The Minnesota Vikings finished the 2024 NFL regular season with a 31-9 loss against the Detroit Lions. Although the loss cost them an NFC North title and dropped them to the No.5 seed, they made it to the playoffs for the 32nd time in franchise history.
The Vikings will take on the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, on Monday. The wildfires raging in Los Angeles have caused the game to be relocated from SoFi Stadium, thrusting even more uncertainty into a close playoff contest. Let’s examine Minnesota’s last playoff run and the last time the Vikings won a postseason game.
When Was the Minnesota Vikings’ Last Playoff Win?
The Vikings last playoff win came back in 2019. Earning a Wild Card berth with a 10-6 record, Minnesota visited the 13-3 New Orleans Saints. With quarterback Kirk Cousins under center, the Vikings eventually won in overtime, 26-20.
However, the postseason run didn’t last long. Minnesota lost 27-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in the following round. Before 2024, the Vikings’ only playoff appearance since that win came in 2022 when a defensive collapse against the New York Giants ended their season.
Sam Darnold Guides Vikings to Playoffs
After missing out on the playoff berth last season with a 7-10 record, the Vikings doubled their wins in 2024. They began 3-2 but went on a nine-game winning streak to launch themselves into the postseason. They finished the season with a 14-3 record.
Minnesota’s only loss came against the Rams and the NFC North winners, the Detroit Lions, in Week 5 and 18. Sam Darnold and Co. would like to avenge the regular season loss in the Wild Card Round.
Darnold signed a $10 million contract with the Vikings in March. After J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending injury, he became Minnesota’s starting quarterback quarterback. He started all 17 games in the regular season for the first time in his career.
Darnold charted 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in the 2024 regular season. By PFN’s QB+ metric, he was the 12th-best quarterback in the NFL in 2024, posting a grade of 79.4 (C+). QB+ assigns a letter grade to every quarterback performance and factors in several stats, such as success rate when pressured, third-down conversion rate, pocket production, and clutch performance.
The Vikings have played six games against playoff teams this season – their four worst points-per-drive defensive performances have come in those contests.
Darnold will suit up as a playoff starter for the first time when Minnesota takes on Los Angeles. After a disastrous performance in Week 18, the 27-year-old passer would like to cement himself as part of the Vikings plans with his playoff performance.