5/23/13: Just a few years ago, Joe Webb made a couple late season spot starts at QB for an injured Brett Favre - the first time Favre had missed a start in over 200 games. He did well and got a couple of victories. But it has been difficult for him to get on the field the last few years - since the team drafted Christian Ponder in the first round and named him the starter. Webb will have a better chance of getting some playing time now that he is moving to wide receiver - which he played in college. It also gives the Vikings the opportunity to use him on trick plays.

5/16/13: The Vikings are kind of becoming a secondary landing spot for former NFC Central stars. Brett Favre found his way there, and he encouraged Greg Jenning to try it out. Now, former Bears heart and soul Brian Urlacher is considering donning the purple in the near future. Urlacher is said to also be considering the Broncos. Denver probably has a better chance of advancing further in the playoffs than the Vikings, but maybe Urlacher feels he can have more of an impact on Minnesota's defense, plus the chance to punish the Bears two times each year.

5/9/13: A couple of intriguing items out of Vikings camp this week. First, defensive lineman Jared Allen says that QB Christian Ponder has to step up and take more of a leadership position within the team. Allen is not saying this as a criticism, but more for encouragement. While Allen is on the front lines, the need somebody behind him, literally. Minnesota moved around to get three first round picks, but did not address their middle linebacker position. Erin Henderson is the favorite to get the job, but there will be a competition for it. Also available, former Bears legend Brian Urlacher.

5/2/13: The Vikings draft grades from 'experts' has been all over the board. Some experts love that they were bold and traded around to get three first round selections. Others cite that they gave the New England Patriots too much to move up the 29th pick (to select Tennessee wide receiver Coradarrell Patterson). After the dust settled, the picked Sharrif Floyd (defensive tackle, Florida at No. 23), Xavier Rhodes (cornerback, Florida State at No. 25), and Patterson. In any case, they beefed up their defense and are trying to find a red zone target to help QB Christian Ponder.

4/25/13: The Vikings will have two picks in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday, the 23rd (their own) and the 25th from Seattle. Minnesota was, of course, much better than expected last year, largely due to Adrian Peterson putting the team on his back and Christian Ponder playing very well when he needed to. But the Vikings are a flawed team, so it is expected that they will address those needs this coming weekend. More than anything, they need a game breaking wide receiver – just like the one they traded to Seattle (Percy Harvin). Tavon Austin from West Virginia has been climbing draft boards and is a Harvin clone. Perhaps the Viking will package some picks to move up and take him.

4/18/13: As a bit of a surprise, Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams is taking a major pay cut to stay with the team. Williams restructured his deal. Instead of making $7.5 million next season, he will make $4.9 million and have the chance to be a free agent at the end of next season - unless Williams and the team agree to another new agreement. Williams is a five time first team Pro Bowler, but will be 33 in August. He only had 20 tackles and two sacks last year, but the Vikings are hoping he regains his strength and leadership as they try to climb the NFC North ladder.

4/11/13: Just under a year ago, Vikings QB Christian Ponder said that his goal was the Super Bowl for this team. Most people laughed him off, but the Vikings were resilient. They won enough games to unseed the favored Chicago Bears and earned a trip to the playoffs. That was a short lived trip as Green Bay knocked them out in the first round. But the seed is there. The sum of this team is greater than the parts, and they could once again sneak into the playoffs. They do need a replacement for Percy Harvin, but there are viable candidates available in the draft.

4/4/13: The Vikings are still better than people give them credit for. No one will argue that Christian Ponder is an elite QB. He was probably drafted too high and will continue to make mistakes. But Ponder is one of the smarter players in the game. The Vikings game plan is centered around Adrian Peterson, which allows Ponder the chance to develop (remember, he has only been in the league two years). Let us also not forget that the Vikings made the playoffs last year. And, since Green Bay is allergic to defense, this may the chance Minnesota needs to win the NFC Central this year.

3/28/13: There are two ways to get security as the starting quarterback in the NFL - be better than everyone else by a large margin, or make sure your backup is not a threat (Peyton Manning has a history of doing both). So no one in the Vikings organization was happier probably than Christian Ponder when the team signed former Chiefs QB Matt Cassel to a one year free agent contract to serve as Ponder's backup. Ponder is not elite, and was certainly a reach when he was selected in the first half of the first round, but he is certainly better than Cassel.

3/21/13: At some point, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers are going to have to kiss and make up. But we are not at that point yet. Favre reportedly advised free agent wide receiver Greg Jennings to sign with the Packers hated rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. Jennings should immediately become the team's number one receiver, especially with the trading of Percy Harvin, and the fact that no one outside of the twin cities can name another WR on the roster. Hopefully, the bad blood between the Packers and Favre will subside. In the meantime, this is good news for the Vikings.

Unfortunately your team did not have make the Super Bowl and we are truly sorry. Next year! But that doesn't mean you can't have a great time at the Super Bowl this year. Check out more info on Super Bowl 2013 tickets over on the SeatGeek Blog.

3/14/13: Minnesota finally got rid of their Percy Harvin headache. Harvin, easily the team's best wide receiver, has complained and moped about the Vikings for well over a year and may have asked for a trade some time ago. The Vikings sent him to the Seattle Seahawks for a first and seventh round pick in April, and a midround pick next year. That is a pretty steep price to pay for Harvin. Minnesota is now reportedly interested in signing former Packers number one WR Greg Jennings. When healthy, Jennings is a top end receiver, and does not come with the immaturity or attitude of Percy Harvin.

3/7/13: Tennessee Titans running back (running backwards?) Chris Johnson appeared on national TV this week and claimed that he will have more yards than Adrian Peterson next season. Peterson responded via Twitter, but took a high road rather than get involved in flame war with CJ2K. He basically said why would he care what Johnson says. Peterson is the reigning MVP and almost broke the single season rushing record in 2012, while Johnson again struggled, with the exception of the 95 yard TD run against the Jets. Just remember: MVPeterson, and not CJ500 when fantasy drafts come around.

2/28/13: Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman repeated tells people that he does not have any intent on trading away wide receiver Percy Harvin. That is not the same thing as saying he will not trade away the disgruntled wide out. So now there is a lot of speculation on what will happen and how much the Vikings can get for Harvin. Harvin has not been happy with the team for a long time now and is entering the final year of his rookie contract. That may well discount his value because teams may believe that he is just a rental looking to make a big payday when he is a free agent. So while many teams may want Harvin, probably few will actively pursue him.

2/14/13: The Vikings extended head coach Leslie Frazier's contract through the 2014 season. Had Indianapolis not had such an amazing story this past year - with head coach Chuck Pagano battling leukemia, assistant coach Bruce Arians leading the team to a 9-3 record in Pagano's absence, and rookie QB Andrew Luck acting like a veteran field marshal on the way to the playoffs, then Frazier may well have won Coach of the Year honors. After all, the Vikings were expected to win four or five games, but instead won 10 and made the playoffs. The extension is well deserved for one of the good guys in the NFL.

2/7/13: In a highly contested race, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson won the league's Most Valuable Player award over Peyton Manning. In truth, he deserved it. Both had outstanding seasons and Manning won the Comeback Player of the Year Award. However, Peterson single-handedly carried the Vikings to the playoffs. His 2000+ rushing yards took a projected 5 win team to 10 wins. Manning made a playoff team better, but Peterson was more deserving this year against a tougher schedule. Peterson now has his sights on 2,500 yards next season, and he may be able to do in full health.

1/31/13: Adrian Peterson thinks that he will win the Most Valuable Player award for the 2012 season, and publicly said so. All the votes are in, though the winner has not yet been announced. Denver quarterback Peyton Manning is considered the other favorite. Both had major injuries in the 2011 season (Manning: neck; Peterson: ACL), and both returned to elite level in 2012. The edge may go to Peterson because the Vikings were not expected to do much, but his running literally got the team into the playoffs, while the Broncos went to the playoffs the previous year.

1/24/13: The question in Minnesota these days is if Christian Ponder is really the guy who should be quaterbacking the team. Mr. Steele has had two mediocre seasons as the field general in the land of 10,000 lakes, and has not proven himself worthy or unworthy. The only question that is answered is that Joe Webb is not an NFL quarterback at this time. Ponder had arguably the best game of his career against the Packers in Week 17. But he was injured for the playoff game, leaving Vikings coaches and fans to wonder if he is the long-term answer.

1/17/2013: Minnesota's season was surprisingly strong. Not many expected the team to win six games, much less 10 and to make the playoffs. In fact, most experts had the Vikings finishing last in the NFC North. That logic, viewed from August 2012, was hard to argue against. The Packers and Bears were still very strong, and Detroit won 10 games in 2011. But the Vikings answered the bell admirably. And to the victors go the spoils. Four Vikings players were selected to the Pro-Bowl: Adrian Peterson (obviously), kicker Blair Walsh, linebacker Chad Greenway, and fullback Jerome Felton.

1/10/13: Vikings QB Christian Ponder was maligned and ridiculed all season - that is until he was not available. Ponder was a late scratch, forcing the Vikings to play backup Joe Web who had not thrown a pass since the preseason. Ponder had a major contusion on his right triceps and elbow, and was unable to even lift his arm. Without him to keep the Packers defense honest, Green Bay easily subdued the Vikings offense. But the Vikings should be proud. They did make the playoffs despite being generally picked to only win a handful of games.

1/3/13: Many people laughed when Christian Ponder declared, before the season, that the Vikings would make the playoffs. And though it was not pretty by any stretch, the Vikings won 10 games, including their last four, to earn an invitation to the post season. Minnesota battled a Green Bay team that was trying to earn a bye week, finally winning 37-34 on a last second field goal by Blair Walsh. Adrian Peterson ran for 199 yards, finishing only 8 yards shy of equaling Erik Dickerson's single season record. The two teams meet again in the first round this weekend.

12/27/12: Most of the hype going into the Week 16 game against the Texans was running back Adrian Peterson's pursuit of the single season record for most rushing yards (currently held by Erik Dickerson at 2,105). Peterson only managed 86 yards, but more importantly, the Vikings continued their winning ways and kept their playoff hopes alive. The 23-6 road victory surprised many experts, particularly those who forecasted that the Vikings would win only a handful of games this season. A win next week at home against Green Bay will likely get them into the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

12/20/12: The surprising Vikings continue to make a run at the postseason with a convincing 36-22 win in St. Louis over the Rams on Sunday. Unlike other teams with a star running back, the Vikings have learned to rely on Adrian Peterson rather than ask a lower tiered quarterback to carry the team with his arm. Peterson ran for 212 yards, but that included two 50+ yard carries. At any rate, the Vikings have a legitimate shot at a Wild Card spot, and are battling Dallas, Washington, the Giants, and Seattle for the remaining openings. The 8-6 Vikings travel to the 12-2 Texans next Sunday, but the Texans clinched thier division and may start resting players soon.

12/13/12: Even though the Vikings have turned into essentially a one dimensional team - basically run Adrian Peterson left, right, or up the middle, their opponents just cannot stop them. Peterson is having a career year, and is still less than 12 months removed from tearing his ACL. He has a chance to run for 2000 yards this season and is single-handedly keeping the Vikings playoff hopes alive. With 154 yards and two touchdowns, he led Minnesota to a crucial 21-14 win over the Bears. The Vikings now sit at 7-6, and face the surprising St. Louis Rams (6-6-1) in a loser go home matchup this Sunday.

12/6/12: Minnesota let a 14-10 halftime lead evaporate against the Green Bay Packers, finally falling 23-14. Green Bay raced to a 10-0 lead after one quarter before the Vikings rallied in the second. But the Packers proved to be too much in the second half, adding 10 points in the third and another field goal in final frame. The loss was a severe blow to the Vikings playoff chances, and left Green Bay and Chicago tied for the division lead. Minnesota is now 6-6, far better than most expected at the beginning of the season. The Vikings host Chicago this Sunday in a game that could end their playoff hopes.

11/29/12: The Vikings' playoff hopes took a serious hit when a Jay Cutler led bears team dominated the Vikes at Soldier Field, winning 28-10. Had the Vikings won, they would have forced a three way tie at 7-4. Instead, the Bears lead at 8-3, Green Bay at 7-4, and Minnesota at 6-5. Christian Ponder, Adrian Peterson, and company have one last great shot to boost their postseason status when they travel to Green Bay to play a Packers team that should get wide receiver Greg Jennings back. A win would tie the Packers and keep a wild card spot possible.

11/22/12: The Vikings are not supposed to be here right now. Experts picked them to finish last in the NFC North, and maybe put together four or five wins. But this team is resilient. Adrian Peterson may be the Comeback Player of the Year (except Peyton Manning is in the mix). The team is 6-4, and has an outside shot at a playoff birth this year. Their next two games may decide the season, at Chicago and at Green Bay. Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler may still be sidelined with a concussion, and a division win would go a long way toward pushing Minnesota into playoff contention.

11/15/12: Who knew that the Vikings could win a shootout? Playing in the comfortable confines of the Metrodome, quarterback Christian Ponder threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-24 victory over the Lions. But this was really Adrian Peterson's game. The running back had 171 yards rushing and a touchdown, which may have put an end to the Lions' playoff hopes. The Vikings are now a surprising 6-4, and are in the hunt for the division crown or a wild-card spot. The Norsemen get their bye in Week 11, giving them a chance to rest and plan for a game in Chicago in Week 12.

11/8/12: After an unexpectedly strong start, which included a win over NFC powerhouse San Francisco, the Vikings have dropped three of their last four games. The most recent setback was a 30-20 loss at Seattle, to drop to 5-4. The Vikings trail Chicago by two games and Green Bay by one. While Adrian Peterson has been outstanding in his return after a major knee injury, there is a lot of speculation on whether or not Christian Ponder will keep his starting quarterback position. The Vikings host Detroit this week, and the loser is likely out of the Wild Card race.

11/1/12: Sometimes teams have bad days. The Vikings' defense had one of those on Thursday against Tampa, allowing Doug Martin to rush for 135 yards and a touchdown as well as 79 yards receiving and another touchdown. Bucs' quarterback Josh Freeman threw for 3 TDs, as the Vikings fell at home 36-17. Considering that Minnesota was picked to finish dead last in the NFC North, being 5-3 at the halfway mark is quite impressive - even overachieving. But that is little consolation the Vikings faithful, who are enjoying the sweet taste of victory so far this year. Next game is in Seattle against the Seahawks.

10/18/12: The Vikings fell back to earth this past Sunday, allowing Robert Griffin III and the Redskins to rack up 38 points in a 38-26 road loss. Griffin ran for two touchdowns and seemingly had his way with the Vikings defense after the first quarter. Minnesota led 9-0 after fifteen minutes, but could only manage a field goal in the second and third quarters. The Vikings are still at the top of the NFC North at 4-2. Chicago is 4-1, but Minnesota's bye week is not until Week 11. The Norsemen return home to face Arizona, who has lost their last two games, and will start John Skelton at quarterback.

10/4/12: The only blemish on the Vikings season thus far is a week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, leaving Minnesota at 3-1 through September. The Vikings may be the most surprising team in the NFL thus far, and they are doing it with Christian Ponder's arm (and brain), Adrian Peterson's legs, and a tough, tough run defense. The Vikings are currently tied with Chicago Bears atop the NFC North, but the schedule gets harder in the second half. The Vikings have a chance to get some wins agains the Titans and Redskins in the next two weeks, but then comes the equally surprising Cardinals in week 7.

9/23/12 ? The Minnesota Vikings and their second-year quarterback Christian Ponder are taking big steps this season. Their 24-13 victory over the undefeated San Francisco 49ers was clear proof of this. Against what might be the best defense in the NFL, Ponder threw two touchdown passes to his tight end Kyle Rudolph and also rushed for another to lead the Vikings. Ponder completed 60.0% of his passes and threw for 198 yards. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson ran for 86 yards and wide receiver Percy Harvin caught 9 balls for 89 yards to back their emerging young QB. The 49ers rallied from a 17-3 deficit and cut the lead to 17-13 to end the third quarter. But Ponder was able to find his Rudolph in the back of the endzone for a two-yard touchdown pass that extended that Vikings lead 24-13. The win gives the Vikings a 2-1 record on the year.

8/16/12: Perhaps the legions of fantasy football players simply has too much time on their hands, but all of their concern over Andre Johnson now has the start wide receiver labeled as 'fragile'. Its true that Johnson has never caught double digit touchdowns and has missed significant playing time the past couple of years due to injury. However, Johnson is one of the five best WR in the league, and will be relyed upon very heavily this season considering the lack of experience among the receiving corps. Johnson will play in the second preseason game against San Francisco - and it looks like he has something to prove to all the naysayers.

8/2/12: A big part of coaching is managing, and head coach Leslie Frazier had a lot of managing to do. On top of rebuilding a 3-13 team, he has to deal with an unhappy Percy Harvin requesting out of the Twin Cities and his star running back still recovering from a torn ACL. So he should consider the first week of training camp a success. Harvin is in camp and not complaining. Adrian Peterson is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, but is ahead of schedule, and #1 pick Matt Kalil signed and reported on time. The less distractions the better, as the Vikings need all available hands on deck to recover from last season.

7/26/12: Fairly or unfairly, the time has come for QB Christian Ponder to establish himself as a true starter in the league. Ponder was a mid-first round pick in 2011, which was probably a bit of a reach. He stuggled last season as a rookie, though did not have the benefit of an offseason. This year he does have the benefit of left tackle Matt Kalil to protect his blindside, but still must prove that he can play at this level. In other news, the Patriots signed former Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe to a one-year deal. Shiancoe will be behind both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

The Minnesota Vikings bolstered their defensive line on Thursday by signing defensive lineman Jeff Charleston to a one-year deal. The Vikings had one of the top defensive lines in the league last season, and it was one of the few strong points in a mostly disappointing season. Minnesota will try to turn things around this year and they hope that it will start with their strong defense. In other news, former Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb has told sources that there's an "80 to 90 percent chance" that he'll play in the NFL this season, although it will not be with the Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings breathed a major sigh of relief on Thursday as wide receiver Percy Harvin returned to practice. Earlier in the week, a disgruntled Harvin had remarked to members of the media that he was seeking a trade and that he wasn't happy in the organization, but whatever issues prompted him to make those comments had apparently been resolved by Thursday, as he was back at minicamp practice once again. The Vikings could ill-afford to lose Harvin, as he has been one of the key pieces of their offense over the past few seasons.

5/23/12: Minnesota is making major roster moves in an effort to get younger and better. The biggest cut (soon to come) may be tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who at 32, does not fit into Leslie Frazier's plans. Shiancoe became a fantasy football favorite a few years ago when he teamed up with Brett Favre and became a reception and touchdown machine. The Vikings may even be forced to go with two rookie safeties (1 rounder Harrison Smith and 5th rounder Robert Blanton) because of a tremendous depletion of depth at the position. Vikings fans must be brave here, sometimes you must get worse before you get better.

5/15/12: The Vikings finally won a new stadium - taking them off of the potential teams to move to LA list. The new stadium will be built on the site of the current Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis, and is currently scheduled to take three years to complete. The state legistlature bowed to threats from the team and the NFL that the Vikings could move without a new stadium, though the lawmakers added $50 million to the Vikings contribution (for a total of $477 million of the estimated $1 billion coming from the club). The Vikings will play the next season in the Metrodome, but no word thereafter.

5/3/12: The Minnesota Vikings were rumored to target USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil with the third overall pick. The Vikings traded down one spot with the Cleveland Browns and for their sacrifice they received the Brown's fourth overall pick, as well as their 4th, 5th, and 7th round selections, and still were able to draft Kalil. Somewhere Jimmy Johnson must be smiling. The Browns targeted Alabama running back Trent Richardson and may have panicked when reports of Tampa trading up surfaced. Kalil was easily rated the top offensive tackle in the draft and will have an immidiate impact on a porous offensive line.

4/25/12: Dispite a questionable quarterback position, an aging defense, and ongoing stadium issues, the Minnesota Vikings can be thankful that they are not the New Orleans Saints right now. The Vikings committed to play another year in the Metrodome even though the lease expired. Draft-wise, Minnesota traded the 3rd overall pick to Cleveland for the 4th pick, and the Browns' picks in the 4th, 5th, and 7th rounds. The Vikings still got their man at #4, USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil to protect quarterback Christian Ponder. Minnesota also traded back into the 1st round with Baltimore, selecting safety Harrison Smith from Notre Dame.

4/17/12: Just a year removed from the NFC Championship Game found the Vikings in last place in the NFC North, struggling with rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. The NFL schedule makers were kinder this year than last, with games against the AFC South, NFC West, Tampa and Washington. Minnesota has one primetime game - Thursday in Week 8 at home against the Bucs. In other news, the Vikings new stadium proposal was rejected by a State House panel, meaning that the government and team continue to be at odds about who will pay what, and may go to a voter referendum.

The Minnesota Vikings have been the best franchise never to have won a Super Bowl. Although this is not an enviable title, it is well deserved. They have made the Playoffs over 60% of their seasons, making four Super Bowls in the 1970s and five NFC Conference Championship Games since. The Minnesota Vikings are also notable for their incredibly loud and exciting home crowd during their home games in the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Get Vikings tickets and experience one of the most electric atmospheres in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings Tickets - The Players

Brett Favre finally retired. Its time for the Donovan McNabb to step in and get under center. He would act as a Mentory for the other young QBs the Vikings have which include Bomar Rhett, Joe Webb and rookie Christian Ponder. Adrian Peterson is expected to take most of the snaps and should be just as explosive as ever. Toby Gerhart has proven he can run just as hard in the NFL as he did in college and will be an important utility back for the Vikings. Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin return and are in full health. Visanthe Shiancoe looks to have another big year. Jared Allen and the defense expect to bounce back and redeem last season. Its time for the Vikings to make some noise and maybe Donovan could get a ring out of his tenure in Minnesota.

Related Teams and Bands

• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Miami Dolphins
• Green Bay Packers
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Denver Broncos