Lions–Vikings rivalry  The Lions–Vikings rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. The Lions and Vikings have played twice annually since the Vikings entered the league’s Western Conference in 1961. The two teams moved to the NFC Central after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, which became the NFC North after the NFL's 2002 realignment. This is the only NFC North rivalry without any head-to-head postseason meetings. Both teams play in indoor stadiums, and both are known for their bad luck. Since the rivalry's establishment with the Vikings joining the NFL in 1961, Minnesota has largely dominated the series. The most lopsided decades were in the 1970s and 2000s, with the Vikings going 35–5 against the Lions in those two decades, and 41–34–2 head-to-head in all other combined decades. The presence of quarterback Matthew Stafford in Detroit made the Lions a more formidable opponent in the 2010s, however. The Vikings lead the series 76–39–2 as of 2019. Other rivalries involving the two teams: