2017 Minnesota Vikings

The 2017 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 57th in the National Football League, and their fourth under head coach Mike Zimmer. With the team's home stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, scheduled to host Super Bowl LII at the end of the season, the Vikings attempted to make history as the first team to play the Super Bowl on their home field; in recording their best regular season record since 1998, they clinched a first-round bye for the first time since 2009 and became the eighth team in the Super Bowl era to qualify for the playoffs in a season in which their stadium hosted the Super Bowl. They defeated the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round 29–24 on a walkoff play referred to as the "Minneapolis Miracle", but lost 38–7 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.

Draft
Draft trades

Transactions

 * undefined Denotes this is a reserve/future contract.

Schedule
The Vikings' preliminary preseason schedule was announced on April 10.

Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 8: at Cleveland Browns
NFL London Games

Week 12: at Detroit Lions
NFL on Thanksgiving Day

Postseason
The Divisional playoff game against the New Orleans Saints was known as the Minneapolis Miracle. The Vikings would shut out the Siants 17-0 at halftime, but New Orleans would score 24 unanswered points and outscore Minnesota 24-12 in the second half, but a pass to Stefon Diggs from Case Keenum that went 61 yards down caused the Saints to fall short and the Vikings won 29-24.

The Vikings were the first Super Bowl host team to play in the Conference Championship game. Despite the Vikings scoring a touchdown on their opening drive to lead 7-0, they lost 38-7 in a large upset to the No. 1 seeded and eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, led by Case Keenum's close friend and former Rams teammate Nick Foles. Case Keenum's pick six to Patrick Robinson change the game; the rest of the game proved total domination from the Eagles, things tied up at 7 before the Eagles scored the next 31 points in the next three quarters. The Vikings have now lost their last six NFC Championship games and their NFC title drought increased to 42 years, a league's longest.

NFC Championship: at (#1) Philadelphia Eagles
Despite going to Lincoln Financial Field as three-point favorites, primarily due to a general lack of confidence in Eagles second-string quarterback Nick Foles, the Vikings lost in a massive upset to the number 1 seeded Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 38–7. Although the Vikings took an early lead on their opening drive via a pass from Case Keenum to Kyle Rudolph, the Eagles leveled the scores on a 50-yard Patrick Robinson interception return before scoring a further 31 unanswered points over the final three quarters. This loss extended the Vikings NFC title drought to 42 seasons, the longest in the NFL.

Pro Bowl
Four Vikings players were elected to the Pro Bowl when the rosters were announced on December 19, 2017, with three-time selection Everson Griffen, two-time selection Xavier Rhodes and first-timer Adam Thielen all named as starters, while Griffen's fellow third-timer Anthony Barr was named on the bench at outside linebacker behind the Cardinals' Chandler Jones and the Redskins' Ryan Kerrigan. Safety Harrison Smith was rated as the best safety in the league by Pro Football Focus over the course of the season, but was not included in the roster for the Pro Bowl, leading to some considering him to be one of the biggest snubs of the season.

Smith was eventually named to the NFC's Pro Bowl roster on January 22, after New York Giants safety Landon Collins withdrew due to injury. Kyle Rudolph was also included after Jimmy Graham pulled out with an injury, while Linval Joseph took the place of the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles' Fletcher Cox. Smith will be appearing in his third straight Pro Bowl, while Rudolph and Joseph are appearing in their second career Pro Bowls. Barr and Griffen also pulled out of the Pro Bowl due to injury, replaced by Thomas Davis and Michael Bennett respectively.

Team leaders
Source: Minnesota Vikings' official website

League rankings
Source: NFL.com.