If you’re a Minnesota fan, you know the drill. It's never just a straightforward win or a boring loss; it’s a rollercoaster that usually leaves your stomach somewhere in the vicinity of your throat. This year—the 2025 season that just wrapped up in January 2026—was no exception. Honestly, it was one of the weirdest stretches of football we’ve seen in the Twin Cities for a long time.
You've probably been tracking the record, but seeing the names of the teams that actually took down the Purple and Gold tells a much deeper story than a simple 9-8 record. It wasn’t just about who they played; it was about how they lost. From international heartbreakers to divisional gut-punches, the list of who have the vikings lost to this year is a roadmap of a season that started in the gutter and ended with a furious, albeit too late, winning streak.
The Early Season Slide: When Things Fell Apart
Things started out okay with a Week 1 win over Chicago, but then the wheels basically came off. It started with the Atlanta Falcons. Week 2 was supposed to be a home-opener celebration at U.S. Bank Stadium, but Kirk Cousins' old squad (though he wasn't under center) absolutely stifled the Vikings' offense. A 22-6 loss? At home? It was ugly. J.J. McCarthy looked like a rookie, the run game was non-existent, and the "Skol" chants felt a little hollow by the fourth quarter.
Then came the travel. The NFL loves sending the Vikings overseas, and this year was a double-header. While they managed to beat the Browns in London, the preceding week in Ireland was a different story.
The Pittsburgh Steelers handed the Vikings their second loss of the year in Week 4, a 24-21 nail-biter in Dublin. It’s one of those games fans still talk about because Carson Wentz—who was filling in during a quarterback carousel—actually threw for 350 yards, but the team just couldn't finish drives. Losing on the Emerald Isle is a specific kind of sting.
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The Mid-Season Nightmare: Eight Weeks of Stress
By late October, the vibes were, frankly, terrible. After a bye week that was supposed to fix everything, the Vikings ran into the Philadelphia Eagles. The 28-22 loss in Week 7 was a classic Brian Flores defensive masterclass that just ran out of gas against a superior roster.
But if the Eagles loss was respectable, what happened next was not.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Week 8): A 37-10 blowout. There’s no other way to put it. The Vikings went to SoFi Stadium and looked like they forgot how to tackle. It was the worst offensive performance of the year, with only 164 total yards.
- Baltimore Ravens (Week 10): After a brief reprieve winning in Detroit, the Ravens came to town and did Ravens things. Lamar Jackson was too much, and the Vikings fell 27-19.
- Chicago Bears (Week 11): This was the turning point for a lot of fans. A 19-17 loss at home to a divisional rival essentially ended the playoff dreams. It dropped the record to 4-6 and left the team searching for an identity.
The Low Point: Lambeau and Seattle
The end of November was brutal. If you want to know who have the vikings lost to this year that hurt the most, look at Week 12 and 13.
First, they went to Lambeau Field. The Green Bay Packers didn't just win; they dominated in a 23-6 defensive slog. Then, the team flew to the West Coast to face the Seattle Seahawks and got shut out. 26-0. Zero points. In 2025. It felt like the season was not just over, but buried.
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Why the Losses Happened: A Nuanced Look
It’s easy to blame the quarterback. J.J. McCarthy had his growing pains, and the coaching staff’s decision to rotate in Carson Wentz and even Michael Brosmer at points created a lack of rhythm. But looking at the stats from the NFL.com and Pro-Football-Reference databases, the real culprit was often the "middle of the field" defense and a revolving door at the running back position until Jordan Mason stabilized things late.
The Vikings finished the year 7th in points against, which sounds great. But in those eight losses, the offense only averaged about 15 points per game. You can’t win in the modern NFL scoring two touchdowns a game.
The Record That Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Despite losing to the Falcons, Steelers, Eagles, Chargers, Ravens, Bears, Packers, and Seahawks, the Vikings actually finished with a winning record. They won their last five games straight. They beat the Cowboys, the Giants, the Lions again, and even got revenge on the Packers in the season finale.
So, who did the Vikings lose to? A collection of some of the best teams in the AFC North and a few NFC heavyweights. But they also lost to themselves during that 4-8 start.
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Summary of the 2025 Losses:
- Atlanta Falcons (6-22)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (21-24)
- Philadelphia Eagles (22-28)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-37)
- Baltimore Ravens (19-27)
- Chicago Bears (17-19)
- Green Bay Packers (6-23)
- Seattle Seahawks (0-26)
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
Now that the 2025 season is in the books, the focus shifts to how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell fix the issues that led to those eight losses.
- Solve the QB Uncertainty: The "cryptic" answers from the front office about J.J. McCarthy's future suggest they might be looking at a veteran trade or a high-end free agent to provide a higher floor for the offense.
- Fix the Interior O-Line: Many of the losses to teams like the Steelers and Chargers were characterized by pressure up the middle. Drafting or signing a premier Guard is no longer optional.
- Capitalize on the Late-Season Momentum: The 5-0 finish proved the locker room hasn't quit. Using that "rally" mentality to start 2026 strong is the only way to avoid another mid-season collapse.
Keep an eye on the upcoming 2026 draft. With a winning record (9-8) but no playoff berth, the Vikings are in that "middle ground" of draft picks where they need to be aggressive to find immediate starters.