So, you’re looking for the Vikings game today score? Honestly, I have some news that might be a little bit of a letdown if you were hoping to see them on the field this afternoon.
The Minnesota Vikings are not playing today, Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Their season actually wrapped up about ten days ago. While the NFL playoffs are currently heating up with the Divisional Round matchups set for this coming weekend, the Vikings are watching from the comfort of their own couches. They finished the 2025 regular season with a 9-8 record, which sounds decent on paper, but in the context of the NFC North this year, it just wasn't enough to punch a ticket to the postseason.
Vikings Game Today Score: What You Missed
If you feel like you missed something, it's probably because of how they finished. The team actually went on a tear at the very end. They capped off the year with a 16-3 win over the Green Bay Packers on January 4, 2026. It was a dominant defensive showing at U.S. Bank Stadium, and it extended their winning streak to five games.
Winning five in a row to end the year is usually a recipe for a deep playoff run. Not this time.
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The hole they dug earlier in the season was just too deep to climb out of. They started the year losing eight of their first twelve games. Think about that for a second. By the time December rolled around, most fans were already looking at mock drafts and wondering if the J.J. McCarthy era was hitting a permanent snag.
Why the 9-8 Record Didn't Cut It
The NFC North was a meatgrinder in 2025. You had the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions both putting up massive numbers, leaving the Vikings sitting in third place. Even though they beat the Lions 23-10 on Christmas Day and then handled the Packers in the finale, the tiebreakers and the early-season slump killed their chances.
Basically, the Vikings became the "team nobody wanted to play" about two weeks too late.
The Quarterback Drama That Defined the Year
You can't talk about the Vikings without mentioning the quarterback situation. It was sort of a mess.
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After letting Sam Darnold walk in the offseason—a move that looks pretty questionable now considering he led the Seattle Seahawks to the #1 seed this year—the Vikings leaned into the youth movement. But J.J. McCarthy struggled with health and consistency, and the rotating door of signal-callers made it impossible to find a rhythm until the very end of the schedule.
Expert analysts like those over at Viking Territory have been pointing out that the team's -9 turnover ratio was the silent killer. You can't give the ball away that often and expect to survive in a division with Caleb Williams and a revitalized Lions offense.
Looking Toward 2026
Since there is no game today, the focus in Eagan has shifted entirely to the draft and free agency. Kevin O'Connell is still at the helm, and that five-game winning streak likely saved some jobs, but the "what-ifs" are hanging heavy over the North Star State.
If you're looking for football to watch this weekend since the Vikings are out, here’s the upcoming Divisional Round slate:
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- Saturday, Jan 17: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (4:30 PM ET)
- Saturday, Jan 17: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (8:00 PM ET)
- Sunday, Jan 18: Houston Texans at New England Patriots (3:00 PM ET)
- Sunday, Jan 18: LA Rams at Chicago Bears (6:30 PM ET)
It’s a bit of a sting for Vikings fans to see three other NFC teams still alive while they sit at home with a winning record.
Actionable Next Steps for Vikings Fans
Since there's no live score to track today, the best thing you can do is start tracking the "offseason score."
- Monitor the Salary Cap: Keep an eye on the impending free agency of key defensive veterans. The Vikings need to decide if they are rebuilding or "retooling" for McCarthy’s second full year.
- Scout the Interior O-Line: The late-season success happened when the protection held up. Watch for the Vikings to target guards or a center early in the 2026 NFL Draft to ensure whoever is under center stays upright.
- Check the Seahawks Progress: It sounds weird, but watching how Sam Darnold performs in the playoffs with Seattle will tell you a lot about whether the Vikings' front office made a massive evaluation error or if they simply chose a different timeline.
The season is over, but the work for 2026 is already starting.