A brief look at Rams/Vikings history

As we do each week, we’re taking a look back at the history between the Minnesota Vikings and their opponents for the week. This week, the purple will be welcoming the Los Angeles Rams to U.S. Bank Stadium, and it’s been a while since these two teams met. In fact, the last time these two teams met, the Rams were still playing their home games in St. Louis!

(Okay, so that was only two years ago. Work with me, folks.)

Recent history between these two teams, at least in the regular season, favors the Vikings. Though we’re focusing on the regular season here, the Rams have been one of the Vikings two most frequent post-season opponents. The Vikings had Rams have met seven times in the post-season, with the Vikings holding a 5-2 advantage. Strangely, even though the Vikings have that record of success against the Rams in the post-season, in those seven games both teams have scored 150 points. I thought that was a little strange.

In any case, here is a look back at the regular season history between the Vikings and the Rams. As always, these numbers are brought to us by the good folks at Pro Football Reference.

Games between the Rams and Vikings: 37

All-time record: Vikings, 21-14-2

Total Vikings’ points scored, head-to-head: 844 (22.8 points/game)

Total Rams’ points scored, head-to-head: 813 (21.9 points/game)

Longest Vikings’ winning streak against Rams: 5 (20 September 1987 - 13 September 1998)

Longest Rams’ winning streak against Vikings: 3, two times (most recently from 15 October 1978 - 6 October 1985)

Most recent Vikings’ home win in series: 8 November 2015 (final score 21-18, overtime)

Most recent Rams’ road win in series: 31 December 2006 (final score 41-21)

Biggest Vikings’ home win in series: 28 points, 16 October 1966 (final score 35-7)

Biggest Rams’ road win in series: 28 points, 1 December 1968 (final score 31-3)

Current streak: Vikings, 4 wins

The purple are currently riding a four-game winning streak against the Rams, and three of those four games were on the road for the Vikings. Most Vikings fans almost certainly remember the last contest between these two teams at U.S. Bank Stadium a couple of years ago. After starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was knocked out of the game by an absolutely gutless hit by cornerback LaMarcus Joyner (a staple of any Gregg Williams defense), the Vikings “rallied” behind Shaun Hill. Well, as much as you can call a quarterback who completed 2-of-6 passes for 15 yards “rallying” a team. The game went to overtime, and the Vikings’ offense managed to do enough to get Blair Walsh into position for a 40-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 21-18 win.

To find the last time the Rams won in Minnesota, we have to go all the way back to the season finale of the 2006 regular season. The Vikings, going into the game with a 6-9 record, had basically checked out for the season and were rolling with rookie quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who was. . .not great. The Rams got the game started with a 38-yard pick-six to start the scoring, and after that we were treated to the Steven Jackson show, as the Rams running back found the end zone four times (three times on the ground and once through the air). Jackson’s fourth score put the Rams ahead 41-7, before the Vikings tacked on a couple of meaningless fourth quarter touchdowns to make the final score 41-21.

Of course, whenever we talk about the Vikings and the Rams, we have to talk about the contest from 5 November 1989 at the Metrodome. In that game, the Vikings scored 21 points in regulation. . .all from the foot of Rich Karlis, who set a Vikings’ single-game record for field goals with seven. The Rams got 21 the more conventional way, scoring three touchdowns, and the game went into overtime. In the extra session, Mike Merriweather blocked a Rams punt that went out of the end zone to give the Vikings a 23-21 win. Why do we mention that game? Because it gave us this:

To this day, it still isn’t Schnelker’s fault.

That’s a look back at the history between the Vikings and the Rams, ladies and gentlemen. We’ll have a few more stories for your reading pleasure between now and kickoff about 24 hours from now.