Football is a weird business. You’ve got teams that play each other every single year, and then you’ve got the inter-conference quirks like the new york jets vs minnesota vikings matches. Because they reside in different conferences—the AFC and the NFC—they only cross paths once every four years under the standard rotation. It’s a rare vintage.
Most fans assume the Vikings, with their "Purple People Eater" history and consistent playoff runs, have dominated this series. They haven't. Honestly, until very recently, the Jets basically owned the Vikings. Even after the 2024 showdown in London, the all-time series record still sits at 8-5 in favor of the Jets.
The London Fog and the Rodgers Meltdown
The most recent chapter in this saga happened on October 6, 2024, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was supposed to be a homecoming of sorts for Aaron Rodgers, playing on an international stage. Instead, it turned into a nightmare.
Rodgers threw three interceptions. Three. One was a brutal pick-six by Andrew Van Ginkel that put the Jets in a 10-0 hole almost immediately. The Vikings eventually climbed to a 17-0 lead, and while the Jets tried to claw back—cutting it to 23-17 late in the fourth—Stephon Gilmore ended the dream by picking off Rodgers at the 9-yard line with 44 seconds left.
What's wild is that Sam Darnold, the former Jets "savior" who was discarded for a bag of chips, was the one leading the Vikings to victory. He didn't even play that well! Darnold finished with a QBR of 19.5 and no touchdowns. But the Vikings' defense was just too much.
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That game was the final straw for Jets ownership. Just two days later, Robert Saleh was fired. You don’t often see a head coach lose his job because of a game played in London, but the new york jets vs minnesota vikings matches have a way of creating chaos.
A History of Rare Meetings
If you look back at the timeline, the Jets' dominance from 1970 to 2010 is almost hard to believe. They won eight out of nine meetings during that span.
- 1982: The Jets absolutely dismantled Minnesota 42-14.
- 1997: A nail-biter where the Jets squeaked by 23-21.
- 2010: The Monday Night Football clash. This was the peak of the Rex Ryan era. Mark Sanchez was the "Sanchize," and the Jets beat a Brett Favre-led Vikings team 29-20.
But then the tide turned. Since that 2010 win, the Jets haven't beaten the Vikings once. Minnesota has won four straight (2014, 2018, 2022, and 2024).
The 2014 game was particularly heartbreaking for New York fans. It went to overtime, and Teddy Bridgewater threw a screen pass to Jarius Wright, who took it 87 yards for the walk-off touchdown. It remains one of the longest overtime scoring plays in NFL history.
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Why This Matchup is a Quarterback Graveyard
There is a strange curse surrounding the quarterbacks in these games. Think about the names involved over the years. You’ve got Brett Favre playing for the Vikings against his former team, the Jets. You’ve got Sam Darnold playing for the Vikings against his former team, the Jets.
Then you have Aaron Rodgers, who spent his entire career in the NFC North terrorizing the Vikings, only to lose to them while wearing a Jets uniform.
The new york jets vs minnesota vikings matches aren't just about the score. They’re about the narrative of "what could have been." In 2018, Kirk Cousins was a free agent. The Jets reportedly offered him the most money, but he chose Minnesota. He then went out and beat the Jets 37-17 later that season.
Breaking Down the Stats
| Stat Category | New York Jets | Minnesota Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| All-Time Wins | 8 | 5 |
| Longest Win Streak | 7 (1979-2010) | 4 (2014-Present) |
| Most Points Scored | 42 (1982) | 37 (2018) |
| Average Points Per Game | 22.8 | 21.3 |
It's a game of inches, but also a game of turnovers. Historically, the Jets have a significant turnover margin advantage in this series, though that fell apart in the 2024 London game. When the Jets protect the ball, they win. When Aaron Rodgers acts like a rookie, they don't. Sorta simple when you put it that way.
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What to Watch for in the Future
The NFL’s schedule formula means these two won't meet again in the regular season until 2028, unless they both finish in the same spot in their respective divisions or meet in a Super Bowl (which, let's be real, feels like a stretch for the current Jets).
However, the ripple effects of their 2024 meeting are still being felt. The Jets entered a total rebuild of their coaching staff, eventually hiring Aaron Glenn in 2025 to try and fix the culture. Meanwhile, Kevin O'Connell has cemented himself as one of the best play-callers in the league, proving that the Vikings don't need a superstar QB to win if the system is right.
If you’re looking to understand the new york jets vs minnesota vikings matches, don't just look at the highlight reels. Look at the trades, the free-agent snubs, and the revenge tours. That's where the real story lives.
To stay ahead of the next matchup, keep an eye on the defensive EPA (Expected Points Added) for both teams. The Vikings’ "Brian Flores era" defense has fundamentally changed how they approach the Jets' pass-heavy schemes. For the Jets, the path to victory has always been through a strong run game, something they struggled with in their recent losses to Minnesota. Checking the injury reports for offensive line depth about 48 hours before kickoff is usually the best way to predict who will control the clock.