Cowboys–Vikings rivalry

The Cowboys–Vikings rivalry is a rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.^[1][2][3][4] The overall series is led by Dallas 19–15. The Cowboys and Vikings have played seven times in the playoffs, making this one of the most played playoff series in league history (the Vikings' most common playoff opponent and the fourth-most for the Cowboys after the 49ers, Rams, and Packers). The Cowboys lead the playoff series 4–3.^[5] CBS Sports named the rivalry among the best in the 1970s.^[6]

Cowboys–Vikings rivalry

Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings
First meeting	September 24, 1961 Cowboys 21, Vikings 7
Latest meeting	November 20, 2022 Cowboys 40, Vikings 3
Next meeting	2025
Statistics
Meetings total	34
All-time series	Cowboys, 19–15
Regular season series	Cowboys, 15–12
Postseason results	Cowboys, 4–3
Largest victory	Vikings, 54–13 (1970)
Current win streak	Cowboys, 3 (2020–present)
Post–season history
1971 NFC Divisional: Cowboys won, 20–12 1973 NFC Championship: Vikings won, 27–10 1975 NFC Divisional: Cowboys won, 17–14 1977 NFC Championship: Cowboys won, 23–6 1996 NFC Wild Card: Cowboys won, 40–15 1999 NFC Wild Card: Vikings won, 27–10 2009 NFC Divisional: Vikings won, 34–3

Meetings

• In 1975, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to the Twin Cities for a Divisional playoff game. The Vikings looked to have the game wrapped-up with a late lead 14–10. However, Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson in what became known as the Hail Mary game.^[7][8][9]
• In January 1983, future Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett rushed for an NFL-record 99-yard touchdown in a Monday Night Football game in Minnesota. This occurred despite the Cowboys have only 10 players in the game, as fullback Ron Springs was on the sidelines. The Vikings won the game.^[10]
• In 1989, the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys were part of the Herschel Walker trade, the largest player trade in NFL history.^{[11][12][13][14]} In this trade, the Vikings received Herschel Walker and three picks from the Cowboys in exchange for eight picks given to the Cowboys. The Vikings felt it was the last piece needed to make a Super Bowl run. Instead, the trade catapulted the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s; the Vikings won none with Walker. It is thus considered one of the worst trades in NFL history.^[15]
• The 1996 NFC Wild Card Round saw the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys defeat the Vikings 40–15.
• In 1998, the Minnesota Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Randy Moss, a rookie wide receiver who the Cowboys had passed over due to legal issues in college, famously had three touchdowns in a 46–36 thriller.^[16][9]
• In the 1999 playoffs, the Cowboys traveled to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a key wild-card playoff game. The Vikings won 27–10.^[17]
• In the 2009 playoffs, Dallas traveled to the Metrodome for the NFC Divisional playoff game with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings defeated the Cowboys 34–3. Late in the game, Cowboys player Keith Brooking was seen arguing with Vikings coaches because he believed the Vikings were running up the score. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips also believed Minnesota's late-game aggression was uncalled for.^[18]
• In 2022, the Cowboys travelled to U.S. Bank Stadium and blew out the Vikings 40–3. Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked a career-high seven times, and this was the largest road win in Dallas Cowboys' history. The game was so lopsided that CBS Sports switched to a "more competitive" game, this being the Bengals-Steelers, for their national broadcast with five minutes left in the third quarter.^{[19][20][21][22][23][24]}

Season-by-season results

Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings season-by-season results
1960s (Cowboys, 4–0) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1961 Cowboys 21–7 Cotton Bowl Cowboys 1–0 Vikings' inaugural season. Cowboys 28–0 Metropolitan Stadium Cowboys 2–0 1966 Cowboys 28–17 Cotton Bowl Cowboys 3–0 1968 Cowboys 20–7 Cotton Bowl Cowboys 4–0 Final meeting at Cotton Bowl.
1970s (Cowboys, 5–4) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1970 Vikings 54–13 Metropolitan Stadium Cowboys 4–1 First start in the series for Roger Staubach. 1971 playoffs Cowboys 20–12 Metropolitan Stadium Cowboys 5–1 NFC Divisional Round. Cowboys win Super Bowl VI. Game played on Christmas Day. 1973 playoffs Vikings 27–10 Texas Stadium Cowboys 5–2 NFC Championship Game. First meeting at Texas Stadium. Vikings lose Super Bowl VIII. 1974 Vikings 23–21 Texas Stadium Cowboys 5–3 Vikings lose Super Bowl IX. 1975 playoffs Cowboys 17–14 Metropolitan Stadium Cowboys 6–3 NFC Divisional Round (Hail Mary Game). Cowboys lose Super Bowl X. 1977 Cowboys 16–10(OT) Metropolitan Stadium Cowboys 7–3 1977 playoffs Cowboys 23–6 Texas Stadium Cowboys 8–3 NFC Championship Game. Cowboys win Super Bowl XII. 1978 Vikings 21–10 Texas Stadium Cowboys 8–4 Cowboys lose Super Bowl XIII. 1979 Cowboys 36–20 Metropolitan Stadium Cowboys 9–4 Final meeting at Metropolitan Stadium. Final start in the series for Roger Staubach.
1980s (Vikings, 3–1) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1982 Vikings 31–27 Metrodome Cowboys 9–5 First meeting at Metrodome. 1983 Cowboys 37–24 Metrodome Cowboys 10–5 1987 Vikings 44–38(OT) Texas Stadium Cowboys 10–6 1988 Vikings 43–3 Texas Stadium Cowboys 10–7
1990s (Tied, 3–3) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1993 Cowboys 37–20 Metrodome Cowboys 11–7 First start in series for Troy Aikman. Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII. 1995 Cowboys 23–17(OT) Metrodome Cowboys 12–7 Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX. 1996 playoffs Cowboys 40–15 Texas Stadium Cowboys 13–7 NFC Wild Card Round. 1998 Vikings 46–36 Texas Stadium Cowboys 13–8 Thanksgiving game 1999 Vikings 27–17 Metrodome Cowboys 13–9 1999 playoffs Vikings 27–10 Metrodome Cowboys 13–10 NFC Wild Card Round.
2000s (Vikings, 3–1) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2000 Vikings 27–15 Texas Stadium Cowboys 13–11 Last start in the series for Troy Aikman. Thanksgiving game. 2004 Vikings 35–17 Metrodome Cowboys 13–12 2007 Cowboys 24–14 Texas Stadium Cowboys 14–12 Final meeting at Texas Stadium. 2009 playoffs Vikings 34–3 Metrodome Cowboys 14–13 NFC Divisional Round. Last postseason meeting to date. Final playoff win in Brett Favre's career, as well as his only win against the Cowboys in the playoffs.
2010s (Tied, 2–2) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2010 Vikings 24–21 Metrodome Tie 14–14 Final meeting at Metrodome. 2013 Cowboys 27–23 AT&T Stadium Cowboys 15–14 First meeting at AT&T Stadium. 2016 Cowboys 17–15 U.S. Bank Stadium Cowboys 16–14 First meeting at U.S. Bank Stadium. 2019 Vikings 28–24 AT&T Stadium Cowboys 16–15
2020s (Cowboys, 3–0) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2020 Cowboys 31–28 U.S. Bank Stadium Cowboys 17–15 2021 Cowboys 20–16 U.S. Bank Stadium Cowboys 18–15 2022 Cowboys 40–3 U.S. Bank Stadium Cowboys 19–15
Summary of results Season Season series at Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings Notes Regular season Cowboys 15–12 Vikings 7–5 Cowboys 10–5 Postseason Cowboys 4–3 Cowboys 2–1 Tie 2–2 NFC Wild Card: 1996, 1999 NFC Divisional: 1971, 1975, 2009 NFC Championship: 1973, 1977 Regular and postseason Cowboys 19–15 Vikings 8–7 Cowboys 12–7

See also

• Hail Mary Pass
• Herschel Walker trade

References

1. Dave Roepke (16 January 2010). "A rich rivalry resumes between Vikings-Cowboys today". Inforum.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
2. Kevin Lyons (23 December 1996). "Cowboys renew rivalry with Vikings". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. D6. Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Jon Krawczynski (27 December 2007). "Vikings rooting for rival Cowboys". Argus-Leader. Associated Press. pp. 1C, 6C. Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Cowboys, Vikings renew Rivalry". Austin American-Statesman. 28 December 1975. p. C5. Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Which NFL Teams Have Played Each Other the Most in the Playoffs?". Sportscasting. February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
6. DeArdo, Bryan (September 17, 2021). "Seven 1970s rivalries that made the NFL 'super': Steelers-Raiders takes top spot". CBS. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
7. "'Hail Mary Pass' highlights Dallas-Minnesota rivalry". The Morning News. December 29, 1977. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Denne H. Freeman (29 December 1977). "Vikings, Cowboys recall 'Hail Mary pass'". The Missoulian. Associated Press. p. 11. Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Bryan DeArdo (17 November 2022). "Cowboys-Vikings Throwback Thursday: The story behind NFL's first Hail Mary pass". CBS Sports. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
10. "PLAYS; Dorsett Runs For 99 Yards And Record". New York Times. January 5, 1983. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
11. "NFL 100 Greatest Game Changers: Herschel Walker trade". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
12. Yasinskas, Pat. "On the anniversary of the Herschel Walker trade, a look back at the worst NFL deals". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
13. Townsend, Brad (2019-10-12). "It's been 30 years since the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Vikings, fueling a dynasty". Dallas News. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
14. "It's been 30 years since the infamous Herschel Walker trade". NBC Sports. 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
15. Allen, Nick. "Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings: The Best Trade in NFL History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
16. Andy Friedlander (27 November 1998). "Hail Moss". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. C12. Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
17. Mike Baldwin (10 January 2000). "Blunder of it all". The Daily Oklahoman. pp. 1C, 3C. Retrieved 18 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
18. Seifert, Kevin (2010-01-17). "Cowboys' Brooking: Vikings late score classless". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
19. Sutelan, Edward (21 November 2022). "Cowboys' blowout victory over Vikings, by the numbers: Wildest stats from Dallas' historic win". sportingnews.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
20. Igbokwe, Nick (2022-11-21). "Why did CBS switch the Cowboys vs. Vikings NFL game?". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
21. Joseph, Andrew (2022-11-21). "The Vikings were losing so badly that CBS switched games and NFL fans thought it was hilarious". For The Win. USA Today. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
22. Hladik, Matt (2024-02-12). "CBS Makes Controversial Decision On Cowboys vs. Vikings". The Spun. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
23. Thompson, Scott (2022-11-20). "Cowboys beat Vikings so bad CBS cuts broadcast to different game before final whistle". Fox News. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
24. Papke, Grey (2022-11-21). "CBS makes brutal decision with Cowboys-Vikings broadcast". Larry Brown Sports. Retrieved 2024-02-13.