Minnesota Vikings: Ranking every Thanksgiving game in team history

2. Vikings 27, Lions 0 (1969)

It was the team’s first appearance on Thanksgiving Day and it would be a season in which the club would make the first of its four Super Bowl appearances.

Led by Hall of Fame head coach Bud Grant, this team rolled the Detroit Lions in the snow at Tiger Stadium. The team was in the midst of a 12-game winning streak and a talented Minnesota defense made life miserable for Lions’ quarterback Greg Landry.

Neither team could mount much of an offense as Minnesota (173) and Detroit (156) combined for only 329 total yards. The latter had one more turnover than Grant’s club. Landry was sacked seven times and one of his two interceptions wound up in the hands of Vikings’ defensive tackle Alan Page.

1. Vikings 46, Cowboys 36 (1998)

Back to the 1998 NFL Draft. It was thought that the Dallas Cowboys would use a first-round pick on Marshall University wide receiver Randy Moss. But it just didn’t work out that way and the talented but somewhat troubled performer slipped steadily in the first round.

Dennis Green and the Minnesota Vikings finally ended the wait and took Moss with the 21st overall selection. It proved to be quite a decision for a franchise that would see the talented wideout go on to capture NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He was a big part of a team that finished 15-1, and at that time established an NFL record for points scored (556) in a season.

Moss put on quite a show at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving. In the first quarter, he hauled in TD passes of 51 and 56 yards, respectively, from Randall Cunningham. Late in the third quarter, he caught a 56-yard pass for a score. Three receptions for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Enough said.