It's difficult to imagine this happening in today's NFL. But it's also hard to imagine it could have happened in 1964.
But it did.
Usually, the Vikings wore their purple jerseys at home but when they hosted the Detroit Lions on Oct. 11, 1964 at Metropolitan Stadium they wanted to give the fans a different look and wear their road uniforms, which consisted of a white jersey and purple pants.
Unfortunately, no one told the Lions who only brought their white uniforms to Minnesota.
In the first quarter, both teams wore white jerseys, but it was too confusing and at the quarter break the Vikings changed to their purple jerseys but didn't change the purple pants. That gave the team a purple over purple look for the first time in their brief history.
Detroit won the game 24-20 as the Lions sacked Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton nine times. Gail Cogdill scored two touchdowns for Detroit, one on a one-yard offensive fumble return and the other on a 12-yard pass from Earl Morrall.
For the Vikings, Bill Brown scored from one yard out, Paul Flatley caught a 23-yard TD pass from Tarkenton and Fred Cox kicked field goals of 32 and 42 yards.
The Vikings host the Lions at noon Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in the 120th all-time meeting between the teams. Fox will televise the game with Chris Meyers on play-by-play, Daryl Johnston as analyst and Jen Hale on the sideline.
Stat of the week
Defensive end Danielle Hunter is only the third Viking in the last decade to record at least 5.0 sacks through the first four games of the season. He joins Everson Griffen (2017) and Jared Allen (2011).
Notable
The Vikings defense has allowed justb 23 second-half points, trailing only Denver (18) for fewest in the NFL.
Running back Dalvin Cook needs 113 yards Sunday in his 47th career game to reach 4,000 in his career. Adrian Peterson holds the franchise record as he reached 4,000 yards in 39 games.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of eight players in the NFL to have at least five catches in every game. The others are Davante Adams, D.J. Moore, Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp, Calvin Ridley, Brandin Cooks and Hunter Renfrow.
The Vikings have won seven straight over the Lions dating back to the second meeting in 2017.
In 1985, linebacker Scott Studwell set a team record with 24 tackles in a 41-21 loss to the Lions in Detroit.
Scores
The Vikings lead series with the Lions 78-39-2
11-19-1961: Detroit Lions 37, Minnesota Vikings 10
12-10-1961: Detroit Lions 13, Minnesota Vikings 7
11-18-1962: Detroit Lions 17, Minnesota Vikings 6
12-09-1962: Detroit Lions 37, Minnesota Vikings 23
10-27-1963: Detroit Lions 28, Minnesota Vikings 10
11-24-1963: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 31
10-11-1964: Detroit Lions 24, Minnesota Vikings 20
11-22-1964: Minnesota Vikings 23, Detroit Lions 23 (tie)
09-26-1965: Detroit Lions 31, Minnesota Vikings 29
12-12-1965: Minnesota Vikings 29, Deroit Lions 7
11-13-1966: Detroit Lions 32, Minnesota Vikings 31
12-11-1966: Minnesota Vikings 28, Detroit Lions 16
11-12-1967: Minnesota Vikings 10, Detroit Lions 10 (tie)
12-17-1967: Detroit Lions 14, Minnesota Vikings 3
10-06-1968: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 10
11-17-1968: Minnesota Vikings 13, Detroit Lions 6
10-26-1969: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 10
11-27-1969: Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 0
11-01-1970: Minnesota Vikings 30, Detroit Lions 17
11-15-1970: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 20
09-20-1971: Minnesota Vikings 16, Detroit Lions 13
12-11-1971: Minnesota Vikings 29, Detroit Lions 10
09-24-1972: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 10
11-12-1972: Minnesota Vikings 16, Detroit Lions 14
10-07-1973: Minnesota Vikings 23, Detroit Lions 9
11-11-1973: Minnesota Vikings 28, Detroit Lions 7
09-22-1974: Minnesota Vikings 7, Detroit Lions 6
10-20-1974: Detroit Lions 20, Minnesota Vikings 16
10-19-1975: Minnesota Vikings 25, Detroit Lions 19
12-14-1975: Detroit Lions 17, Minnesota Vikings 10
09-26-1976: Minnesota Vikings 10, Detroit Lions 9
11-07-1976: Minnesota Vikings 31, Detroit Lions 23
10-09-1977: Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 7
12-17-1977: Minnesota Vikings 30, Detroit Lions 21
11-05-1978: Minnesota Vikings 17, Detroit Lions 7
12-09-1978: Detroit Lions 45, Minnesota Vikings 14
09-30-1979: Minnesota Vikings 13, Detroit Lions 10
11-18-1979: Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 7
09-28-1980: Detroit Lions 27, Minnesota Vikings 7
11-09-1980: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 0
09-20-1981: Minnesota Vikings 26, Detroit Lions 24
12-12-1981: Detroit Lions 45, Minnesota Vikings 7
12-19-1982: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 31
09-25-1983: Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 17
12-05-1983: Detroit Lions 13, Minnesota Vikings 2
09-23-1984: Minnesota Vikings 29, Detroit Lions 28
10-21-1984: Detroit Lions 16, Minnesota Vikings 14
11-03-1985: Minnesota Vikings 16, Detroit Lions 13
11-17-1985: Detroit Lions 41, Minnesota Vikings 21
09-07-1986: Detroit Lions 13, Minnesota Vikings 10
11-09-1986: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 10
09-13-1987: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 19
12-20-1987: Minnesota Vikings 17, Detroit Lions 14
11-06-1988: Minnesota Vikings 44, Detroit Lions 17
11-24-1988: Minnesota Vikings 23, Detroit Lions 0
10-08-1989: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 17
10-22-1989: Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 7
10-07-1990: Detroit Lions 34, Minnesota Vikings 27
11-11-1990: Minnesota Vikings 17, Detroit Lions 7
10-06-1991: Detroit Lions 24, Minnesota Vikings 20
11-24-1991: Detroit Lions 34, Minnesota Vikings 14
09-13-1992: Detroit Lions 31, Minnesota Vikings 17
10-15-1992: Minnesota Vikings 31, Detroit Lions 14
10-31-1993: Detroit Lions 30, Minnesota Vikings 27
12-05-1993: Minnesota Vikings 13, Detroit Lions 0
09-11-1994: Minnesota Vikings 10, Detroit Lions 3
12-17-1994: Detroit Lions 41, Minnesota Vikings 19
09-10-1995: Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 10
11-23-1995: Detroit Lions 44, Minnesota Vikings 38
09-01-1996: Minnesota Vikings 17, Detroit Lions 13
12-08-1996: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 22
11-16-1997: Detroit Lions 38, Minnesota Vikings 15
12-14-1997: Detroit Lions 14, Minnesota Vikings 13
09-20-1998: Minnesota Vikings 29, Detroit Lions 6
10-25-1998: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 13
10-17-1999: Detroit Lions 25, Minnesota Vikings 23
01-02-2000: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 17
10-01-2000: Minnesota Vikings 31, Detroit Lions 24
11-30-2000: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 17
10-14-2001: Minnesota Vikings 31, Detroit Lions 26
12-16-2001: Detroit Lions 27, Minnesota Vikings 24
10-13-2002: Minnesota Vikings 31, Detroit Lions 24
12-29-2002: Minnesota Vikings 38, Detroit Lions 36
09-21-2003: Minnesota Vikings 23, Detroit Lions 13
11-23-2003: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 13
11-21-2004: Minnesota Vikings 22, Detroit Lions 19
12-19-2004: Minnesota Vikings 28, Detroit Lions 27
11-06-2005: Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 14
12-04-2005: Minnesota Vikings 21, Detroit Lions 16
10-08-2006: Minnesota Vikings 26, Detroit Lions 17
12-10-2006: Minnesota Vikings 30, Detroit Lions 20
09-16-2007: Detroit Lions 20, Minnesota Vikings 17 (OT)
12-02-2007: Minnesota Vikings 42, Detroit Lions 10
10-12-2008: Minnesota Vikings 12, Detroit Lions 10
12-07-2008: Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 16
09-20-2009: Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 13
11-15-2009: Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 10
09-26-2010: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 10
01-02-2011: Detroit Lions 20, Minnesota Vikings 13
09-25-2011: Detroit Lions 26, Minnesota Vikings 23 (OT)
12-11-2011: Detroit Lions 34, Minnesota Vikings 28
09-30-2012: Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 13
11-11-2012: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 24
09-08-2013: Detroit Lions 34, Minnesota Vikings 28
12-29-2013: Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 13
10-12-2014: Detroit Lions 17, Minnesota Vikings 3
12-14-2014: Detroit Lions 16, Minnesota Vikings 14
09-20-2015: Minnesota Vikings 26, Detroit Lions 16
10-25-2015: Minnesota Vikings 28, Detroit Lions 19
11-06-2016: Detroit Lions 22, Minnesota Vikings 16 (OT)
11-24-2016: Detroit Lions 16, Minnesota Vikings 13
10-01-2017: Detroit Lions 14, Minnesota Vikings 7
11-23-2017: Minnesota Vikings 30, Detroit Lions 23
11-04-2018: Minnesota Vikings 24, Detroit Lions 9
12-23-2018: Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 9
10-20-2019: Minnesota Vikings 42, Detroit Lions 30
12-08-2019: Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 7
11-08-2020: Minnesota Vikings 34, Detroit Lions 20
01-03-2021: Minnesota Vikings 37, Detroit Lions 35
Points scored: Minnesota Vikings 2616, Detroit Lions 2209