In a league governed by 17-game grinds and divisional rivalries, interconference opponents sometimes feel like passing ships in the night. But across six decades of Minnesota Vikings football, one cross-conference foe in particular has acted less like a casual visitor and more like an ultimate inflection point: the Colts.

Before Minnesota hosts Indianapolis at noon (CT) Sunday, a look back at the franchise vault reveals an undeniable trend: When the Vikings play the Colts, trajectory shifts follow.

In 1969, after the Vikings dropped a one-point contest at the Giants (while facing their former and, later, future quarterback Fran Tarkenton) in the season opener, Minnesota returned home to battle the (Baltimore) Colts. The Vikings scored 52 points — tied for the second-most in a game in franchise history — and the 38-point victory ignited a 12-game win streak that remains the second-longest in franchise history (regular-season games only). Minnesota went on to win the NFL Championship that season before falling in Super Bowl IV to Kansas City.

Fast forward to 2022, when Indianapolis — in its fifth game under Jeff Saturday as interim head coach after the Colts fired Frank Reich midseason — traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Vikings in Week 15. After failing to clinch the NFC North title the week prior in Detroit, Minnesota dug itself into a massive 33-0 halftime deficit. The Vikings continued fighting, however, outscoring the Colts 36-3 in the second half to force overtime. In OT, Greg Joseph connected on a game-winning 40-yard field goal, helping the Vikings not only win 39-36 and secure the division, but also complete the largest comeback in NFL history.

Then, just two seasons ago in 2024, the Vikings started the year with a 5-0 record. Following a Week 6 bye and back-to-back losses against the Lions and at the Rams, Minnesota hosted Indianapolis looking to get back on track. The Vikings went on to defeat the Colts 21-13 on Sunday Night Football, sparking a nine-game win streak.

As Kevin O'Connell's squad welcomes Indianapolis (and former quarterback Daniel Jones) to U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings will try to win their 11^th consecutive contest.

Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:

Vikings 21, Colts 18 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

The Vikings are off a bye, while the Colts are off a terrible home loss to the Titans. That led to the firing of General Manager Chris Ballard. Maybe that gives the Colts a bump. Beating the Vikings defense will mean a lot of [running back] Jonathan Taylor. I think we see that as the Colts keep it close but just miss out on the upset.

Vikings 28, Colts 18 – Bill Bender, Sporting News

The Colts had issues protecting Daniel Jones against the Titans in Week 6. That won't get any easier against Minnesota in Week 7. The Vikings will turn up the pressure with Dallas Turner, who has 5.5 sacks. Kyler Murray had a 76.2% completion percentage in two starts with the Vikings before the bye week.

Vikings 20, Colts 10 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Vikings will be on upset alert after a bye week with the Colts on the brink of making bigger changes after firing GM Chris Ballard. But Minnesota's defense can bring some sophisticated blitzes to keep former Viking Daniel Jones slumping. Indianapolis won't get much going other than Jonathan Taylor again this week.

5 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, NFL.com

Analysis from NFL.com's Bobby Kownack: The last time the Colts made a big midseason change, firing Head Coach Frank Reich and replacing him with former player Jeff Saturday in 2022, they defeated the Raiders in their very next game. Will history repeat itself on Sunday after the Colts fired General Manager Chris Ballard following their loss to the previously winless Titans? No. No, it will not. The Vikings have too formidable a defense, and the Colts have too many shortcomings on both sides of the ball, for that to happen. Minnesota is stout against both the run (fifth in yards allowed) and pass (third), increasing the probability that Daniel Jones encounters big problems should Brian Flores' defense slow down Jonathan Taylor. The Colts QB has done little this year to show he's the same guy who appeared to have revived his career with Indy before tearing his Achilles last season. He's thrown for just four touchdowns and six interceptions, and with four fumbles is exactly the type of quarterback the Vikings could feast on. Kyler Murray also seemed to settle in more in Week 5 against the Saints, posting his best completion percentage (80%) and passer rating (109.6) as a Viking. Now, he's coming off a bye to face a bottom-10 defense.

6 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report analysis Moe Moton: The Indianapolis Colts fired General Manager Chris Ballard, but that won't improve Daniel Jones' passing efficiency or patch up the team's 27th-ranked scoring defense.

The Minnesota Vikings had extra time to prepare for this matchup, off a bye week. Also, Kyler Murray looked sharp in the Vikings last outing, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown with an 80 percent completion rate. Assuming Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson are healthy, Minnesota beats the struggling Colts by at least a touchdown.

Bleacher Report analysis Brent Sobleski: Sunday's outing against the Vikings is the Colts last gasp before their season could unofficially come to a close. Chris Ballard's ouster as general manager became inevitable after Indianapolis' embarrassing loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans.

Furthermore, the Colts could quickly become sellers at the trade deadline if something doesn't change over the next three weekends. Meanwhile, the Vikings are undefeated and at home. However, they're facing a desperate team that will likely bring its best to the table.

8 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB

11 of 11 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN

7 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic

Series Notes

The Vikings and Colts have met 28 times, including once in the postseason, with Indianapolis holding an 18-9-1 advantage in the all-time series. All nine of Minnesota's victories against the Colts have come at home, including five consecutive meetings from 1969 to 1997. Prior to its two recent victories over the Colts, Minnesota had dropped six consecutive games against Indianapolis from 2000-20.

Battling the Bye

Since the 1990 season (when the bye week was officially implemented into the schedule), the Vikings are 22-15 all-time in games immediately following a bye, including a 12-5 mark at home. From 1990 to 2009, Minnesota was dominant in post-bye contests, going 17-4 (the Vikings had two bye weeks during the 1993 season). During the past two decades, however, the bye hasn't been kind to Minnesota; the Vikings have won just five times in such games (2015 against Kansas City, 2017 at Washington, 2020 at Green Bay, 2022 against Arizona, and 2023 at Las Vegas) and have lost the past two games right after the break.

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