Vikings Super Bowl history: When is the last time Minnesota made it to, won the Super Bowl?

By NBC Sports Editorial StaffJan 11, 2023, 8:30 AM EST

After overcoming a 33-0 deficit and mounting the greatest comeback in NFL history to clinch a playoff spot in week 15, the Minnesota Vikings will once again receive the chance to fight for their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.

The 2022 season marks the 31st time in the team’s 53-year history that the Vikings will make a playoff appearance and vie for the chance to play in their fifth Super Bowl. Despite four Super Bowl appearances in the 1969, 1975, 1974 and 1976 seasons, the team has never seen success on sports’ biggest stage, falling short of glory each time.

Following the organization’s creation in 1960, it took just four seasons for the young franchise to boast a winning record, going 8-5-1 in 1964 under Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin. After two rough years in 1965 and 1966, however, Van Brocklin was let go in favor of former Canadian Football League coach Bud Grant.

Under future Hall-of-Famer Grant, the Vikings would see a golden era, characterized by an explosive offense and a daunting defensive line known as the “Purple People Eaters”. Despite masterful coaching and four Hall-of-Famers on the roster, Minnesota was never fortunate enough to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Since their most recent Super Bowl appearance in 1976, the Minnesota Vikings have made 22 playoff appearances, which have resulted in six conference championship losses, nine divisional round losses and seven wild card losses. Minnesota’s most recent playoff appearance was in 2019, when their Super Bowl hopes came to an unfortunate end in the Bay Area as the 49ers dominant defense reigned supreme, 27-10. The team would go on to miss the playoffs the next two seasons, finishing both years with losing records of 7-9 in 2020 and 8-9 in 2021.

Now, after a changing of the guard that brought in first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings are poised to post their best record since 2017, when they finished 13-3 and made an NFC Championship appearance.

Vikings total Super Bowl wins

Despite four Super Bowl appearances, the Minnesota Vikings have never won the Lombardi Trophy. They are one of twelve NFL teams to have never won the esteemed title of “Super Bowl Champion”, and one of eight who have been in the Super Bowl but left empty-handed.

Most recent Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl appearance

1976 season: Lost Super Bowl XI vs. the Oakland Raiders, 32-14

Minnesota’s most recent trip to the big game came after an impressive 11-2-1 finish to the 1976 season, granting the Vikings their 8th NFC Central Division title and top conference seeding. Quarterback Fran Tarketon, who finished the regular season with 2,961 yards and 17 touchdowns, entered the matchup in hopes of curing Minnesota’s Super Bowl misfortunes and leaving the stadium with hardware in-hand.

On the other side of the field, however, was John Madden and the Raiders, looking to grab Oakland’s first Super Bowl title in franchise history after losing to Green Bay in Super Bowl II.

Prior to Super Bowl XI, the Vikings had never scored a point in the first half of any of their Super Bowl appearances. This trend would continue for the fourth time, as Oakland blew the game open with 16 unanswered points in the second quarter after neither team scored in the first.

While the Vikings managed to reduce the deficit to 19-7 late in the third quarter, a Raiders 48-yard touchdown pass followed by a Willie Brown pick-six cemented Minnesota’s fate and Oakland’s first Lombardi trophy.

Minnesota Vikings most recent Super Bowl win

The Vikings have never won a Super Bowl.

Vikings Super Bowl history

1976 season: Lost Super Bowl XI vs. the Oakland Raiders, 32-14
1974 season: Lost Super Bowl IX vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-6
1973 season: Lost Super Bowl VIII vs. the Miami Dolphins, 24-7
1969 season: Lost Super Bowl IV vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-7

How can I watch and live stream Super Bowl 2023?

When: Sunday, February 12, 2023
Where: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
TV Channel: FOX
Follow along with ProFootballTalk and NBC Sports for NFL news, updates, scores, injuries, and more

Follow along with ProFootballTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 NFL Season, and be sure to subscribe to NFLonNBC on YouTube!

How to watch Sunday Night Football on Peacock:

If you have access to NBC via your TV provider, you can watch Sunday Night Football on your TV or with a TV provider login on the NBC Sports app, NBC app, or via NBCSports.com. Check your local listings to find your NBC channel. If you can’t find NBC in your channel lineup, please contact your TV provider.

If you don’t have access to NBC via your TV provider, you can stream Sunday Night Football on Peacock with a $4.99/month Peacock Premium plan. Sign up here or, if you already have a free Peacock account, go to your Account settings to upgrade or change your existing plan.

Please note that selection of a Premium plan will result in a charge which will recur on a monthly or annual basis until you cancel, depending on your plan. You can cancel your Premium plan at any time in your Account.

What devices are compatible with Peacock?

Peacock is available on a variety of devices. See the full list here.

In addition to Sunday Night Football, what else can I watch with Peacock Premium?

Premium is your key to unlocking everything Peacock has to offer. You’ll get access to all the live sports and events we have, including Premier League and WWE Premium Live Events like WrestleMania. You’ll also get full seasons of exclusive Peacock Original series, next-day airings of current NBC and Telemundo hits, plus every movie and show available on Peacock. There is always something new to discover on Peacock Premium.

Follow along with ProFootballTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 NFL Season, and be sure to subscribe to NFLonNBC on YouTube!

Chris Simms’ 2023 NFL Draft CB Rankings: Devon Witherspoon highlights loaded draft class

By Annie CoryMar 29, 2023, 4:42 PM EDT

The 2023 NFL Draft is growing nearer, with just weeks remaining until teams make selections that could alter the future of their franchise forever.

A solid secondary is crucial to any team’s defensive prowess, and for the teams looking to tighten up in coverage, this year’s draft is the one to do so.

The 2023 NFL Draft cornerback class is an incredibly deep one, but which corner will be first off the board? Chris Simms unveiled his 2023 NFL Draft Cornerback rankings this week on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast, posting Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon at the top of his list of corners in this year’s crop.

But trailing Witherspoon very closely are four other potential NFL superstars, with Simms ranking Michigan’s DJ Turner at No. 2, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez at No. 3, Maryland’s Deonte Banks at No. 4 and Georgia’s Kelee Ringo at No. 5.

The 2023 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday, April 27, and end on Saturday, April 29. The first round will take place on Thursday with rounds two and three airing on Friday and rounds four through seven on Saturday. Click here for Simms’ quarterback rankings,and here for his list of top wide receivers.

Simms’ Top Five CB prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft

Tier One

1. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

2. DJ Turner, Michigan

3. Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Tier Two

4. Deonte Banks, Maryland

Tier Three

5. Kelee Ringo, Georgia

Simms Breaks Down 2023 Draft CB Rankings

The following are highlights from Simms’ CB draft rankings. For Simms’ in-depth analysis, read below for a breakdown on each prospect and be sure to subscribe to Chris Simms Unbuttoned for an unfiltered look at the NFL, featuring player access, unabashed opinion, X&O film breakdown, and stories from a life in and around football.

No. 1: Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

What Simms said: “This guy is must-see TV. He’s up there with one of the most twitchy, sudden people I’ve ever seen in my life to the point where when he takes off, you’re like, ‘Wait, is that real? Did he really get to full speed in half a step?’ … Bump or off, both are phenomenol — it’s rare to have that. He’s got very good play strength for a guy that’s 5’11” and a half at 181 lbs. He doesn’t know that, he thinks he’s 220 … It’s efficient and easy. He’s sudden and can see the ability to accelerate whether it’s downhill or sticking the foot in the ground and changing direction. As compared to my No. 2 and No. 3 guy, he might be a hair tighter in his hips, but his twitchiness and explosion and acceleration … you just start to go, ‘What does this guy not have, besides the fact that he’s not 6’2” or over 200 lbs.’ He’s phenomenol.”

No. 2: DJ Turner, Michigan

What Simms said: “To me, (DJ Turner is) the most technically sound corner in the draft. There’s nobody better at technique. Like Witherspoon, the ability to mirror receivers at the line of scrimmage, the quick feet, it’s phenomenol. His hips are better than Witherspoon … His ability to flip those hips, turn and break on the ball, it’s right up there. It’s actually more smooth hip-wise than it is for Devon Witherspoon … What more can you say about the guy? Start-stop ability, amazing. Make-up speed, amazing. Other than Witherspoon, I think he’s put in the second-most tough spots out of anybody I’ve watched in this. He plays man-to-man, in your face a ton against big-time receivers. He’s awesome defending double moves. He could be the best nickel or outside guy, and he’s also the fastest guy in the draft. He’s got it all.”

No. 3: Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

What Simms said: “There’s not much to pick apart here … He’s got a little more size and meat on his bones. The Tee Higgins of the world, the bigger receivers of the world, they’re gonna have a harder time pushing him around and doing that stuff. He’s got incredible ball skills … He looks prototype. He looks Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey-ish in his uniform … He just wasn’t as edgy as the other guys … He’s gonna match up better with DeAndre Hopkins than the other two. But I don’t know if he’ll match up better with Jaylen Waddle or Ja’Marr Chase than the other two … But his technique is real. He’s a top-20 pick. You talk size, technique and straight speed, of course this guy is one of the top corners in the draft.”

No. 4: Deonte Banks, Maryland

What Simms said: “He has more measurables like Gonzalez. 6 foot, 197 lbs., there’s a thickness to him and a power and strength element that certainly jumps out. Let alone, speed is Real Deal Holyfield … man-to-man, great legs, runs easy … He’s comfortable in his speed. He’s never panicked. He’s comfortable in going, ‘You have a step on me? That’s fine, I’m good,’ … But he’s also incredible, like Witherspoon and Turner, at getting on top of people when they try to run a go-route. No one can ever really get around him for the most part … He’s sticky as hell, he’s got very good feet, but he doesn’t know how to use his hands at all yet. So he’s not really that great at jamming people at the line of scrimmage, but he’s never not there … I thought his ability to play the ball and create PBUs in those 50/50 situations where the quarterback tries to throw the ball back shoulder and all that, he’s got a great feel and vision to be able to cover and see the throw at the same time that I was very impressed with.”

No. 5: Kelee Ringo, Georgia

What Simms said: “When you turn on the film, you go, ‘What? This guy’s a corner, he’s not a safety?’ Because he has a prototype safety vibe … Against the bigger, straight-liner guys, nobody’s gonna push this dude around. That’s certainly not going to be an issue, that along with the straight speed. Hey, the change of direction stuff is not beautiful. He’s a little heavy-footed because he’s a bigger guy … but it’s not bad … When he opens up, he can really go; obviously with a 4.36 second 40 time … He’s very smooth as far as an athlete overall.”

For more preview content of the 2023 NFL Draft, stay tuned to Chris Simms Unbuttoned, ProFootballTalk and NBC Sports EDGE for all the latest updates, player analysis and mock drafts.

Chris Simms’ 2023 NFL Draft Position Rankings: The top QBs, WRs, RBs, and more ahead of draft weekend

By Mary OmatigaMar 29, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place on Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. Click here for the full first-round draft order to find out when your team is picking.

Ahead of this year’s draft, Chris Simms has already started analyzing the top prospects by position on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. So far, Simms has revealed his highly anticipated list of the top 5 quarterback prospects and wide receivers. See below to find out who made the top 5 names for each position and be sure to check back for updates!

Be sure to subscribe to Chris Simms Unbuttoned for more on the 2023 NFL Draft as well as an unfiltered look at the NFL, featuring player access, unabashed opinion, X&O film breakdown, and stories from a life in and around football.

Chris Simms’ 2023 NFL Draft Position Rankings:

Chris Simms’ 2023 NFL Draft QB Rankings:

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Bryce Young, Alabama
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Anthony Richardson, Florida
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA and Will Levis, Kentucky

Chris Simms’ 2023 NFL Draft WR Rankings:

Zay Flowers, Boston College
Jaxon Smith-Njibga, Ohio State
Quentin Jonston, TCU
Michael Wilson, Stanford
Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

Chris Simms 2023 NFL Draft Cornerback Rankings

Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
DJ Turner, Michigan
Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Deonte Banks, Maryland
Kelee Ringo, Georgia

How can I watch the 2023 NFL Draft live?

ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network will air all seven rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.

What time does the NFL Draft start?

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft will get underway on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds two and three will commence Friday at 7 p.m. ET, with Saturday’s final rounds at 12 p.m.

Follow along with ProFootballTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2023 NFL Season and be sure to subscribe to NFLonNBC on YouTube!