The Cowboys–Vikings rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. 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). CBS Sports named the rivalry among the best in the 1970s.
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.
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. 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. In 1989, the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys were part of the Herschel Walker trade, the largest player trade in NFL history. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Season-by-season results
| rowspan=2| | style="| Cowboys 21–7 | Cotton Bowl | Cowboys 1–0 | rowspan=2| Vikings join the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team.Cowboys' win in Minnesota was the franchise's first road win. |- | style="| Cowboys 28–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | Cowboys 2–0
| style="| Cowboys 28–17 | Cotton Bowl | Cowboys 3–0
| style="| Cowboys 20–7 | Cotton Bowl | Cowboys 4–0 | Final meeting at Cotton Bowl.
| style="| Vikings 54–13 | Metropolitan Stadium | Cowboys 4–1 | First start in the series for Roger Staubach.Vikings record their largest victory against the Cowboys with a 41–point differential and score their most points in a game against the Cowboys. |- ! 1971 playoffs ! style="| Cowboys 20–12 ! Metropolitan Stadium ! Cowboys 5–1 ! NFC Divisional Round.Game was played on Christmas Day.Cowboys win Super Bowl VI. |- ! 1973 playoffs ! style="| Vikings 27–10 ! Texas Stadium ! Cowboys 5–2 ! NFC Championship Game.First meeting at Texas Stadium.Vikings lose Super Bowl VIII.
| style="| Vikings 23–21 | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 5–3 | Vikings lose Super Bowl IX. |- ! 1975 playoffs ! style="| Cowboys 17–14 ! Metropolitan Stadium ! Cowboys 6–3 ! NFC Divisional Round. Known as the (Hail Mary Game) due to Roger Staubach's post-game comments.Cowboys lose Super Bowl X.
| style="| Cowboys 16–10(OT) | Metropolitan Stadium | Cowboys 7–3
! 1977 playoffs ! style="| Cowboys 23–6 ! Texas Stadium ! Cowboys 8–3 ! NFC Championship Game.Cowboys win Super Bowl XII.
| style="| Vikings 21–10 | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 8–4 | Vikings' win was the Cowboys' only home loss in the 1978 season.Cowboys lose Super Bowl XIII.
| style="| Cowboys 36–20 | Metropolitan Stadium | Cowboys 9–4 | Final meeting at Metropolitan Stadium.Final start in the series for Roger Staubach.
| style="| Vikings 31–27 | Metrodome | Cowboys 9–5 | First meeting at Metrodome.
| style="| Cowboys 37–24 | Metrodome | Cowboys 10–5
| style="| Vikings 44–38 (OT) | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 10–6 | Game was played on Thanksgiving.
| style="| Vikings 43–3 | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 10–7
| style="| Cowboys 37–20 | Metrodome | Cowboys 11–7 | First start in series for Troy Aikman.Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII.
| style="| Cowboys 23–17(OT) | Metrodome | Cowboys 12–7 | Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX. |- ! 1996 playoffs ! style="| Cowboys 40–15 ! Texas Stadium ! Cowboys 13–7 ! NFC Wild Card Round.Cowboys score their most points in a game against the Vikings.
| style="| Vikings 46–36 | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 13–8 | Game was played on Thanksgiving. Vikings WR Randy Moss famously finishes with 163 yards and 3 touchdowns on 3 receptions.
| style="| Vikings 27–17 | Metrodome | Cowboys 13–9
! 1999 playoffs ! style="| Vikings 27–10 ! Metrodome ! Cowboys 13–10 ! NFC Wild Card Round.
| style="| Vikings 27–15 | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 13–11 | Game was played on Thanksgiving.After their road win against the Cowboys, the Vikings went on a 17-game road losing streak.Last start in the series for Troy Aikman.
| style="| Vikings 35–17 | Metrodome | Cowboys 13–12
| style="| Cowboys 24–14 | Texas Stadium | Cowboys 14–12 | Final meeting at Texas Stadium. |- ! 2009 playoffs ! style="| Vikings 34–3 ! Metrodome ! Cowboys 14–13 ! NFC Divisional Round.Final playoff win in Brett Favre's career, as well as his only win against the Cowboys in the playoffs.
| style="| Vikings 24–21 | Metrodome | Tie 14–14 | Final meeting at Metrodome.
| style="| Cowboys 27–23 | AT&T Stadium | Cowboys 15–14 | First meeting at AT&T Stadium.
| style="| Cowboys 17–15 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Cowboys 16–14 | First meeting at U.S. Bank Stadium.
| style="| Vikings 28–24 | AT&T Stadium | Cowboys 16–15
| style="| Cowboys 31–28 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Cowboys 17–15
| style="| Cowboys 20–16 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Cowboys 18–15
| style="| Cowboys 40–3 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Cowboys 19–15 | Cowboys record their largest victory against the Vikings with a 37–point differential and tied their most points scored in a game against the Vikings (1996).
| style="| Vikings 34–26 | AT&T Stadium | Cowboys 19–16 | Road team has won six straight meetings.
| Regular season | style="| | Vikings 8–5 | Cowboys 10–5
| Postseason | style="| | | Tie 2–2 | NFC Wild Card: 1996, 1999NFC Divisional: 1971, 1975, 2009NFC Championship: 1973, 1977 |- | Regular and postseason | style="|
See also List of NFL rivalries Hail Mary Pass Herschel Walker trade
References