After the strike ended, the Vikings lost 26–7 to the Packers in Green Bay before beating the Bears 35–7 the following week to sit at 2–2.

In their final game of the season, they upset the Dallas Cowboys 31–27 to clinch the NFC's fourth place spot in the playoffs[i] In the playoffs, the Vikings defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30–24 to reach the divisional round.

Notes Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve The Vikings opened their new stadium with a 17–10 win over Tampa Bay in the season opener.

The Vikings earned the #4 seed based on this tiebreaker and home field advantage in round one.

In the second round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, 21–7, at RFK Stadium.

LB Matt Blair anchored the Vikings defense and also made the 1982 Pro Bowl.