MINNEAPOLIS -- Here's how different the world was for the Minnesota Vikings the last time they played a prime-time game at home: It was Nov. 7, 2013, the Vikings were 1-7 heading into a Thursday game with the Washington Redskins, playing with Kevin Williams at nose tackle for the first time in his career and starting J'Marcus Webb at right tackle in place of the injured Phil Loadholt.
The Vikings -- who hadn't forced the Green Bay Packers to punt once during a Sunday night loss 11 days earlier -- rallied from a 27-14 deficit in what turned out to be Christian Ponder's last win as a NFL quarterback, and held on with Matt Cassel replacing an injured Ponder.