Minnesota and Las Vegas engaged in the lowest-scoring NFL game in 16 years, concluding with Greg Joseph’s 36-yard field goal securing a 3-0 victory for the Vikings over the Raiders on Sunday.
This marked the first 3-0 game since Pittsburgh defeated Miami on Nov. 26, 2007, only the third in the past 40 years and the seventh in the Super Bowl era.
Joseph’s field goal prevented the game from ending regulation scoreless, an occurrence not witnessed since the New York Giants and Detroit Lions played to a 0-0 tie on Nov. 7, 1943.
The Vikings (7-6) mustered just 230 total yards, while the Raiders (5-8), on a three-game losing streak, were restricted to 201 yards and nine first downs. Minnesota secured its first win against an AFC West opponent this season after three previous losses.
This marked Minnesota’s first shutout since a 16-0 victory over the Packers on Dec. 23, 2017, and the first time Las Vegas was held scoreless since a 24-0 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 30, 2022.
Nick Mullens took over for the struggling Joshua Dobbs at quarterback, leading the Vikings on their sole scoring drive, culminating in Joseph’s field goal after Mullens connected with Jordan Addison for a 22-yard completion.
Ivan Pace intercepted Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell on the following drive. Although the Raiders regained possession with 7 seconds remaining, they failed to execute a final desperation play.
In the second quarter, the Vikings lost wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the 2022 AP Offensive Player of the Year, to a chest injury. Jefferson, returning after a seven-game absence due to a hamstring injury, was taken to a hospital, according to Fox Sports.
In the fourth quarter, the Raiders lost running back Josh Jacobs to a knee injury. Jacobs, the NFL’s leading rusher last season with 1,653 yards, had rushed for over 100 yards in two of the prior three games.
The first half concluded with no scoring from either team, matching another game between the Texans and Jets on the same day. According to Fox, this marked the first occurrence since October 1998 of two scoreless halftime games on the same day.
Minnesota had a chance to score in the first half, but Joseph missed a 49-yard field goal with 5:32 remaining. This was the Vikings’ only drive into Las Vegas territory in the first half, equaling the Raiders’ count.
Las Vegas seemed poised to break the deadlock in the early second half, but Hunter Renfrow’s catch-and-run for 38 yards to the Vikings’ 11 ended in a fumble, recovered by Mekhi Blackmon for Minnesota. The Vikings entered the game leading the league with 18 forced fumbles.
The game remained scoreless entering the fourth quarter, a situation last seen in Week 17 of the 2017 season during a game between the Cowboys and Eagles. This marked the first occurrence for the Raiders and the second for the Vikings since Nov. 14, 1971, against the Packers.
In the second quarter, Maxx Crosby achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fifth Raider to reach 50 career sacks. His sack against Dobbs marked a historic accomplishment, making him the first player in franchise history to achieve this feat within his first five seasons.
Executing a well-timed snap, Crosby displayed impeccable timing, securing a powerful jump off the line of scrimmage. This forced Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill to resort to holding Crosby, yet the determined player persevered through the hold, successfully bringing down Dobbs.
