The one title
Minnesota beat Cleveland 27–7 at Metropolitan Stadium to win the NFL Championship. It remains the only league title in franchise history. Super Bowl IV followed a week later, and Kansas City won it 23–7.
History · Postseason
VikingsPlayoff History
Thirty-two trips to the postseason since 1968. Fifty-three playoff games. Four Super Bowls, all of them lost, and one league championship, won in the last season before the AFL–NFL merger took effect. This is the whole record, run by run and game by game.
Complete through the 2025 season · Results verified against Pro Football Reference
How far the 32 runs got
- Postseason appearances
- Seasons with a playoff win
- Championship games
- Super Bowls
- League championship (1969)
The numbers
The Postseason Ledger
Every figure below is counted from the game-by-game table further down this page, which is taken from Pro Football Reference's Vikings playoff game log.
32
Playoff appearances
First in 1968, most recent after the 2024 season
53
Playoff games played
23 at home, 26 on the road, 4 at neutral sites
21–32
All-time postseason record
Counted from the 53 games listed on this page
21
Division titles
2 in the Central Division (1968–69), 14 NFC Central, 5 NFC North
Four Super Bowls, four defeats · 0–4
Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI. The Vikings have never won a
Super Bowl. Read the Super Bowl history.
10
Championship games
4–6 in NFL and NFC title games
1
League championship
The 1969 NFL Championship, won 27–7 over Cleveland
Round by round
Where the Wins Are
Each bar is split in proportion to the wins and losses in that round. The numbers are written into the bars, so nothing here depends on colour.
- Wild card / first roundOpening-round games, 1982 included
- Second / divisional roundIncludes the 1968 and 1969 Western Conference title games
- Championship game1969 NFL title game plus nine NFC Championship Games
- Super BowlFour appearances, four defeats
Gold blocks are wins
Purple blocks are losses
Run by run
All 32 Postseasons
One row per season. Each block is one playoff game, in the order it was played, so the width of a row is the length of that January. The round and the result are written on every block; a hatched block is simply a round the team never reached that year.
- 1968W CONF (Western Conference Championship Game) · Lost14–24 at BaltimoreLost the Western Conference Championship at Baltimore
- 1969W CONF (Western Conference Championship Game) · Won23–20 vs L.A. RamsNFL (NFL Championship Game) · Won27–7 vs ClevelandSB IV (Super Bowl IV) · Lost7–23 vs Kansas CityWon the NFL Championship, then lost Super Bowl IV to Kansas City
- 1970DIV (Divisional round) · Lost14–17 vs San FranciscoLost in the divisional round vs San Francisco
- 1971DIV (Divisional round) · Lost12–20 vs DallasLost in the divisional round vs Dallas
- 1973DIV (Divisional round) · Won27–20 vs WashingtonNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Won27–10 at DallasSB VIII (Super Bowl VIII) · Lost7–24 vs MiamiLost Super Bowl VIII to Miami
- 1974DIV (Divisional round) · Won30–14 vs St. LouisNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Won14–10 vs L.A. RamsSB IX (Super Bowl IX) · Lost6–16 vs PittsburghLost Super Bowl IX to Pittsburgh
- 1975DIV (Divisional round) · Lost14–17 vs DallasLost in the divisional round vs Dallas
- 1976DIV (Divisional round) · Won35–20 vs WashingtonNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Won24–13 vs L.A. RamsSB XI (Super Bowl XI) · Lost14–32 vs OaklandLost Super Bowl XI to Oakland
- 1977DIV (Divisional round) · Won14–7 at L.A. RamsNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Lost6–23 at DallasLost the NFC Championship Game at Dallas
- 1978DIV (Divisional round) · Lost10–34 at L.A. RamsLost in the divisional round at L.A. Rams
- 1980DIV (Divisional round) · Lost16–31 at PhiladelphiaLost in the divisional round at Philadelphia
- 1982RD 1 (First round) · Won30–24 vs AtlantaRD 2 (Second round) · Lost7–21 at WashingtonLost in the second round at Washington
- 1987WC (Wild-card round) · Won44–10 at New OrleansDIV (Divisional round) · Won36–24 at San FranciscoNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Lost10–17 at WashingtonLost the NFC Championship Game at Washington
- 1988WC (Wild-card round) · Won28–17 vs L.A. RamsDIV (Divisional round) · Lost9–34 at San FranciscoLost in the divisional round at San Francisco
- 1989DIV (Divisional round) · Lost13–41 at San FranciscoLost in the divisional round at San Francisco
- 1992WC (Wild-card round) · Lost7–24 vs WashingtonLost in the wild-card round vs Washington
- 1993WC (Wild-card round) · Lost10–17 at N.Y. GiantsLost in the wild-card round at N.Y. Giants
- 1994WC (Wild-card round) · Lost18–35 vs ChicagoLost in the wild-card round vs Chicago
- 1996WC (Wild-card round) · Lost15–40 at DallasLost in the wild-card round at Dallas
- 1997WC (Wild-card round) · Won23–22 at N.Y. GiantsDIV (Divisional round) · Lost22–38 at San FranciscoLost in the divisional round at San Francisco
- 1998DIV (Divisional round) · Won41–21 vs ArizonaNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Lost27–30 vs AtlantaLost the NFC Championship Game vs Atlanta
- 1999WC (Wild-card round) · Won27–10 vs DallasDIV (Divisional round) · Lost37–49 at St. LouisLost in the divisional round at St. Louis
- 2000DIV (Divisional round) · Won34–16 vs New OrleansNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Lost0–41 at N.Y. GiantsLost the NFC Championship Game at N.Y. Giants
- 2004WC (Wild-card round) · Won31–17 at Green BayDIV (Divisional round) · Lost14–27 at PhiladelphiaLost in the divisional round at Philadelphia
- 2008WC (Wild-card round) · Lost14–26 vs PhiladelphiaLost in the wild-card round vs Philadelphia
- 2009DIV (Divisional round) · Won34–3 vs DallasNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Lost28–31 at New OrleansLost the NFC Championship Game at New Orleans
- 2012WC (Wild-card round) · Lost10–24 at Green BayLost in the wild-card round at Green Bay
- 2015WC (Wild-card round) · Lost9–10 vs SeattleLost in the wild-card round vs Seattle
- 2017DIV (Divisional round) · Won29–24 vs New OrleansNFC (NFC Championship Game) · Lost7–38 at PhiladelphiaLost the NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia
- 2019WC (Wild-card round) · Won26–20 at New OrleansDIV (Divisional round) · Lost10–27 at San FranciscoLost in the divisional round at San Francisco
- 2022WC (Wild-card round) · Lost24–31 vs N.Y. GiantsLost in the wild-card round vs N.Y. Giants
- 2024WC (Wild-card round) · Lost9–27 at L.A. RamsLost in the wild-card round at L.A. Rams
Gold block = game won
Purple block = game lost
WC wild card · DIV divisional · NFC / NFL championship game · SB Super Bowl
The four
Four Super Bowls, None Won
Minnesota reached the Super Bowl four times in eight seasons and lost every one of them, by 16, 17, 10 and 18 points. No Vikings team has been back since the 1976 season. The four games are covered in full on the Vikings Super Bowl history page.
- IV1969 seasonKansas City ChiefsLost 23–7
- VIII1973 seasonMiami DolphinsLost 24–7
- IX1974 seasonPittsburgh SteelersLost 16–6
- XI1976 seasonOakland RaidersLost 32–14
One game from the Super Bowl
Ten Championship Games
The Vikings have played ten league or conference championship games and won four of them. The first, in January 1970, was the NFL Championship Game itself, the last one played before the AFL–NFL merger took effect. The other nine were NFC Championship Games.
- 1969W WonNFL Championship, vs Cleveland Browns27–7
- 1973W WonNFC Championship, at Dallas Cowboys27–10
- 1974W WonNFC Championship, vs Los Angeles Rams14–10
- 1976W WonNFC Championship, vs Los Angeles Rams24–13
- 1977L LostNFC Championship, at Dallas Cowboys6–23
- 1987L LostNFC Championship, at Washington10–17
- 1998L LostNFC Championship, vs Atlanta Falcons27–30 (OT)
- 2000L LostNFC Championship, at New York Giants0–41
- 2009L LostNFC Championship, at New Orleans Saints28–31 (OT)
- 2017L LostNFC Championship, at Philadelphia Eagles7–38
The full record
Every Vikings Playoff Game
All 53 postseason games, oldest first. Scores are Minnesota's points first. The table scrolls sideways on a narrow screen.
| Season | Date | Round | Opponent | Site | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | December 22, 1968 | Western Conference Championship | Baltimore Colts | Away | L Lost | 14–24 |
| 1969 | December 27, 1969 | Western Conference Championship | Los Angeles Rams | Home | W Won | 23–20 |
| 1969 | January 4, 1970 | NFL Championship | Cleveland Browns | Home | W Won | 27–7 |
| 1969 | January 11, 1970 | Super Bowl IV | Kansas City Chiefs | Neutral | L Lost | 7–23 |
| 1970 | December 27, 1970 | Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | Home | L Lost | 14–17 |
| 1971 | December 25, 1971 | Divisional | Dallas Cowboys | Home | L Lost | 12–20 |
| 1973 | December 22, 1973 | Divisional | Washington | Home | W Won | 27–20 |
| 1973 | December 30, 1973 | NFC Championship | Dallas Cowboys | Away | W Won | 27–10 |
| 1973 | January 13, 1974 | Super Bowl VIII | Miami Dolphins | Neutral | L Lost | 7–24 |
| 1974 | December 21, 1974 | Divisional | St. Louis Cardinals | Home | W Won | 30–14 |
| 1974 | December 29, 1974 | NFC Championship | Los Angeles Rams | Home | W Won | 14–10 |
| 1974 | January 12, 1975 | Super Bowl IX | Pittsburgh Steelers | Neutral | L Lost | 6–16 |
| 1975 | December 28, 1975 | Divisional | Dallas Cowboys | Home | L Lost | 14–17 |
| 1976 | December 18, 1976 | Divisional | Washington | Home | W Won | 35–20 |
| 1976 | December 26, 1976 | NFC Championship | Los Angeles Rams | Home | W Won | 24–13 |
| 1976 | January 9, 1977 | Super Bowl XI | Oakland Raiders | Neutral | L Lost | 14–32 |
| 1977 | December 26, 1977 | Divisional | Los Angeles Rams | Away | W Won | 14–7 |
| 1977 | January 1, 1978 | NFC Championship | Dallas Cowboys | Away | L Lost | 6–23 |
| 1978 | December 31, 1978 | Divisional | Los Angeles Rams | Away | L Lost | 10–34 |
| 1980 | January 3, 1981 | Divisional | Philadelphia Eagles | Away | L Lost | 16–31 |
| 1982 | January 9, 1983 | First Round | Atlanta Falcons | Home | W Won | 30–24 |
| 1982 | January 15, 1983 | Second Round | Washington | Away | L Lost | 7–21 |
| 1987 | January 3, 1988 | Wild Card | New Orleans Saints | Away | W Won | 44–10 |
| 1987 | January 9, 1988 | Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | Away | W Won | 36–24 |
| 1987 | January 17, 1988 | NFC Championship | Washington | Away | L Lost | 10–17 |
| 1988 | December 26, 1988 | Wild Card | Los Angeles Rams | Home | W Won | 28–17 |
| 1988 | January 1, 1989 | Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | Away | L Lost | 9–34 |
| 1989 | January 6, 1990 | Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | Away | L Lost | 13–41 |
| 1992 | January 2, 1993 | Wild Card | Washington | Home | L Lost | 7–24 |
| 1993 | January 9, 1994 | Wild Card | New York Giants | Away | L Lost | 10–17 |
| 1994 | January 1, 1995 | Wild Card | Chicago Bears | Home | L Lost | 18–35 |
| 1996 | December 28, 1996 | Wild Card | Dallas Cowboys | Away | L Lost | 15–40 |
| 1997 | December 27, 1997 | Wild Card | New York Giants | Away | W Won | 23–22 |
| 1997 | January 3, 1998 | Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | Away | L Lost | 22–38 |
| 1998 | January 10, 1999 | Divisional | Arizona Cardinals | Home | W Won | 41–21 |
| 1998 | January 17, 1999 | NFC Championship | Atlanta Falcons | Home | L Lost | 27–30 after (OT) |
| 1999 | January 9, 2000 | Wild Card | Dallas Cowboys | Home | W Won | 27–10 |
| 1999 | January 16, 2000 | Divisional | St. Louis Rams | Away | L Lost | 37–49 |
| 2000 | January 6, 2001 | Divisional | New Orleans Saints | Home | W Won | 34–16 |
| 2000 | January 14, 2001 | NFC Championship | New York Giants | Away | L Lost | 0–41 |
| 2004 | January 9, 2005 | Wild Card | Green Bay Packers | Away | W Won | 31–17 |
| 2004 | January 16, 2005 | Divisional | Philadelphia Eagles | Away | L Lost | 14–27 |
| 2008 | January 4, 2009 | Wild Card | Philadelphia Eagles | Home | L Lost | 14–26 |
| 2009 | January 17, 2010 | Divisional | Dallas Cowboys | Home | W Won | 34–3 |
| 2009 | January 24, 2010 | NFC Championship | New Orleans Saints | Away | L Lost | 28–31 after (OT) |
| 2012 | January 5, 2013 | Wild Card | Green Bay Packers | Away | L Lost | 10–24 |
| 2015 | January 10, 2016 | Wild Card | Seattle Seahawks | Home | L Lost | 9–10 |
| 2017 | January 14, 2018 | Divisional | New Orleans Saints | Home | W Won | 29–24 |
| 2017 | January 21, 2018 | NFC Championship | Philadelphia Eagles | Away | L Lost | 7–38 |
| 2019 | January 5, 2020 | Wild Card | New Orleans Saints | Away | W Won | 26–20 after (OT) |
| 2019 | January 11, 2020 | Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | Away | L Lost | 10–27 |
| 2022 | January 15, 2023 | Wild Card | New York Giants | Home | L Lost | 24–31 |
| 2024 | January 13, 2025 | Wild Card | Los Angeles Rams | Away * | L Lost | 9–27 |
Washington's club carried a different name during the 1973, 1976, 1982, 1987 and 1992 games listed above; it is written here simply as Washington. The 2024 wild-card game was a Rams home game moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, and is listed as an away game as Pro Football Reference records it.
Six that stuck
Games Minnesota Still Talks About
The Hail Mary
A 12–2 Vikings season ended 17–14 at Metropolitan Stadium when Roger Staubach found Drew Pearson late for the touchdown that put the phrase “Hail Mary” into the language. Minnesota argued for offensive pass interference on the play and did not get it.
15–1, and out
The 1998 team went 15–1 and set what was then the NFL record for points in a season, then lost the NFC Championship Game at home to Atlanta 30–27 in overtime. Minnesota has lost all six championship games it has played since the 1976 season.
Overtime in New Orleans
Another title game, another overtime defeat: New Orleans 31, Minnesota 28. Those two championship games, 1998 and 2009, are the only overtime defeats in Vikings playoff history; the only overtime win came at New Orleans in January 2020.
The Minneapolis Miracle
Down 24–23 in the final seconds, Case Keenum threw to Stefon Diggs, who ran it in for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired: 29–24, and the first playoff game in NFL history to end on a touchdown with no time left.
The most recent one
A 14–3 season ended 27–9 against the Rams in a game moved to Glendale, Arizona. That is still the Vikings' last playoff appearance: they finished the 2025 season 9–8, third in the NFC North, and did not qualify.
Where these numbers come from
Every result on this page is taken from Pro Football Reference's Minnesota Vikings playoff game log and franchise index. The 21–32 all-time postseason record and the round-by-round splits are counted directly from the 53 games in the table above rather than quoted from elsewhere. The division-title figure counts first-place finishes in the Central Division of the Western Conference (1968 and 1969), the NFC Central (1970–2001) and the NFC North (2002 onwards) on the same basis.
- Pro Football Reference — Minnesota Vikings playoff game log
- Pro Football Reference — Minnesota Vikings franchise index, season by season
This is an independent fan site. It is not affiliated with the Minnesota Vikings or the National Football League. If you spot an error in this record, tell us and we will correct it.
Thirty-Two Tries, One Title
Fifty-three playoff games, twenty-one of them won, and a single league championship from 1969. The record on this page is a long argument for the next one.