Cowboys–Vikings rivalry
National Football League rivalry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cowboys–Vikings rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.[2][3][4][5] 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).[6] CBS Sports named the rivalry among the best in the 1970s.[7]
LocationDallas, Minneapolis
FirstmeetingSeptember 24, 1961
Cowboys 21, Vikings 7[1]
Cowboys 21, Vikings 7[1]
LatestmeetingDecember 14, 2025
Vikings 34, Cowboys 26[1]
Vikings 34, Cowboys 26[1]
NextmeetingTBD (no later than 2028 regular season)
| Location | Dallas, Minneapolis |
|---|---|
| First meeting | September 24, 1961 Cowboys 21, Vikings 7[1] |
| Latest meeting | December 14, 2025 Vikings 34, Cowboys 26[1] |
| Next meeting | TBD (no later than 2028 regular season) |
| Stadiums | Cowboys: AT&T Stadium Vikings: U.S. Bank Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Total meetings | 35[1] |
All-time series | Cowboys: 19–16[1] |
Regular season series | Cowboys: 15–13[1] |
Postseason results | Cowboys: 4–3[1] |
Largest victory | Cowboys: 40–3 (2022) Vikings: 54–13 (1970)[1] |
Most points scored | Cowboys: 40 (1996), (2022) Vikings: 54 (1970)[1] |
Longest win streak | Cowboys: 4 (1961–1968) Vikings: 5 (1998–2004)[1] |
Current win streak | Vikings: 1 (2025–present)[1] |
| Post–season history[1] | |
| |
The Cowboys lead the overall series, 19–16. The two teams have met seven times in the playoffs, with the Cowboys holding a 4–3 record.[1]
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.[8][9][10]
- 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.[11]
- In 1989, the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys were part of the Herschel Walker trade, the largest player trade in NFL history.[12][13][14][15] 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.[16]
- 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.[17][10]
- 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.[18]
- 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.[19]
- 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.[20][21][22][23][24][25]
Season-by-season results
| Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings season-by-season results[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1960s (Cowboys, 4–0)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1970s (Cowboys, 5–4)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980s (Vikings, 3–1)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990s (Tied, 3–3)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000s (Vikings, 3–1)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010s (Tied, 2–2)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2020s (Cowboys, 3–1)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summary of results
|
