2013 Minnesota Vikings season


The 2013 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 53rd in the National Football League. It also marked the Vikings' final season playing their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome; the team played their home games at TCF Bank Stadium for the 2014 and 2015 seasons while construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016, took place on the site of the Metrodome. Following a Week 9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Vikings were no longer able to match their 10–6 record from 2012, and their loss to the Baltimore Ravens five weeks later sealed their elimination from playoff contention.
The Vikings failed to win a road game for the first time since 2001. Much like in 2001, the Vikings did moderately well on offensive yardage despite a quarterback carousel not present in 2001, but ranked among the worst in defensive yardage ; only the Dallas Cowboys gave up more yards on defense with 415.3 per game. The Vikings' defense also allowed the most points in the NFL in 2013 at 480, four points shy of matching the most points the team ever allowed in a single season.
It took until Week 10 for the Vikings to record their first win on American soil, their only other victory up to that point having come in the NFL International Series game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at London's Wembley Stadium in Week 4. Despite winning their last four home games to finish with an overall record of 5–10–1, the Vikings fired head coach Leslie Frazier after just over three seasons with the team.

Offseason

Draft

Pro Bowler

Notes

Roster changes

DatePlayer namePositionContract terms
January 7, 2013Chase BakerDT2 years / $900,000
March 12, 2013Joe BergerC/G1 year / $945,000
March 12, 2013Jerome FeltonFB3 years / $7.5 million
March 12, 2013Erin HendersonOLB2 years / $4 million
March 12, 2013Phil LoadholtOT4 years / $25 million
March 12, 2013Jamarca SanfordFS2 years / $5 million
March 12, 2013Jerome SimpsonWR1 year / $2.1 million
March 21, 2013Andrew SendejoFS1 year / $630,000
March 26, 2013Marvin MitchellOLB1 year / $765,000
April 12, 2013A. J. JeffersonCB1 year / $1.323 million
April 15, 2013Troy KropogOT1 year / $630,000
April 22, 2013Marcus SherelsCB1 year / $555,000
October 17, 2013Brandan BishopS
October 22, 2013Shaun PraterCB4 years / $2.285 million
October 31, 2013Chase FordTE2 years / $900,000
November 4, 2013Justin TrattouDE2 years / $1.05 million
November 9, 2013Audie ColeLB3 years / $1.71 million
November 11, 2013Kevin MurphyT
December 11, 2013Bradley RandleRB
December 16, 2013Mike RemmersOT2 years / $900,000
December 18, 2013Joe BanyardRB2 years / $900,000
December 18, 2013Spencer NealyDE2 years / $930,000
December 24, 2013Robert SteeplesCB3 years / $1.49 million

DatePlayer namePositionNoteNew team
March 4, 2013Michael JenkinsWRReleasedNew England Patriots
March 11, 2013Percy HarvinWRTradedSeattle Seahawks
March 12, 2013Antoine WinfieldCBReleasedSeattle Seahawks
March 14, 2013Jasper BrinkleyMLBUFAArizona Cardinals
March 15, 2013Geoff SchwartzG/TUFAKansas City Chiefs
April 30, 2013Nicholas TaylorCBReleased
May 6, 2013Chris KluwePReleasedOakland Raiders
June 10, 2013Devin AromashoduWRUFAChicago Bears
August 31, 2013Brandon BurtonCBReleasedBuffalo Bills
August 31, 2013Stephen BurtonWRReleasedJacksonville Jaguars
August 31, 2013Tyrone McKenzieLBReleased
September 9, 2013D'Aundre ReedDEInjury settlementSan Francisco 49ers
October 1, 2013DeMarcus LoveOTReleasedJacksonville Jaguars
October 8, 2013McLeod Bethel-ThompsonQBReleasedSan Francisco 49ers
October 9, 2013George JohnsonDEReleased
November 6, 2013Everett DawkinsDTClaimed off practice squadDallas Cowboys
November 13, 2013Travis BondGClaimed off practice squadCarolina Panthers
November 25, 2013A. J. JeffersonCBReleased

DatePlayer namePositionPrevious teamContract terms
March 14, 2013Matt CasselQBKansas City Chiefs2 years / $7.4 million
March 15, 2013Greg JenningsWRGreen Bay Packers5 years / $45 million
April 30, 2013Zach LineFBSouthern Methodist
Undrafted FA		3 years / $1.49 million
June 24, 2013Desmond BishopLBGreen Bay Packers1 year / $1.5 million
October 6, 2013Josh FreemanQBTampa Bay Buccaneers1 year / $3.0 million
November 26, 2013Kip EdwardsCBBuffalo Bills

Date signedPlayer namePositionPrevious teamContract termsDate released
January 7, 2013Joe BanyardRBMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 August 31, 2013
January 7, 2013LaMark BrownTEMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 August 26, 2013
January 7, 2013Bobby FelderDBMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 October 28, 2013
January 7, 2013Chase FordTEMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 October 29, 2013
January 7, 2013Tyler HolmesGMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 August 26, 2013
January 7, 2013Kevin MurphyTMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 November 9, 2013
January 7, 2013Chris SummersWRMinnesota Vikings
2 years / $900,000 August 26, 2013
January 9, 2013T. J. ConleyPNew York Jets 2 years / $1.05 millionApril 29, 2013
January 9, 2013Greg McCoyCBArizona Cardinals2 years / $900,000August 26, 2013
February 11, 2013Roderick WilliamsCBEdmonton Eskimos 3 years / $1.485 millionAugust 26, 2013
March 19, 2013Seth OlsenG/TIndianapolis Colts1 year / $650,000September 9, 2013
April 26, 2013Lawrence JacksonDEDetroit Lions1 year / $780,000August 26, 2013
April 29, 2013Jacob LaceyCBDetroit Lions1 year / $780,000August 19, 2013
April 30, 2013Colin AndersonTEFurman3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
April 30, 2013Brandan BishopSNC State3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
April 30, 2013Nicholas EdwardsWREastern Washington3 years / $1.49 millionMay 6, 2013
April 30, 2013Darius EubanksSGeorgia Southern3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
April 30, 2013Erik HighsmithWRNorth Carolina3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 26, 2013
April 30, 2013Mark JacksonOTGlenville State3 years / $1.49 millionMay 21, 2013
April 30, 2013Marquis JacksonDEPortland State3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 26, 2013
April 30, 2013Anthony McCloudDTFlorida State3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
April 30, 2013Bradley RandleRBUNLV3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 26, 2013
April 30, 2013Rodney SmithWRFlorida State3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
April 30, 2013Collins UkwuDEKentucky3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
April 30, 2013James VandenbergQBIowa3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 26, 2013
April 30, 2013Camden WentzCN.C. State3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 26, 2013
April 30, 2013Jerodis WilliamsRBFurman3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 26, 2013
April 30, 2013Nathan WilliamsLBOhio State3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 6, 2013
May 6, 2013Adam ThielenWRMinnesota State-Mankato3 years / $1.49 millionAugust 31, 2013
May 6, 2013Brandon KeithOTArizona Cardinals 1 year / $715,000August 31, 2013
May 29, 2013Stanford KeglarLBLas Vegas Locomotives 1 year / $630,000June 27, 2013
August 6, 2013Stanford KeglarLBLas Vegas Locomotives August 26, 2013
August 20, 2013Spencer NealyDEDetroit LionsAugust 31, 2013
September 2, 2013Tristan OkpalaugoDEMiami DolphinsSeptember 10, 2013
September 4, 2013Bradley RandleRBMinnesota Vikings
September 10, 2013
September 10, 2013Joe BanyardRBMinnesota Vikings
December 16, 2013
September 11, 2013Robert SteeplesCBMiami DolphinsDecember 21, 2013
October 9, 2013Justin TrattouDENew York GiantsOctober 26, 2013
October 18, 2013Jacob LaceyCBMinnesota Vikings
October 22, 2013
October 29, 2013Justin TrattouDEMinnesota Vikings
November 2, 2013
November 12, 2013Spencer NealyDEMinnesota Vikings
December 10, 2013
November 13, 2013Jamaal Johnson-WebbOTChicago BearsNovember 26, 2013
November 25, 2013Mike RemmersOTSan Diego ChargersDecember 14, 2013

Preseason

Schedule

The Vikings' preseason opponents and schedule were announced on April 4, 2013. Their preseason began with a loss to the Houston Texans at Mall of America Field on August 9, followed by road defeats against the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers; the game against the 49ers was the Vikings' second preseason matchup against the same opposition in two years. The preseason program concluded on a positive note – a home victory against the Tennessee Titans on August 29.
WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceNFL.com
recap
August 9Houston TexansL 13–270–1Mall of America Field62,306
August 16at Buffalo BillsL 16–200–2Ralph Wilson Stadium60,164
August 25at San Francisco 49ersL 14–340–3Candlestick Park69,732
August 29Tennessee TitansW 24–231–3Mall of America Field62,603

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Houston Texans

Week 2: at Buffalo Bills

Week 3: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1: at Detroit Lions

Week 2: at Chicago Bears

Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL International Series

Week 6: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 7: at New York Giants

Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers

With Josh Freeman ruled out after suffering a concussion in the previous game, Christian Ponder reclaimed his spot as starting quarterback. Cordarrelle Patterson got the game off to a good start for the Vikings, returning the opening kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown to tie the NFL record. However, Aaron Rodgers responded for the Packers by leading his offense on a 14-play, 90-yard drive, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson. The sides then exchanged field goals before Rodgers found Nelson again in the second quarter for a 76-yard touchdown. On the Vikings' next possession, they were forced to punt, but Micah Hyde was able to return the kick 93 yards for another Packers touchdown to make the score 24–10. A controversial pass interference call against Packers cornerback Tramon Williams late in the half set the Vikings up with a first down on the Packers' 14-yard line; two plays later, Adrian Peterson had the ball in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown, which kept the Vikings in with a chance going into the second half.
But the Packers offense remained unstoppable as Rodgers again led a long drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Eddie Lacy after they had converted three times on third down and once on fourth down during the series. After another three-and-out for the Vikings, the Packers offense picked up four first downs in the space of five plays on the way to a 25-yard touchdown run for James Starks. The Vikings again went three-and-out on their next possession, but this time their defense was able to stop Green Bay at the goal line, limiting them to a 20-yard Mason Crosby field goal to make the score 41–17 with just over six minutes to play. Patterson again had a big return on the ensuing kickoff, taking it 51 yards to the Minnesota 42-yard line to set up a short field. Five plays later, Toby Gerhart narrowed the deficit to 17 points with a 13-yard touchdown run. Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson was penalized on the onside kick that followed for touching the ball before it had gone 10 yards, allowing the Packers to run down the clock before Crosby slotted another field goal, this time from 45 yards. Inside the two-minute warning, Ponder threw an incompletion on fourth down, only for Tramon Williams to again be penalized for pass interference against Patterson, allowing Ponder the opportunity for a 19-yard touchdown run two plays later. The Vikings were unable to recover the onside kick, and Green Bay knelt out the clock for a 44–31 win.

Week 9: at Dallas Cowboys

Following the high-scoring loss to the Packers, the Vikings, continuing with Christian Ponder as their quarterback, travel to Arlington, Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys. The first quarter was all field goals, as Dallas scored first with a 41-yarder by Dan Bailey, followed by a 23-yarder for the Vikings by Blair Walsh. In the second quarter, Bailey made another field goal from 44 yards to put the Cowboys up by 3, but the Vikings took a 10–6 lead into halftime, capping the ensuing 79-yard drive with a 6-yard run by Ponder.
After the half, Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo completed two consecutive 26-yard passes to tight end Jason Witten to give them an early touchdown and restore their three-point lead. On the very next play from scrimmage, Ponder fumbled the ball as he was sacked in the end zone, and the Cowboys' Nick Hayden recovered it for a touchdown, meaning the Vikings went from 10–6 up to 20–10 down in the space of two scrimmage plays. The Vikings responded immediately with a quick, six-play drive, culminating with a 31-yard pass from Ponder to Kyle Rudolph to cut the Cowboys' lead back to three points.
After a series of punts going into the fourth quarter, Adrian Peterson scored for the Vikings with an 11-yard run with almost six minutes to go, but Walsh pushed the extra point kick wide right, giving the Vikings a three-point lead over the Cowboys. Vikings cornerback A. J. Jefferson intercepted Romo on the Cowboys' ensuing drive, putting the Vikings in a position to potentially take over the game, but the offense went three-and-out and was forced to punt. The Cowboys progressed downfield quickly, never faced with a third down, and scored with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Dwayne Harris, the third time the Vikings had given up a game-winning score in 2013. With less than 30 seconds to play, but they were unable to make any significant territorial gains and Ponder's last-second hail mary fell short, giving the Cowboys a 27–23 win.

Week 10: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 12: at Green Bay Packers

The Vikings traveled to Green Bay in week 12 to face a Packers team missing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had suffered a fractured left collarbone three weeks earlier. After successive punts from each side started the game, the Packers were the first to score as backup QB Scott Tolzien ran in for a 6-yard touchdown, but two field goals from Blair Walsh and a 1-yard touchdown run for Adrian Peterson meant the Vikings took a 13–7 lead into halftime. They extended their lead midway through the third quarter as Christian Ponder hit tight end Rhett Ellison for a 12-yard touchdown, and Walsh made it a 16-point lead with a 29-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter.
The Packers pulled the struggling Tolzien after the Ellison touchdown and replaced him with the recently re-signed Matt Flynn. Flynn then led the Packers on three consecutive scoring drives in the fourth quarter, starting with a 3-yard touchdown run for Eddie Lacy. Flynn's pass to Andrew Quarless on the two-point attempt fell incomplete, but Flynn was able to find Jarrett Boykin for a 6-yard touchdown on the next drive to reduce the Vikings' lead to three points. Inside the two-minute warning, Flynn combined with James Jones for a 28-yard completion on 4th-and-6, setting up Mason Crosby for the game-tying, 27-yard field goal. The Packers won the overtime coin toss and took the opening possession down to the Minnesota 2-yard line before having to settle for a field goal, only for Walsh to respond with a 35-yard effort. The two sides then exchanged possession as neither was able to put together a significant drive and the game ended in a 26–26 tie.

Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 14: at Baltimore Ravens

Playing in the snow in Baltimore, the Vikings sought out their first road win of the season. During the first half, Adrian Peterson injured his ankle and was dropped from the game. Despite taking the lead with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings were unable to hold on as the Ravens scored a game-winning touchdown with four seconds left. With the loss, the Vikings dropped to 3–9–1 and were officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Week 15: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions

In the last game to be played at the Metrodome before its demolition, the Vikings hosted their divisional rivals, the Detroit Lions. This turned out to be the only game of the Vikings' season in which the opposing team scored fewer than 20 points. A 50-yard run from Cordarrelle Patterson for the first score of the game put the Vikings up 7-0, where the score remained through halftime. After the half, Reggie Bush struck back with a 19-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 7-7 in the third. The fourth quarter saw David Akers make two field goals to put the Lions in the lead 13-7. However, Matt Cassel threw a TD pass to Patterson to put the Vikings back in the lead 14-13, which they managed to hold onto for the remaining nine minutes of the game.
Head coach Leslie Frazier was fired as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings the following day. His tenure ended with a record of 21–32–1 in over three years.

Standings

Division

Conference

Staff

Roster

Statistics

Team leaders

* Vikings single season record.

League rankings