After the Vikings fell to a 3–7 record with a 31–3 division loss to the Green Bay Packers in week 11, Childress was fired and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was named as his interim replacement, going 3–3 in his six games in charge before taking over the job permanently at the end of the season.

Since the Metrodome's roof could not be repaired in time, the team was forced to play the Bears in Week 15 at TCF Bank Stadium for their first outdoor home game since 1981.

During the 2010 preseason, the Vikings were struggling at the wide receiver position and signed free agent Javon Walker – who had been released by the Oakland Raiders in April – before trading cornerback Benny Sapp to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Greg Camarillo.

A week later, the Vikings waived the contracts of Bill Noethlich and Marko Mitchell, placed J Leman on the injured reserve list and designated Sidney Rice as Physically Unable to Perform.

The victory was completed with 6:49 left in the game as fellow rookies – QB Joe Webb and TE Mickey Shuler Jr. – combined for a two-yard pass.

Kicker Rhys Lloyd attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered by San Francisco, and by the time the Vikings got the ball back they were on their own 8-yard line with 9 seconds left in the game.

The first points of the game came from an interception of a Favre pass, as Seattle safety Earl Thomas got to the ball ahead of wide receiver Bernard Berrian and returned it for an 86-yard touchdown.

Another field goal from Mare put the Seahawks ahead on their first drive of the second half, but the Vikings responded with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sage Rosenfels to new wide receiver Javon Walker with just over seven minutes left in the game.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, as Tebow threw a 39-yard pass to Matthew Willis for Denver, and Ian Johnson rushed 4 yards for Minnesota.

Broncos kicker Matt Prater completed the scoring with a 49-yard field goal with just under five minutes left, giving the Vikings a 31–24 win and a 3–1 preseason record.

To rub salt in the wound, on the 3rd play of the drive, Brett Favre was hit hard by Roman Harper and he threw a pass right into the hands of Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

Beginning at the 36-yard line with 1:19 left in the half, Favre controlled the clock and picked up a 1st down before throwing consecutive 33-yard and 20-yard passes to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for the Vikings' first touchdown of the season.

The second came midway through the 3rd quarter when the 21-year veteran fumbled on a sack into his own endzone; the ball was recovered by Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi to give Miami a two-possession lead.

Favre failed to pick out tight end Visanthe Shiancoe with the first play of the drive before allowing Adrian Peterson to barge through the line of scrimmage for the touchdown.

A succession of rushing attempts from Adrian Peterson followed, getting the Vikings to within a yard of a go-ahead touchdown, but linebacker Karlos Dansby stopped him short of the line on 4th-and-goal.

Deep into the 1st quarter, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre continued his interception-throwing form, as he was picked off by Lions defensive tackle Corey Williams while attempting to throw a short pass to running back Toby Gerhart.

With a minute left in the first half, Favre was picked off yet again, as his throwing arm was hit by Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, giving Alphonso Smith a simple interception.

On Detroit's next possession, a sack on 3rd-and-20 by Vikings defensive end Brian Robison on quarterback Shaun Hill sparked a mass brawl between the two teams.

Midway through the 4th quarter, Minnesota running back Toby Gerhart fumbled the ball in a tackle, and it was recovered by Detroit free safety Louis Delmas.

However, on 1st-and-goal, Vikings linebacker Ben Leber intercepted Shaun Hill's attempted pass to running back Maurice Morris inside the end zone before returning it to the Minnesota 18-yard line.

The Vikings failed in their attempt to run the clock down to the two-minute warning and had to punt the ball away, giving the Lions one final chance to reduce their deficit.

There were mixed results for their divisional rivals, with the Green Bay Packers beating the Detroit Lions by 2 points, while the Chicago Bears were beaten 17–3 by the New York Giants.

In the days leading to their Week 5 game, the Vikings pulled off a dramatic trade, acquiring receiver Randy Moss from the New England Patriots.

The Vikings made their first trip to Gillette Stadium since 2002 and the game marks the return of Randy Moss to Foxboro following an early-October trade from the New England Patriots.

This was followed by defensive back Michael Adams returning a Percy Harvin kickoff fumble 30 yards for a touchdown, and with kicker Jay Feely making a 22-yard field goal.

They tried to break the lead with QB Joe Webb scrambling 13 yards for a touchdown, but they continued to struggle after Cutler got a 9-yard TD pass to WR Rashied Davis, followed by Gould hitting a 34 and a 20-yard field goal.

[5][6] Trying to snap a two-game losing streak, the Vikings flew to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 16 intraconference duel with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday night.

He missed out on the NFC's starting lineup to the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Turner, and was joined on the bench by the St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson.

[11] However, due to the imminent arrival of a new baby to him and his wife, Williams himself withdrew from the roster on January 22; he was replaced by the Arizona Cardinals' DT Darnell Dockett.

[14] Coming in as injury cover for San Francisco's Patrick Willis and Chicago's Brian Urlacher, Henderson travelled to Hawaii, but did not take the field.