Usually when I go back and do these looks at the history between the Minnesota Vikings and their opponents for a given week, there are a few positive things to highlight about our favorite football team. That isn't the case this week, as few teams in the history of the NFL have had the hold over the Minnesota Vikings that the New York Jets currently have.
How thorough has that hold been? Well, witness the numbers below, courtesy of the folks from Pro Football Reference.
Number of Games Between the Vikings and the Jets: 9 (all regular season)
All-Time Record: Jets, 8-1
Total Vikings Points Scored, Head-to-Head: 142 (15.8 points/game)
Total Jets Points Scored, Head-to-Head: 226 (25.1 points/game)
Longest Vikings Winning Streak vs Jets: 1 (12 October 1975)
Longest Jets Winning Streak vs Vikings: 7 (15 October 1979 - 11 October 2010)
Most Recent Vikings Victory in Minnesota: 12 October 1975 (Final score 29-21)
Most Recent Jets Victory in Minnesota: 17 December 2006 (Final score 26-13)
Biggest Vikings Victory in Minnesota: 8 points, 12 October 1975 (Final score 29-21)
Biggest Jets Victory in Minnesota: 28 points, 26 December 1982 (Final score 42-14)
No, what you're seeing above does not involve any misprints or misinformation. In the long and illustrious history if the franchise, the Minnesota Vikings have defeated the New York Jets exactly. . .once. That's the fewest number of victories the Vikings have against any franchise. . .they have two against the Baltimore Ravens (in five attempts) and three against the Houston Texans (in three games).
That one victory came at Metropolitan Stadium back in 1975, as the Vikings overcame two touchdowns by John Riggins. . .yes, that John Riggins. . .thanks to three scores by Chuck Foreman (two through the air and one on the ground) and a blocked punt for a safety to defeat the Jets by a score of 29-21. The teams split the first two games they played against each other, but it has been all J-E-T-S ever since.
The last time these two teams met in was in Jersey back in 2010, and the game featured the 500th career touchdown pass for Brett Favre (to Randy Moss. . .sigh).
Hopefully the Vikings can reverse their luck. . .recent and otherwise. . .against the Jets and dead coach walking Rex Ryan this weekend at TCF Bank Stadium.