Minnesota Vikings

Seven playoff meetings, one fierce rivalry.

The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings share one of the most played playoff series in NFL history, having met seven times in the postseason. CBS Sports named this rivalry among the best in the 1970s, a decade where the teams frequently collided for conference supremacy. The Cowboys currently lead the overall series 19–16, while holding a 4–3 advantage in their playoff meetings. For the Vikings, this is their most common playoff opponent; for the Cowboys, it ranks as their fourth-most frequent after the 49ers, Rams, and Packers. These contests have produced legendary moments, from miraculous passes to record-breaking runs, defining an era of intense competition between two historic franchises.

Quick Facts

Overall series record: Cowboys lead 19–16
Playoff meetings: 7
Playoff record: Cowboys lead 4–3

Lore & Background

The narrative of this rivalry is anchored in seven specific playoff clashes that shaped both franchises. In 1975, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to the Twin Cities for a Divisional Playoff where they trailed 14–10 late in the game. Quarterback Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson in what became known as the Hail Mary game. Decades later, the rivalry saw another dramatic playoff shift in 1996 when the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys defeated the Vikings 40–15 in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The intensity continued into the late 1990s and 2000s; in the 1999 playoffs, the Vikings won 27–10 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. In 2009, Minnesota defeated Dallas 34–3 in another NFC Divisional playoff game at the Metrodome. That contest sparked controversy when Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking argued with Vikings coaches late in the game for running up the score, a sentiment shared by Dallas head coach Wade Phillips.

Reader's Guide

Fans looking to understand the stakes of this rivalry should note the sheer frequency of their postseason meetings. The series includes Divisional Playoff games in 1975 and 2009, as well as Wild Card games in 1996 and 1999. Regular-season encounters have also produced legendary performances, such as the 1998 Thanksgiving game where rookie Randy Moss scored three touchdowns against Dallas for a 46–36 Vikings victory. The Cowboys had passed on Moss due to legal issues in college. The 2022 matchup was so lopsided that CBS Sports switched its national broadcast to the Bengals–Steelers game with five minutes left in the third quarter. Whether it is a record-breaking run, a trade that altered franchise trajectories for decades, or a playoff upset, every meeting between these two teams carries significant historical weight.

Did You Know?

In January 1983, Tony Dorsett scored a 99-yard touchdown while his team played with only 10 active players on the field.
During the 2022 game, CBS switched its national broadcast away from the matchup with five minutes remaining in the third quarter due to the 40–3 score.
The 1989 Herschel Walker trade involved eight picks going to Dallas and only three picks plus a player going to Minnesota.