2 passing TDs, Favre would move into a 2nd place tie (Jeff George, Warren Moon) for the most passing TDs in first season with the Vikings. Favre’s 16 on the year rank as the 4th most in team history.
- With 2 passing TDs, Favre would tie the record for the most consecutive games with multiple TD passes at one stadium. Favre has 11 straight games with at least 2 TD passes at Mall of America Field (8 with Green Bay, 3 with Minnesota). That is the 2nd-longest streak behind his 12 at Lambeau (1994-96) and Kurt Warner’s 12 at Edward Jones Done (1999-00).
- With 4 passing TDs, Favre can take sole possession in NFL history for the most games with 4+ TDs. He’s currently tied with Dan Marino with 21 for his career.
- G Steve Hutchinson will play and start his 125th career game.
- With a 100-yard rusher, Hutchinson would block for his 57th 100- yard rusher and his 26th as a Viking.
- With 115 rushing yards, RB Adrian Peterson would reach 4,000 for his career. He would become the fastest in Vikings history to accomplish the feat (Chuck Foreman-57 games) and tie for the 4th-fastest in NFL history (39 games).
- With a rushing TD, Peterson would move into a 4th place tie with Robert Smith for most rushing TDs as a Viking. Peterson currently has 31 and Smith ranks 4th with 32.
- With a receiving TD, TE Visanthe Shiancoe can tie his career high for a single season (7) and move into a 2nd-place tie for the most in a single season in Vikings history.
- With 2 receiving TDs, Shiancoe can tie the team record for the most receiving TDs in a single season by a Vikings TE (Joe Senser-8 in 1981).
