When was the last time the Vikings scored 50 points during a game?

It has been quite awhile since the Minnesota Vikings last put together a performance in a game that ended with them having at least 50 points on the scoreboard.

During Mike Zimmer’s tenure as the team’s head coach, the Minnesota Vikings have not necessarily been known for having an explosive offense.

For the majority of the time, the Vikings’ philosophy under Zimmer has revolved around having a good defense and an offense that can make plays when needed.

But in today’s NFL, playing solid defense is becoming harder and harder. Rules are created to aid offenses around the league and points are being scored at a record pace.

On Monday, the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs faced off and each of them ended up scoring over 50 points. It was the first game in the history of the NFL in which both teams scored 50 points or more.

Minnesota has had some pretty potent offenses during their existence. But it has been awhile since the Vikings had a performance similar to what the Chiefs and Rams did on Monday night.

Since their first season in 1961, Minnesota has scored at least 50 points in a single game six different times. The last time the Vikings accomplished this was back in 1998 when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars by a final score of 50-10.

During that matchup with the Jaguars, Minnesota ended up taking six trips to the end zone, including a 30-yard pick-six by cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock in the fourth quarter.

Since then, the Vikings have not been able to score 50 points in a game. Minnesota has actually only scored 45 points or more in a single matchup three times since 1999.

During that same time span, the New Orleans Saints have had 20 different games where they ended up scoring at least 45 points.

The closest the Vikings have come to putting 50 up on the scoreboard in the last 20 seasons was in 2015 when they defeated the New York Giants 49-17.

With the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins this year, some believed Minnesota’s offense would reach unstoppable levels similar to what the Chiefs, Rams, and Saints are currently doing out on the field.

But that hasn’t been the case yet this season for the Vikings. Minnesota does have the offensive weapons to put up 50 points in a game, they just haven’t figured out how to utilize them as best as possible yet.