Minnesota Vikings: Ranking every Thanksgiving game in team history

The Minnesota Vikings first took the field as an expansion team in 1961. The franchise has not been a staple on Turkey Day. However, when the club has played on the holiday it has been very successful. The Purple Gang has played on Thanksgiving nine times and emerged with seven victories.

Here’s a look back at the team’s nine appearances on Turkey Day, the most recent a season ago. The top choice on this list should hardly be a surprise and should bring back great memories for “Skol Nation.”

9. Lions 16, Vikings 13 (2016)

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a severe knee injury just before the start of the season, and the team wound up dealing for Sam Bradford. It was a season in which the Purple Gang won its first five games. It was also a year that saw the Vikings drop eight of their final 11 contests.

It was a hard fall for a team that won the NFC North the previous season with an 11-5 record. After sweeping the Detroit Lions in 2015, the Men from Motown returned the favor this season. Thanksgiving Day in Detroit was the second meeting of the year between the clubs. Minnesota owned a 13-10 late in the fourth quarter. The Lions would not the game with 1:49 to play via a 48-yard field goal by Matt Prater, and overtime appeared inevitable. Not so fast…

Vikings’ quarterback Sam Bradford got the ball on his own 25-yard-line and had the ball in the closing minutes. On the third play of the drive, he was picked off by Darius Slay, who returned the ball to the Minnesota 20. Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford took a knee, Prater nailed a 40-yard kick at the gun and the loss somehow epitomized the team’s dismal season.