1998: Alstott & Dunn Spur Bucs to Upset of Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings were undefeated at 7-0 as they took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 1, 1998. Head Coach Dennis Green’s team had a high-octane offense directed by 35-year-old QB Randall Cunningham, who had taken over for the injured Brad Johnson and impressively resurrected his career. Rookie WR Randy Moss was sensational across from veteran WR Cris Carter and RB Robert Smith made for a good ground attack as well.

The Buccaneers were at 3-4 and had already lost badly to the Vikings in the season’s opening week. Under Head Coach Tony Dungy, they were a formidable defensive team, ranked third in the league thus far, that had been having difficulties on offense, failing to reach the end zone against the Saints in a 9-3 loss the previous week. Running backs Mike Alstott (pictured above) and Warrick Dunn made for a productive combination, but QB Trent Dilfer, coming off of a Pro Bowl year in ’97, was inconsistent. 

There were 64,979 fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Buccaneers took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in 13 plays. Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott ran effectively and Trent Dilfer threw to Dunn twice, once for 14 yards in a third-and-four situation. Dunn finished the series off with a 10-yard carry around end for a touchdown. Michael Husted added the extra point and Tampa Bay was ahead by 7-0.

In response, the Vikings came out throwing. Randall Cunningham connected with Randy Moss for 11 yards on first down and then went to TE Andrew Glover for a gain of 30 yards to the Tampa Bay 35. The eight-play, 76-yard drive ended with Robert Smith running up the middle for a nine-yard TD. Gary Anderson added the point after to tie the score.

With Alstott running three straight times for 13 yards and Dunn catching a pass for another 13, the Bucs were driving as the first quarter ended. Alstott added a 21-yard carry to the Minnesota 22 and he and Dunn continued to chip away. Dilfer passed to WR Reidel Anthony for a 12-yard touchdown and, with Husted’s conversion, the 13-play drive that covered 80 yards had the home team back in the lead by 14-7.

The Vikings started the next possession from their own 10 yard line thanks to a penalty on the kickoff return, but still managed to keep the scoring parade going with a 90-yard drive that took 12 plays. Cunningham immediately threw to WR Jake Reed for 28 yards, the first of four completions during the series. Minnesota converted two third downs and a fourth down along the way before Cunningham threw long to Reed for a 44-yard TD on a third-and-19 play. Anderson’s PAT was successful and the game was again knotted at 14-14.

There was 4:16 remaining in the first half as the Buccaneers started their next series. Dilfer completed a pass to WR Bert Emanuel for 15 yards while facing third-and-eight and Dunn had a 50-yard run to the Minnesota 13. An offensive pass interference penalty nullified an apparent touchdown pass to Dunn, but the Bucs came away with points on a 29-yard Husted field goal.

With the clock now down to 36 seconds, Cunningham went to the air and completed three straight passes, the longest to Moss for 41 yards. Anderson capped the first half scoring with a 44-yard field goal and the tally was 17-17 at halftime. Thus far, neither team had punted or turned the ball over. Dunn (pictured below) already had 80 rushing yards and Alstott had contributed 50.

The pattern of long drives ending with scores continued in the third quarter as the Vikings advanced 75 yards in nine plays. Cunningham had passes to Glover for 25 yards and Reed for 32. The series ended with a short Cunningham toss to Reed for a one-yard TD. Anderson’s extra point put the visitors ahead by 24-17.

The Bucs moved methodically down the field in response. Alstott had a 15-yard run and Dilfer completed a pass to Anthony for 16 yards, but the drive bogged down inside the Minnesota 10 and, facing fourth-and-goal at the five, Dilfer’s throw intended for Anthony was knocked away and incomplete.

The Vikings had the ball as the contest entered the final period. Cunningham completed four passes, but after reaching their own 36, another throw that came as he was hit hard by LB Al Singleton was intercepted by LB Derrick Brooks, who returned it 25 yards to the Minnesota 23. The Buccaneers went three-and-out but came away with a 38-yard field goal by Husted to narrow the Vikings’ lead to 24-20.

Minnesota was forced to punt following the next series, which was the first of the game with ten minutes to go in regulation. The big play in stopping the Vikings came when CB Ronde Barber sacked Cunningham, who had eluded Brooks, on third down. The Bucs came away with good starting field position at the Minnesota 43. Dilfer connected with Anthony for a gain of 17 yards and Dunn followed up with a nine-yard run. Alstott lost a yard, but Dilfer converted a third-and-two situation with a three-yard carry. A pass into the end zone was deflected away, and then Dunn ran for nine yards and Alstott finished off the seven-play possession with a six-yard touchdown. Husted added the point after and Tampa Bay was ahead by three.

There was 5:48 left on the clock, plenty of time for the quick-striking Vikings. A Cunningham pass to Cris Carter was flagged for offensive pass interference and a sack by DT Brad Culpepper forced Minnesota to have to punt once again. The Vikings never got the ball back as the Buccaneers, behind the running of Alstott, controlled it for the remaining three minutes of the game. Alstott ran for a 37-yard gain and game-clinching first down and the Buccaneers won by a final score of 27-24.

Tampa Bay had the edge in total yards (378 to 340), with a franchise-record 246 yards gained on the ground, and in first downs (22 to 18). The Buccaneers, who also ran far more plays than Minnesota (63 to 46), never punted or turned the ball over, and gave up no sacks. The Vikings accounted for the game’s lone turnover and gave up two sacks, all of which proved costly. They also were held to just 17 yards and scored no points in the fourth quarter, which proved to be decisive.

Both Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn gained over a hundred yards running, the first time in Tampa Bay’s team history that two players had done so in the same contest. Alstott gained 128 yards on 19 carries that included a touchdown and Warrick Dunn had 115 yards on 18 attempts that also contained a TD. In addition, Dunn caught four passes for 49 yards. Trent Dilfer was 11 of 22 for 132 yards through the air, with a touchdown and no interceptions. Reidel Anthony topped the club with 5 pass receptions for 65 yards and a score.

For the Vikings, Randall Cunningham (pictured at right) was outstanding as he was successful on 21 of 25 throws for 291 yards and two TDs while giving up one interception. Jake Reed had his biggest game of the year as he caught 6 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns while Randy Moss and Cris Carter were comparatively quiet, catching two passes for 52 yards and two for 13, respectively. Robert Smith ran for 46 yards and a TD on 13 carries and had 5 receptions for 28 yards.

“We had to score every time we got the football, and we were able to do that except for once,” said Trent Dilfer. “That’s the kind of game we had to play.”

“They throw the ball as well as anyone’s thrown it in the last 10 or 12 years,” said Tampa Bay’s Coach Dungy regarding the Minnesota offense. “We felt our zone could make some plays, but they ripped up our zone in the first half.”

The Buccaneers went on to lose their next three games before rallying to take four of their last five on the way to an 8-8 finish that placed third in the NFC Central. Minnesota didn’t lose again for the remainder of the regular season, topping the entire conference at 15-1 while setting a NFL record by scoring 556 points. However, it all ended in disappointment with an overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game.

Warrick Dunn gained 1370 yards from scrimmage, with 1026 on 245 rushing attempts (4.2 avg.) and 344 yards on 44 pass receptions. Mike Alstott gained 846 yards on 215 carries (3.9 avg.) and received first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors.

2001: Surging Bears Shut Down Vikings

The Chicago Bears were 7-2 as they took on the Minnesota Vikings on November 25, 2001 but had benefited from some good fortune in close games along the way. The Bears, who had not had a winning season in six years, were coached by Dick Jauron for the third season. Workmanlike QB Jim Miller directed a conservative offense that benefited from the presence of rookie RB Anthony Thomas. The tough defense was buttressed by the arrival of veteran newcomers on the line in DTs Ted Washington and Keith Traylor, plus the continued development of second-year MLB Brian Urlacher. However, they were without Thomas due to a hamstring injury and RB James Allen (pictured above) was starting in his place against the Vikings.

Minnesota reached the playoffs in each of the five previous seasons, but was stumbling along at 4-5 thus far in ’01 (including an earlier loss at Chicago), although the Vikings were coming off of an impressive win over the Giants the previous Monday night. Head Coach Dennis Green produced consistently strong offensive teams, and there was plenty of talent with QB Daunte Culpepper and wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss. But the retirement of RB Robert Smith hurt and so did the tragic training camp death of OT Korey Stringer. Defense was a chronic problem.  

There were 64,214 fans in attendance for the Sunday night game at the Metrodome. The Vikings had the game’s first possession and moved into Chicago territory but were forced to punt, and that set the stage for the rest of the first quarter. Neither offense was able to move effectively. A 23-yard punt return by WR Nate Jacquet gave the Vikings good starting field position at the Chicago 44 at one point, but they came up empty when LB Rosevelt Colvin intercepted a Daunte Culpepper pass.

Finally, in the second quarter the Bears put together an 80-yard drive in seven plays. Jim Miller completed a pass to WR Dez White for 17 yards and RB Leon Johnson gained 34 yards on a carry to the Minnesota four. Two plays later, Johnson ran for a two-yard touchdown and, with Paul Edinger adding the extra point, Chicago was in front by 7-0.

Following more exchanges of punts, the Bears got favorable field position at the Minnesota 34 and, starting with a 15-yard run by James Allen, came away with a 30-yard Edinger field goal to lead by 10-0 at the half.

The Vikings finally got on the board on their first possession of the third quarter. Culpepper completed six passes to get from his 31 to the Chicago 26 and Gary Anderson booted a 44-yard field goal to narrow the Bears’ margin to 10-3.

That was it until, in a series that extended into the fourth quarter, the Bears moved 55 yards in eight plays. Miller completed passes to WR David Terrell that picked up 26 and 25 yards to reach the Minnesota 26 and, while the drive stalled, Edinger kicked a 43-yard field goal to again make it a ten-point contest.

After another exchange of punts, the Vikings put together a long series, the key play being a pass from Culpepper to TE Byron Chamberlain in a third-and-five situation that gained 23 yards to the Chicago 12. However, after getting another first down at the one, Minnesota couldn’t punch the ball in and had to settle for a 21-yard Anderson field goal.

That was effectively the last gasp for the Vikings. Taking over on offense with 3:10 on the clock, the Bears managed to maintain possession until the final seconds before having to punt, and pinned back in their own territory, time ran out on the Vikings. Chicago won the low-scoring affair by the final score of 13-6.

Minnesota failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 98 games but led in total yards (316 to 235), first downs (15 to 11), and time of possession (34:13 to 25:47). However, the Vikings also were called for 11 penalties, at a cost of 75 yards, to just two flags thrown on Chicago. Each team turned the ball over once and punted eight times apiece.

Jim Miller (pictured at left) completed just 10 of 21 passes for 97 yards, but gave up no interceptions. James Allen rushed for 107 yards on 27 carries while Leon Johnson ran the ball twice for 35 yards that included a TD and did well returning kicks, averaging 10.8 yards on four punt returns and running back one kickoff for 33 yards. Dez White had four catches for 32 yards and David Terrell gained 51 yards on his two receptions.

For the Vikings, Daunte Culpepper was successful on 26 of 46 throws for 209 yards, but failed to throw a TD pass for the first time all season and gave up one interception. He also rushed for 43 yards on seven carries. Rookie RB Michael Bennett gained 75 yards on 12 rushing attempts. Byron Chamberlain caught 7 passes for 56 yards and Cris Carter contributed 45 yards on five receptions, while Randy Moss was a negligible presence with four receptions for 25 yards and some dropped passes.

The Bears lost only one more game the rest of the way, finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record that put them on top of the NFC Cental. They lost to the Eagles in the Divisional playoff round. Minnesota collapsed, winning only one more time and ending up at 5-11 and fourth in the division. Coach Green was replaced by Mike Tice before the end, and Tice continued on as head coach for the next four seasons.

The defensive performance by the Bears was typical as they led the NFL in fewest points allowed (203). Ted Washington and Brian Urlacher were both consensus first-team All-NFL selections in addition to being named to the Pro Bowl.

1994: Marino & Dolphins Rally but Moon & Vikings Prevail

The Miami Dolphins were off to a 3-0 start as they traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings on September 25, 1994. Under the guidance of Head Coach Don Shula for the 25^th year, the Dolphins had a potent passing attack directed by 33-year-old QB Dan Marino, who was coming off an Achilles tendon injury that had sidelined him for most of ’93. However, the ground game was a different story and while the defense was effective against the run, injuries in the defensive backfield made the Dolphins vulnerable.

Minnesota, coached by Dennis Green, was 2-1 and also had a prolific veteran passer in QB Warren Moon (pictured above), who had been obtained from the Houston Oilers the previous offseason. Wide receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed made for a good tandem and RB Terry Allen was back after missing all of ’93 due to a knee injury that required surgery. The tough defense had not given up more than 16 points in any of the first three games.

There were 64,035 fans in attendance at the Metrodome. Both teams went three-and-out to start the game. The Vikings then put together an 84-yard drive in eight plays. Terry Allen (pictured below) started it off with a 45-yard run to the Miami 39, and Warren Moon completed three passes, the last to Cris Carter for a two-yard touchdown. Fuad Reveiz added the extra point.

Another short Miami series ended with a punt and this time Minnesota advanced 66 yards in 10 plays. Moon completed five passes, three of them to Jake Reed for 13, 17, and 15 yards, and Allen capped the series with an eight-yard run for a TD. Reveiz converted to stake the Vikings to a 14-0 lead that they carried into the second quarter.

The Dolphins, who had been quiet on offense thus far, finally began to move the ball and Dan Marino threw to WR Irving Fryar for a 43-yard gain to the Minnesota 23. However, the drive bogged down at that point and the visitors came up empty when Pete Stoyanovich was wide to the left on a 40-yard field goal attempt.

The Vikings punted but got the ball back when LB Jack Del Rio intercepted a Marino pass to give them possession at their own 47. Minnesota made the most of the turnover, going 53 yards in five plays. The biggest was a pass from Moon to Carter that covered 44 yards for a touchdown. Reveiz again added the extra point.

Now down 21-0 midway through the second quarter, Marino filled the air with passes. A third-and-13 throw to WR Mike Williams picked up 15 yards and another third down toss was complete to Fryar for 17 yards to the Minnesota 45. But after getting down to the 28, the Dolphins again came up empty when Marino was picked off by DB Lamar McGriggs.

Now it was Minnesota’s turn to go to the air, and Moon hit on five passes, the longest to RB David Palmer for 39 yards to the Miami eight and, from there, the last was to Carter for a TD. It was 28-0 with less than a minute remaining in the half, but the Dolphins responded by taking advantage of a short kickoff and going 49 yards in three plays. Marino finally got Miami on the board with a throw to WR O.J. McDuffie for a 26-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed (and starting RB Terry Kirby suffered a season-ending injury on the play), and the Vikings took a 28-6 lead into halftime.

The Dolphins had the first possession in the third quarter and Marino (pictured at right) completed six passes in an 11-play, 74-yard series that included a fourth-and-ten throw to Williams for 19 yards and concluded with a three-yard TD toss to TE Greg Baty. Marino then connected with Fryar for a two-point conversion that made the score 28-14.

On Minnesota’s next possession, Moon completed a pass to WR Qadray Ismail for 34 yards, but the Vikings came up empty when Reveiz was short on a 52-yard field goal attempt. They got the ball back when Del Rio again intercepted a Marino pass at his own 27. This time the Vikings went three-and-out and had to punt, and the Dolphins weren’t stopped this time. Marino started off with a pass to Fryar for 19 yards to get into Minnesota territory and, facing third-and-14 after being sacked by DE James Harris, he connected with FB Keith Byars for six yards and converted the resulting fourth down with a 15-yard completion to Fryar. Two plays later, Marino hit TE Keith Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown and, with Stoyanovich booting the extra point, the Dolphins were down by only 28-21 heading into the final period.

The Vikings reached midfield on their next series before having to punt, and Miami came surging back with a 76-yard drive in six plays. Marino had a 25-yard completion to Jackson, converted a third-and-ten play with a throw to Byars for the necessary 10 yards, and a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the Minnesota ten, from where RB Bernie Parmalee ran for a TD. Stoyanovich kicked the game-tying PAT to make the tally 28-28, capping a franchise-record rally.

There were still over ten minutes remaining in regulation as the Vikings regained possession, and Moon moved them quickly down the field with throws to Reed for 13 and 21 yards. From the Miami 36, Allen ran 30 yards up the middle and, two plays later, RB Scottie Graham rushed for a three-yard touchdown. Reveiz converted and the home team was back in front by 35-28.

Reveiz then squibbed the kickoff which was fumbled and LB Dave Garnett recovered for the Vikings at the Minnesota 49. With Graham running the ball, the Vikings reached the Miami 42 before a series of three penalties – the first on Miami, the last two on Minnesota – had them facing first-and-27 at the Miami 41. Moon threw two completions that covered 18 yards, Graham ran for three, and Reveiz kicked a 38-yard field goal to extend the lead to ten points.

The Dolphins appeared anything but done when McDuffie returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Minnesota 49 with 3:37 to play. Marino passed to Byars for 11 yards and then Fryar for a big gain of 35 yards that, with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty added on, placed the ball on the two yard line. Parmalee was held to no gain on a running play, and then it was three straight passes, the last falling incomplete on fourth down to give the ball back to the Vikings.

A short series had Minnesota punting the ball back to the Dolphins, who started off at the 50 with the clock now down to 1:47. Once again Marino passed them down the field, and again it was a toss to Fryar that was good for a big gain of 31 yards to the Minnesota eight. This time Miami didn’t come up empty as Byars finished off the five-play, 50-yard drive with a one-yard scoring carry. Stoyanovich added the extra point to make it a three-point contest.

However, there was only a little over a minute remaining and, when the onside kick attempt was recovered by Minnesota WR Chris Walsh, the Vikings finally clinched a 38-35 win.

Miami, playing from behind for almost the entire game, led in total yards (473 to 458) and first downs (27 to 24). However, the Dolphins also turned the ball over four times, to none suffered by Minnesota, while the Vikings were penalized 10 times to just two flags thrown on Miami. Failing to come out on top after erasing the 28-point deficit cost the Dolphins a share of the NFL record for most points overcome to win a game.

Warren Moon completed 26 of 37 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Terry Allen ran for 113 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Jake Reed topped the Minnesota receivers with 9 catches for 127 yards and Cris Carter contributed 7 receptions for 81 yards and three scores. On defense, Jack Del Rio accounted for two interceptions.

For the Dolphins, Dan Marino was successful on 29 of 54 throws for 431 yards and three TDs as well as three interceptions. Keith Byars caught 10 of those passes for 79 yards and Irving Fryar (pictured below) gained 160 yards on 6 receptions. Bernie Parmalee topped the miniscule ground attack with 22 yards on six carries. Terry Kirby gained 13 yards on 9 attempts before being lost with torn knee ligaments.  

Minnesota lost the next week but then went on to win four straight on the way to topping the NFC Central with a 10-6 record. The Vikings lost to the division-rival Bears in the Wild Card playoff round. The Dolphins won the AFC East, also with a 10-6 tally, and reached the Divisional round of the postseason before being edged by San Diego.

Warren Moon led the NFC in pass attempts (601), completions (371), and yards (4264), although his interceptions (19) outnumbered his touchdown passes (18). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh straight year. Dan Marino came in ahead of Moon with 615 attempts, 385 completions, and 4453 yards, which all ranked second in the NFL to New England’s Drew Bledsoe. Marino led the AFC with 30 TD passes while giving up 17 interceptions. He received second-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press as well as All-AFC and Pro Bowl recognition for the eighth time.

Cris Carter set a short-lived NFL record by catching 122 passes (Detroit’s Herman Moore broke it the following year). He gained 1256 yards (10.3 avg.), scored seven TDs, and was a consensus first-team All-NFL honoree as well as being chosen to the Pro Bowl for a second year in a row (of an eventual string of eight). Jake Reed ended up with a career-high 85 receptions for 1175 yards (13.8 avg.) and four scores. Terry Allen, successfully coming back from his severe injury, rushed for 1031 yards on 255 carries (4.0 avg.) and accumulated eight touchdowns.

Irving Fryar gained Pro Bowl recognition for the second consecutive year by catching 73 passes for 1270 yards (17.4 avg.) and seven TDs. Keith Byars went down with an injury nine weeks into the season, having caught 49 passes for 418 yards (8.5 avg.) and five touchdowns.

2000: Packers Beat Vikings on Stunning Freeman TD Catch in Overtime

The Green Bay Packers were struggling at 3-5 as they faced the division-rival Minnesota Vikings on November 6, 2000. While Head Coach Mike Sherman’s team still had star QB Brett Favre, very much in his prime at age 31, there were questions at running back, where veteran Dorsey Levens was out with an injury and backup Ahman Green, new to the team after two nondescript years with Seattle, was not yet established in the offense. WR Antonio Freeman appeared to be on the downside of his career and the rest of the receivers were ordinary. While the defense was not bad, it would be severely tested against Minnesota’s outstanding receivers.

The Vikings, under Head Coach Dennis Green for the ninth year, had a 7-1 record, having lost for the first time at Tampa Bay the previous week. Second-year QB Daunte Culpepper was easing successfully into the starting role and was helped by the presence of two outstanding wide receivers in Cris Carter and Randy Moss. RB Robert Smith was also highly productive. However, the defense was a cause of concern.

There were 59,854 fans in attendance for the rainy Monday night encounter at Lambeau Field. The Packers had first possession and punted. On Minnesota’s second play, Daunte Culpepper threw to Randy Moss on a slant and, after evading two tackles before being caught by DT Santana Dotson 20 yards down field, he lateraled to Cris Carter for an additional eight yards. A pass to Carter and two carries by Robert Smith advanced the ball to the Green Bay nine. On third-and-goal, Culpepper scrambled for an apparent touchdown, but it was nullified due to a personal foul penalty and the Vikings had to settle for a 30-yard Gary Anderson field goal.

Green Bay put together a 15-play, 81-yard drive that extended into the second quarter. Favre connected with Antonio Freeman for 20 yards on a third-and-five play and WR Bill Schroeder ran for 12 yards on a reverse that was helped by Favre’s block on LB Dwayne Rudd. Following a 15-yard completion to Freeman to get to the Minnesota five, the Packers couldn’t reach the end zone and Ryan Longwell kicked a 24-yard field goal to tie the score.

Key calls by the officials played a role in Minnesota’s next series. First, Culpepper was sacked by DT Russell Maryland, but an apparent fumble that was recovered by the Packers in the end zone was overruled with the officials explaining that the quarterback’s knee was already down. Then, on a third-and-19 play, a taunting penalty on CB Mike McKenzie gave the Vikings a first down. Smith ran for 22 yards and Culpepper threw to Moss for a 42-yard gain to the Green Bay 20. Another short pass was followed by a throw that Carter wrestled away from McKenzie for a five-yard TD. The series had gone 84 yards in eight plays and Anderson added the extra point to make it 10-3 in favor of the visitors.

The Packers came back with an 87-yard scoring drive. On the second play, Favre (pictured below) threw to Freeman for a 33-yard gain. An interference call on CB Cris Dishman added another 28 yards and, two plays later, Favre rolled out and, as he was being pulled down around the waist by LB Ed McDaniel, he flipped a pass underhand to Ahman Green, who caught the throw just inside the end zone for a touchdown. Longwell’s PAT once again made it a tie score at 10-10.

With time running out in the first half, the Vikings went 57 yards in nine plays. They converted in a third-and-eight situation when Moss out-jumped FS Darren Sharper to catch a Culpepper pass for a 33-yard gain. Two plays later, a screen pass to Smith gained 22 yards to the Green Bay 30. The drive came up dry at that point, with three passes falling incomplete, and Anderson booted a 48-yard field goal as the half ended to give the Vikings a 13-10 lead at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Packers got a break on defense when McKenzie intercepted a Culpepper pass and returned it 26 yards to the Minnesota 34. They were able to advance 21 yards in six plays and Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal to again knot the score at 13-13.

Minnesota came right back with a 73-yard drive. Smith gained 13 yards on a sweep and Culpepper, flushed out of the pocket, ran for nine yards to the Green Bay 38. However, the series stalled but, facing third-and-17, Culpepper tossed a swing pass to Smith that the running back took all the way for a 45-yard touchdown. Anderson’s extra point had the Vikings back up by seven.

The Packers responded with a big play when CB Allen Rossum returned the kickoff 90 yards to the Minnesota two yard line. Two plays later, Green powered over for a TD from that distance and, adding Longwell’s kick, the score was tied once more at 20-20.

In the fourth quarter, Green Bay got the ball back following a punt when RB David Palmer fumbled on the return and long snapper Rob Davis recovered at the Minnesota 35. However, the Packers were unable to capitalize on a series in which Favre was sacked for a 12-yard loss.

Green Bay had another shot when a pass interference call on CB Robert Tate was good for 28 yards, but Schoeder dropped a third-and-seven throw in the end zone. The Packers passed up a long field goal attempt into the wind and the resulting punt went into the end zone for a touchback.

The Packers got the ball back in their own territory, couldn’t move, and had to punt, with Josh Bidwell’s kick going only 25 yards. Starting from the Green Bay 48, Culpepper threw to Moss for 19 yards and, with time running out, the Vikings lined up for a 33-yard field goal attempt by Anderson to win the game. But holder Mitch Berger couldn’t handle the snap cleanly and had to abort the kick. Rolling out to his right – and apparently forgetting that it was only first down and he could have thrown the ball away, with the team then able to attempt another kick – he tossed a desperation pass down the field that was intercepted by CB Tyrone Williams as time ran out. With the score still tied at 20-20, the game headed into overtime. 

The Packers had the first possession in OT. They converted a third-and-nine as Favre threw to Schroeder for a 22-yard gain. Two runs netted six yards and, on a third-and-four play, Favre went deep for Antonio Freeman, who was well-covered by Cris Dishman. Freeman slipped on the slick turf and fell as Dishman muffed a potential interception, and the ball fell onto Freeman’s left arm (pictured at top). The receiver pulled it to his chest and, jumping up, got past SS Robert Griffith and sped to the end zone where a wild celebration ensued. Green Bay won in astonishing fashion by a score of 26-20.

The Vikings significantly outgained Green Bay (407 yards to 298) and had the edge in first downs (22 to 19). However, Minnesota turned the ball over five times, while the Packers suffered none. The Vikings were also penalized 11 times at a cost of 129 yards, to 8 flags for 63 yards on Green Bay.

Brett Favre completed 17 of 36 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Antonio Freeman had 5 catches for 118 yards and the game-winning TD and Ahman Green also had 5 pass receptions, for 34 yards, to go along with his 68 rushing yards on 23 carries. He scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Bill Schroeder contributed four catches for 63 yards.

For the Vikings, Randy Moss had four catches for 103 yards in the first half despite Green Bay’s concentrated attempt to stop him, but was marginalized in the second half and ended up with 6 receptions for 130 yards. Cris Carter added 5 catches for 59 yards and a TD. Daunte Culpepper was successful on 17 of 34 throws for 276 yards and two TDs, but also tossed three interceptions. Robert Smith ran for 122 yards on 24 carries and had another 67 yards and a score on his two catches.

The Packers lost the next week but finished strong by winning five of their last six games (including another victory over the Vikings). They ended up third in the NFC Central with a 9-7 record. Minnesota recovered to win four straight games before losing three to finish out the regular season at 11-5. That made them division champs and they beat the Saints in the Divisional playoff round before being soundly beaten by the Giants for the NFC title.

Brett Favre had a relatively off year by his standards. He led the NFC with 580 pass attempts, completing 58.3 percent for 3812 yards and 20 touchdowns as opposed to 16 interceptions. Antonio Freeman caught 62 passes for 912 yards and nine TDs. Ahman Green performed well in the second half of the year and, in addition to leading the team in rushing (1175 yards), he also had the most pass receptions (73). It set the stage for bigger years to come as he topped the thousand-yard rushing mark in six of his first seven years with the club.

Daunte Culpepper went on to tie for the NFL lead in touchdown passes (33, along with Peyton Manning of the Colts) while throwing for 3937 yards and a fourth-ranked passer rating of 98.0. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. So was Randy Moss, who was also a consensus first-team All-NFL honoree as he caught 77 passes for 1437 yards and a league-leading 15 receiving touchdowns. 

1997: Vikings Rally to Edge Giants in Wild Card Playoff Game

The NFC Wild Card Playoff game on December 27, 1997 featured the New York Giants, who had gone from last to first in the NFC East, against the visiting Minnesota Vikings, a team that had been to the postseason in four of the previous five years but had failed to win at that level in any of them.

Four of the five teams in the NFC Central had qualified for the playoffs in ’97, with the fourth-place Vikings having grabbed the final Wild Card slot. Under sixth-year Head Coach Dennis Green (pictured at right), the team had gotten off to an 8-2 start before losing five straight contests and just making it into the playoffs at 9-7. Oft-injured RB Robert Smith finally realized his potential with a rushing output of 1266 yards and wide receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed were highly capable. QB Brad Johnson had played very well before suffering a season-ending neck injury, but veteran QB Randall Cunningham, back in the NFL after a year of retirement, filled in ably in his absence. The defense had a star in DT John Randle but was lacking elsewhere, in particular the backfield. Moreover, there was uncertainty regarding the possible sale of the team and Minnesota had yet to win a playoff game under Coach Green, who was not on the best terms with the current owners who were angered by comments made in his autobiography that was published during the season.

New York had a first-year head coach in Jim Fassel and had gone from 6-10 to 10-5-1. Second-year QB Danny Kanell took over the starting job from the disappointing Dave Brown with favorable, if far from spectacular, results. Versatile FB Charles Way was the team’s top rusher while rookie RB Tiki Barber was splitting time with Tyrone Wheatley. Chris Calloway was the most productive of the wide receivers. The defense had All-Pros in DE Michael Strahan, with his 14 sacks, and LB Jessie Armstead.

There were 77,497 fired-up fans in attendance on a snowy day at Giants Stadium – not a good situation for a team like that Vikings that played its home games in a domed stadium. The weather made it very difficult on both offenses throughout the contest. The teams traded punts until Randall Cunningham fumbled and DT Bernard Holsey recovered for the Giants at the Minnesota 23. New York lost ground from there but Brad Daluiso (pictured below) kicked a 43-yard field goal for the early lead.

No sooner did the Vikings get the ball back when Cunningham fumbled it away again, this time with Michael Strahan recovering at the Minnesota 46. The Giants had more success on offense this time, driving to the four yard line with the big play a completion by Danny Kanell to Charles Way for 27 yards. Still, they settled for another Daluiso field goal of 22 yards but took a 6-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Giants had possession as the game moved into the second quarter and this time drove 56 yards in seven plays to a touchdown. Kanell threw to Tiki Barber for 11 yards in a third-and-four situation at midfield and then passed to WR David Patten for a 37-yard gain to the Minnesota two. A running play lost a yard but Kanell connected with TE Aaron Pierce for the two-yard TD. Daluiso’s extra point made it 13-0 in favor of the home team.

After the teams again traded punts another turnover by the Vikings led to more New York points. Cunningham’s long pass was intercepted by CB Jason Sehorn, who returned it 36 yards to the Minnesota 47. The ensuing six-play, 23-yard series ended with a third Daluiso field goal, this time from 41 yards, that made the score 16-0.

The Vikings finally got a break on a turnover when, following a punt on a three-and-out possession, WR Amani Toomer fumbled and Minnesota got the ball at the New York 26. Cunningham threw to Cris Carter for 19 yards to the seven yard line, but the Vikings were unable to move the ball any further. 41-year-old Eddie Murray kicked a 26-yard field goal to get the visitors on the board.

With less than two minutes remaining in the half as the Giants got the ball again, the scoring was not yet over. New York, starting at the 40 thanks to Minnesota’s kickoff going out of bounds, put together a 10-play drive that gained 26 yards and led to Daluiso kicking a 51-yard field goal to make the halftime score 19-3. While the Giants hadn’t been overly impressive offensively in the first half, Minnesota had gained just 21 rushing yards and Cunningham (pictured at right) completed only 5 of 16 passes. In addition, Cunningham’s two fumbles and an interception all led to points for New York.

The Vikings had the first possession of the third quarter and had to punt, but a fumble by Barber gave them the ball again at the New York four. From there, RB Leroy Hoard ran for a touchdown that, with the point after, narrowed the margin for the Giants to 19-10.

Following a short possession by the Giants, Minnesota drove into New York territory on a series highlighted by a Cunningham pass to Jake Reed for 33 yards. However, Murray’s field goal attempt from 48 yards was unsuccessful. The Vikings got the ball back at their 40 after another short series for the Giants capped by a short punt by Brad Maynard. Minnesota advanced the ball 52 yards in 11 plays culminating in a Murray field goal from 26 yards early in the fourth quarter.

The Giants finally came back alive on offense as Kanell completed six passes, with one to Patten for 18 yards in a third-and-9 situation and the longest to Calloway for 21 yards. The 13-play, 74-yard drive reached the Minnesota five and Daluiso booted his fifth field goal of the day from 22 yards. It was a nine-point contest at 22-13 with just over seven minutes to go and things looked very favorable for the Giants.

After the teams traded punts, the Vikings, getting the ball back with the clock now down to 2:06, struck quickly following another short kick by Maynard. Cunningham connected with Reed for a 30-yard touchdown and Murray added the PAT to narrow the margin to two points. Minnesota successfully executed an onside kick that New York’s Calloway muffed and WR Chris Walsh recovered at his own 39.

Following a false start that moved the Vikings five yards farther back, Cunningham threw an incomplete pass but then hit TE Andrew Glover for 11 yards and Carter for 21 on a third down play. A pass interference penalty on the Giants advanced the ball to the New York 16 and Robert Smith gained 16 yards to set up a 24-yard field goal by Murray. In stunning fashion, the Vikings won by a score of 23-22.

It was the biggest comeback by a NFL road team in the postseason since 1972 and the first playoff win for the Vikings in nine years. Minnesota led in total yards (293 to 266) and first downs (16 to 13). Indeed, the Giants rushed for only 76 yards in 36 attempts, a factor in their inability to control the ball longer. The Vikings turned the ball over three times, all in the first half, to two for New York.

Randall Cunningham, who had such great difficulty in the first half, completed 15 of 36 passes for 203 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also rushed for 38 yards on 7 carries. Cris Carter had 6 catches for 83 yards and Jake Reed (pictured below) gained 89 yards and scored a TD on his 5 receptions. Robert Smith rushed for 40 yards on 16 attempts.

For the Giants, Danny Kanell was successful on 16 of 32 throws for 199 yards with a TD and none intercepted. Chris Calloway caught 6 passes for 53 yards while David Patten gained 86 yards on his 5 receptions. Brad Daluiso was a key performer with his five field goals in as many attempts.

“It was amazing how things unfolded for us at the end,” said Minnesota’s John Randle. “I’ve never been in a game where we’ve come back like this.”

The first win for the Vikings under Dennis Green didn’t lead immediately to a second – they were badly beaten by the 49ers the following week in the Divisional round. With Green still coaching the team, they surged to 15-1 in 1998 and made it to the NFC Championship game. New York fell back to 8-8 in ’98 and didn’t return to the postseason until 2000. By that time, Danny Kanell and Chris Calloway were long gone but Tiki Barber and Amani Toomer had become prominent contributors.

1993: Salisbury’s Passing, Irwin’s Blocked Kicks Propel Vikings Over Broncos

The Minnesota Vikings were 4-4 and coming off of two straight losses as they faced the Denver Broncos on November 14, 1993. Head Coach Dennis Green’s team had difficulty scoring and offensive coordinator Jack Burns was already a casualty. Brittle veteran QB Jim McMahon was injured and Sean Salisbury (pictured above) had taken over. A star for two years in the CFL, leading Winnipeg to a Grey Cup title, Salisbury had been strictly a backup in the NFL. The loss of RB Terry Allen for the year with a knee injury further hampered the offense.

Denver was 5-3 and had just won two consecutive games. Under a new head coach in Wade Phillips, following twelve seasons with Dan Reeves at the helm, the key to the offense was still veteran QB John Elway, and he was thriving in offensive coordinator Jim Fassel’s West Coast offense.

A morning snowstorm had dropped six inches of snow on Denver. While the field at Mile High Stadium was clear, footing was slippery and the temperature was around 30 degrees at kickoff.

Minnesota had the first possession and punted, but Elway fumbled away his first snap, thus giving the Vikings an early break as they took possession at the Denver 34. Three plays later, Sean Salisbury threw to WR Anthony Carter but Carter, having broken a tackle, tripped and fell at the one yard line after gaining 27 yards. It proved to be significant on the next play when Salisbury fumbled while being sacked and LB Karl Mecklenburg recovered for the Broncos.

Denver went three-and-out, but three plays after punting CB Frank Robinson intercepted a Salisbury pass and returned it 13 yards to give the Broncos possession at the Minnesota 31. Elway completed four passes as the home team scored in six plays that included a four-yard throw to WR Derek Russell for a touchdown. However, tackle Tim Irwin blocked the extra point attempt and the score remained 6-0.

The Vikings responded by going 71 yards in seven plays. Following a nine-yard carry by eleventh-year RB Roger Craig to start off the series, Salisbury threw to Anthony Carter for 30 yards to get into Broncos territory. Two plays later he hit Carter again for 39 yards but the drive stalled at the Denver seven yard line and Minnesota settled for a 25-yard field goal by Fuad Reveiz. The Broncos led by a 6-3 score.

Russell returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to give Denver good starting field position at the Minnesota 49. In a series that extended into the second quarter, the Broncos scored in seven plays as RB Robert Delpino ran for a three-yard TD. This time the extra point was successful and Denver’s lead was extended to ten points.

Minnesota’s next possession ended with a fumble by RB Barry Word, forced by Mecklenburg, and once again the Broncos had the ball in good field position at the Vikings’ 37. Again they capitalized, driving methodically down the field in six plays that ended with Elway tossing a 13-yard scoring pass to WR Vance Johnson.

Now down by 17 points midway through the second quarter, the Vikings came back on a series that was highlighted by Salisbury throwing to TE Steve Jordan for a 53-yard gain to the Denver 11. Two plays later Salisbury completed a nine-yard touchdown pass to WR Cris Carter.

Following a Denver punt, the Vikings took possession at their 45 yard line with 1:39 left in the half. It took four plays to cover 55 yards as Salisbury threw to Cris Carter for 23 yards, Anthony Carter for 15, and Craig for a 17-yard touchdown. Going into halftime, Minnesota had narrowed Denver’s lead to 20-17.

After a punt by the Broncos, Minnesota tied the game in its first series of the third quarter. However, it had seemed as though the Vikings would do more than that when Salisbury threw to Cris Carter for 26 yards and, following a pass interference penalty, they had first-and-goal on the Denver three. But two runs by Craig failed to reach the end zone and Salisbury tossed an incomplete pass. Minnesota ended up with a 19-yard Reveiz field goal.

Elway came out throwing on Denver’s next series, but an apparent long completion to TE Shannon Sharpe was nullified by an illegal formation penalty and the Broncos ultimately had to punt. The Vikings had to kick it back and once more Elway passed the Broncos down the field, hitting Johnson for 17 yards and Russell for 30. However, after getting to the Minnesota nine, a 26-yard field goal try by Jason Elam was blocked by Irwin.

As the game entered the fourth quarter, neither team was able to mount another threat until the Vikings took possession at the Denver 40 following a punt. They were able to drive into scoring position and Reveiz kicked a 35-yard field goal. But Denver responded in kind, going 45 yards in six plays that ended with Elam booting a field goal from 53 yards.

The trading of three-pointers continued when the Vikings advanced to the Denver 25 on a series highlighted by a Salisbury pass to Cris Carter for 55 yards. Reveiz added a 43-yard field goal to put Minnesota back in front.

With a little under three minutes left on the clock, Elway and the Broncos mounted another promising drive that was helped along by two defensive penalties. But RB Glyn Milburn’s fumble after catching a pass from Elway at the Minnesota 21 with 54 seconds left stopped the potential comeback in its tracks and sealed the 26-23 win for the Vikings.

Minnesota led in total yards (427 to 342), with all but 70 of that total coming through the air. However, the Broncos had more first downs (25 to 18) and recorded four sacks to one of Elway by the Vikings. Denver also turned the ball over four times, to three suffered by Minnesota. There were 23 penalties in all, with 13 of those called on the Vikings.

Sean Salisbury had an outstanding performance, completing 19 of 37 passes for 366 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cris Carter caught 6 of those throws for 134 yards and a TD while Anthony Carter contributed 111 yards on four receptions. Steve Jordan pulled in 6 passes for 85 yards. Roger Craig was the leading rusher with 41 yards on 14 carries. Tim Irwin (pictured below) blocked a short field goal and extra point, giving him eight blocked kicks thus far in his career.

For the Broncos, John Elway was successful on 30 of 40 throws for 290 yards with two TDs and one interception. Shannon Sharpe caught 7 passes for 104 yards. Rod Bernstine gained 37 yards on 8 rushes and added 6 catches for another 37 yards. Glyn Milburn gained 30 yards on four attempts, caught 5 passes for 27 yards, and had another 116 yards returning kicks, but also had the critical fumble at the end.

“Salisbury is throwing the ball well, hitting the open receiver and using good judgment,” summed up Dennis Green. “Our defense did a good job, holding them to three points in the second half.”

The Vikings lost their next two games but won four of their last five to finish second in the NFC Central with a 9-7 record and qualify for the playoffs as a Wild Card. They lost to the Giants in the first round. Denver also made it to the postseason with an identical 9-7 tally. The Broncos were a Wild Card entry as well, placing third in the AFC West, and lost to the division-rival Raiders in the initial round.

Sean Salisbury started a total of four games for the Vikings in 1993. Overall, he completed 115 of 195 passes (59 %) for 1413 yards with 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. The 366-yard passing performance against Denver was his NFL career high and the second of back-to-back 300-yard games.

The ‘93 season proved to be the finale for Tim Irwin’s 13 years with the Vikings. He ended up with a total of 10 blocked kicks. 

1999: Favre’s Fourth-Down TD Pass Gives Packers Win Over Vikings

Some things had changed for the Green Bay Packers as they entered the 1999 NFL season. Most notably, Head Coach Mike Holmgren had departed for Seattle and was replaced by Ray Rhodes, once the team’s defensive coordinator and most recently the coach of the Eagles. All-time great DE Reggie White had retired following a 16-sack season at age 37. But 30-year-old QB Brett Favre (pictured at right), a three-time league MVP, was still behind center and the key to an offense that also included RB Dorsey Levens and WR Antonio Freeman.

The Packers had gone 11-5 in ’98 and split their first two games in 1999 before hosting the Minnesota Vikings on September 26 at Lambeau Field. The Vikings, coached by Dennis Green, were coming off of a brilliant 15-1 season in 1998 that ended up with an overtime loss to Atlanta in the NFC Championship game. QB Randall Cunningham made a spectacular comeback after a year of retirement followed by a season on the bench, and rookie WR Randy Moss was equally impressive in tandem with veteran Cris Carter. They had beaten the Falcons by three points in the opening game of ‘99 but had lost to Oakland the previous week.

Minnesota scored on its first possession of the game, driving 94 yards in 14 plays that ended with RB Leroy Hoard running for a two-yard touchdown. Along the way, Cunningham completed passes of 23 and 27 yards to Carter.

The Packers responded with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that was capped early in the second quarter by a 28-yard Ryan Longwell field goal. Favre, who accounted for 61 of those yards with five pass completions, connected with Freeman for 12 yards on a third-and-seven play and on a 37-yard pass play to WR Bill Schroeder that put the ball on the Minnesota four.

Midway through the period, Cunningham threw a pass intended for Moss, who was being triple-covered, and DB Antuan Edwards (the first of three rookie defensive backs drafted by the Packers with Minnesota’s passing game in mind) intercepted and returned it for a 26-yard touchdown, putting Green Bay ahead at 10-7. However, inside the last minute before halftime, Gary Anderson evened the score at 10-10 with a 34-yard field goal that was set up by a pass interference call on Edwards, a two-yard run by RB Moe Williams on a fourth-and-one play, and an 18-yard Cunningham completion to WR Jake Reed in a third-and-nine situation to the Packers’ 24.

The Vikings started off the second half with a 13-play possession that went 61 yards. Cunningham completed a six-yard pass to RB David Palmer on a third-and-five play and converted a fourth-and-one situation with a five-yard run to the Green Bay 40. The drive ended with a 22-yard Anderson field goal that put Minnesota back in front at 13-10. The Packers responded with a long drive of their own. Favre completed four of his eight passes, including two that converted third downs, along the way as Green Bay’s offense went 66 yards in 14 plays for a game-tying 35-yard field goal by Longwell.

Less than five minutes into the fourth quarter, Longwell put the Packers in the lead with a 34-yard field goal to cap a 13-play possession. The Minnesota passing game, which had devastated Green Bay in both meetings in ’98, had been well-defensed this time. Randy Moss had caught just one pass for three yards thus far.

But as the game edged down to the final two minutes, the Vikings went 80 yards in just five plays. Cunningham completed a 50-yard pass to Reed to the Green Bay 28. RB Robert Smith ran for 11 yards, and then Moss caught a pass between FS Darren Sharper and CB Tyrone Williams in the middle of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, Minnesota was up by 20-16 and it appeared that the Cunningham-to-Moss combination had once again done in the Packers.

Taking possession at the Green Bay 23 yard line, Favre fired a pass down the middle to WR Corey Bradford for a 22-yard gain and followed with short throws to Levens that got the ball to the Minnesota 32. An incompletion was followed by a six-yard pass to Schroeder with the clock now down to 43 seconds. The Packers took their last timeout and Favre again threw to Levens, who gained just three yards – not only was it too short for a first down, but he failed to get out of bounds.

Moving quickly up to the line without time to huddle on a fourth-and-one play, Favre took the snap, pump-faked to his right, and instead of looking for a short sideline pass to get a first down and stop the clock, went to Bradford down the middle. The wide receiver caught the pass, ran past CB Jimmy Hitchcock, and scored a 23-yard touchdown that sent the home crowd into delirium.

With the exhausted Favre getting oxygen on the sideline, the Vikings had time for just one play, which was a long “Hail Mary” pass by Cunningham that was intercepted by Edwards at the Green Bay five yard line to nail down the stunning 23-20 win for the Packers.

Green Bay outgained the Vikings (360 yards to 328) but Minnesota had the edge in first downs (21 to 20). Neither team was particularly effective on the ground, with the Vikings rushing for 97 yards on 29 attempts and the Packers running the ball 22 times for 71 yards. Green Bay also didn’t turn the ball over at all, while the Vikings did so twice.


Brett Favre completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and the one touchdown. Dorsey Levens gained just 49 yards on 18 carries but also caught a team-leading 9 passes that gained another 84 yards. Bill Schroeder (pictured at left) accumulated 85 yards on his 5 catches and Corey Bradford had four receptions for 72 yards and the game-winning TD.

For the Vikings, Randall Cunningham went to the air 32 times and completed 18 of those passes for 244 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Jake Reed caught 6 passes for 108 yards while Cris Carter contributed 4 receptions for 85 yards. Randy Moss ended up with just two catches for 13 yards and the one TD. Robert Smith was the leading rusher with 85 yards on 21 carries.

“That was close to a miracle, if not a miracle,” said Ray Rhodes afterward.

Despite the thrilling win over the Vikings, the Packers remained an inconsistent team, finishing at 8-8 and in fourth place in the NFC Central, although still nearly qualifying for a wild card spot in the playoffs (two other .500 teams, the Cowboys and Lions, beat them out based on tiebreakers). Minnesota did go to the playoffs, ending up in second place in the division with a 10-6 record and the top wild card slot. The Vikings defeated Dallas in the Wild Card round and lost to the eventual-champion Rams at the Divisional level.

Brett Favre’s statistics reflected his team’s struggles and his own as he dealt with an injured thumb on his passing hand. He led the NFL in pass attempts (595), ranked second in completions (341) as well as interceptions (23), which outnumbered his TD passes (22). While his 4091 yards through the air placed fourth, his completion percentage of 57.3 was his lowest since becoming a starting quarterback in 1992.

Randall Cunningham (pictured below) had a far more disappointing season. Coming off an MVP year in 1998, he lost his starting job to Jeff George and threw for just 1475 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. It marked the end of his three-year tenure in Minnesota.

Cris Carter and Randy Moss were still top receivers, however. Carter caught 90 passes for 1241 yards (13.8 avg.) and 13 touchdowns and was a consensus first-team All-Pro selection as well as Pro Bowl choice. Moss, in his second year, had 80 catches for 1413 yards (17.7 avg.) and 11 TDs and also was chosen for the Pro Bowl.

1994: Vikings Prevail Over Bears with Moon-to-Carter TD in Overtime

The Minnesota Vikings had obtained 37-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured at right) from the Houston Oilers after the 1993 season, with the hope that, having fallen short in the postseason in 1992 and ’93, the addition of the prolific passer would take them deeper into the playoffs. For sure, the addition of Moon, who had been operating in a pass-heavy run-and-shoot offense in Houston, changed the complexion of the offense and Head Coach Dennis Green’s team got off to a 7-2 start in ’94. But coming into the December 1 game against the Chicago Bears, the Vikings had lost three straight and were 7-5.

The Bears, under second-year Head Coach Dave Wannstedt, had won four consecutive games and were 8-4, putting them ahead of Minnesota in the NFC Central division. QB Erik Kramer had been brought in as a free agent to direct the offense, but struggled when he wasn’t injured. Fifth-year veteran Steve Walsh had been effective in his place – a career backup with a notoriously weak arm, he was also a smart game manager who could be effective in a conservative offense. Chicago was a team of no-names, but it was in the thick of the playoff race and had not lost with Walsh starting at quarterback.

There were 61,483 fans for the Thursday night game at the Metrodome. Things started off well for the Vikings when, on the game’s third play from scrimmage, CB Dewayne Washington intercepted a Walsh pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown. The Bears came right back, however, driving 67 yards in nine plays with Walsh throwing to RB Robert Green for a 39-yard TD to tie the score at 7-7.

The teams traded punts until midway through the second quarter when Fuad Reveiz kicked a 45-yard field goal that put the Vikings ahead again at 10-7. After LB Ashley Sheppard recovered a Walsh fumble with just under two minutes left in the half, Minnesota put more points on the board as Reveiz booted a 41-yard field goal on the last play of the half. It was 13-7 in favor of the Vikings at the intermission.

Minnesota went three-and-out in the first possession of the third quarter, and the ensuing punt was returned 60 yards for a touchdown by WR Jeff Graham. With the successful extra point, the Bears were in front for the first time at 14-13. The Vikings responded by driving 55 yards in 10 plays, and Reveiz kicked his third field goal, of 29 yards, to put Minnesota back in the lead at 16-14.

Chicago came back to score again. An 11-play, 64-yard drive that was highlighted by a 30-yard pass completion from Walsh to WR Greg McMurtry resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Kevin Butler and renewed lead of 17-16. That one-point margin expanded quickly when Minnesota WR Qadry Ismail fumbled the kickoff return and LB Barry Minter recovered for the Bears at the Vikings’ 33 yard line. Three plays later Walsh passed to McMurtry for a 15-yard touchdown and Chicago had a 24-16 lead after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter, Reveiz kicked a fourth field goal for the Vikings, from 38 yards, to narrow the score to 24-19. The teams traded punts, but a fumble by Bears RB Lewis Tillman gave Minnesota the ball at the Chicago 15 yard line. The Vikings capitalized when Moon tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to WR Cris Carter. Following a successful two-point conversion on a Moon pass to TE Andrew Jordan, Minnesota was back in front at 27-24.

Still, the Bears came back as WR Nate Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards and Butler tied the game just after the two-minute warning on a 33-yard field goal. Both teams had opportunities to win in regulation, but after trading punts, a long bomb by Moon was intercepted by CB Donnell Woolford at the Chicago three yard line.

The Bears won the toss in the overtime period and appeared set to win as they drove to the Minnesota 22 in nine plays. But Butler’s 40-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left, and two plays later Moon connected with Carter for a 65-yard touchdown that produced a 33-27 win for the Vikings.


Minnesota outgained the Bears, 385 yards to 312, and had 21 first downs to Chicago’s 15. Warren Moon completed 27 of 48 passes for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Cris Carter (pictured at left) caught 9 passes for 124 yards and two TDs. RB Terry Allen gained 74 yards rushing on 18 carries.

For the Bears, Steve Walsh was successful on 24 of 33 passes for 233 yards with two TDs and one picked off. Robert Green led the receivers with 6 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield, and ran the ball three times for 15 more yards. Lewis Tillman led the running attack with just 49 yards on 21 attempts.

Minnesota went on to place first in the NFC Central with a 10-6 record while the 9-7 Bears, along with Green Bay and Detroit, made it into the playoffs as a wild card team (officially, due to tiebreakers, they finished fourth in the division). Chicago had lost both of its games against the Vikings during the season, but avenged the losses in the Wild Card playoff by a score of 35-18. The Bears lost to the 49ers in the Divisional playoff game.

Warren Moon became the first 4000-yard passer in Vikings history, with an NFC-leading 4264. However, while he threw 18 touchdown passes, he also ranked second in the league with 19 interceptions.

Cris Carter set a new NFL record with 122 pass receptions and ranked seventh in the NFL in receiving yards with 1256. While he would duplicate the pass receiving total in ’95, Detroit’s Herman Moore broke the record with 123 catches.

Steve Walsh (pictured below) went 8-3 as the starting quarterback for the Bears, and while Moon outranked him in the passing rankings (79.9 to 77.9), Walsh had the lower interception percentage (2.3 to 3.2). However, he threw just 10 TD passes to his 8 interceptions and averaged a lowly 6.1 yards per attempt. He went back on the bench in ’95 and started a total of three games (all in 1996 with the Rams) in the remaining five years of his career.

1999: Falcons Stun Vikings in Overtime for NFC Championship

The 1998 Minnesota Vikings certainly appeared to be a championship team in the making as they rode a powerful offense to a 15-1 record that easily topped the NFC Central and set a mark with 556 points scored along the way (since topped by the 2007 Patriots). Head Coach Dennis Green’s team had benefited from the revival of 36-year-old QB Randall Cunningham’s career; after a year’s retirement and a season as a backup, he took over for the injured Brad Johnson and proceeded to lead the NFL in passing, with 3704 yards and 34 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions. He had outstanding targets in veteran WR Cris Carter (78 catches, 1011 yards) and rookie sensation Randy Moss (69 receptions, 1313 yards, and a rookie-record 17 TD catches) at the other wide receiver spot. RB Robert Smith accounted for 1187 rushing yards as well.


The Vikings easily disposed of the upstart Arizona Cardinals in the Divisional round and hosted the Atlanta Falcons at the Metrodome on January 17, 1999 for the NFC Championship.

The Falcons had won the NFC West with a 14-2 tally under Head Coach Dan Reeves. They didn’t dazzle in the ways that Minnesota did, with a run-oriented offense keyed by RB Jamal Anderson (1846 yards). Veteran QB Chris Chandler had a steady season in which he achieved career highs in passing yards (3154) and touchdown passes (25) as well as a 100.9 passer rating. Wide receivers Terance Mathis and Tony Martin both had over 60 catches and 1100 yards. The defense was unspectacular but opportunistic, leading the league in takeaways (44). Atlanta defeated the 49ers in the Divisional round to move to the NFC Championship game, where they were an 11-point underdog.

The Falcons scored on their first possession, marching 76 yards in 15 plays and getting a touchdown on a five-yard pass from Chandler to Anderson. Minnesota came right back with a 31-yard TD pass from Cunningham to Moss, evening the score at 7-7 after one quarter. The Vikings appeared to take control of the game in the second quarter, taking advantage of fumbles by Atlanta RB Harold Green and TE O.J. Santiago as they added two field goals by Gary Anderson and a one-yard touchdown run by Cunningham for a 20-7 lead.

Momentum shifted back to the Falcons late in the second quarter, however, when Cunningham fumbled the ball away. Chandler threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mathis on the first play after the turnover and the deficit was cut to 20-14 at the half.

Atlanta pulled closer in the third quarter thanks to a 27-yard Morten Andersen field goal. But the Vikings got on the board again early in the fourth quarter after a 15-play, 82 yard drive that ended with a 5-yard TD pass from Cunningham to WR Matthew Hatchette.

The Falcons came back quickly thanks to Chandler’s 70-yard pass to Martin that set up a 24-yard Andersen field goal. The Minnesota offense stalled in its next two possessions, but when they went 55 yards to set up a potentially game-clinching field goal with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, it appeared that they were on the way to the Super Bowl. However, Gary Anderson, who had not missed any of his 35 field goal attempts during the season or his four thus far in the postseason, was wide to the left on the 38-yard attempt.

Atlanta’s offense had shown great poise throughout the game, particularly in the loud Metrodome venue, and with the Vikings fans in full roar, proceeded to drive 71 yards in eight plays that culminated in Chandler’s 27-yard pass to Mathis that tied the score at 27-27 and sent the contest into overtime (pictured at top).

Minnesota received the kickoff in “sudden death”, but in two possessions was unable to effectively move the ball. Mitch Berger punted 52 yards to the Atlanta nine yard line after the second possession. Chandler, now limping from an ankle injury, provided more heroics as he hit Santiago on passes of 15 and 26 yards to move the Falcons to the Minnesota 48. The offense drove the ball in deliberate fashion down to the Vikings 21, and Morten Andersen kicked a 38-yard field goal (pictured at bottom) to give Atlanta a 30-27 win and the conference title.


The Falcons offense accounted for 427 yards to Minnesota’s 356 in the stunning victory. Chris Chandler (pictured at left) had an outstanding performance as he completed 27 of 43 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Tony Martin gained 129 yards on 5 pass receptions, while Terance Mathis caught 6 passes for 73 yards and two scores and Jamal Anderson, who also led the running attack with 67 yards on 23 carries, also caught 6 passes, for 33 yards and a TD.

Randall Cunningham (pictured above right) completed 29 of his 48 passes for 266 yards and two TDs, also having none picked off. Randy Moss and Cris Carter both caught 6 passes, with Moss gaining 75 yards and scoring once, and Carter accumulating 67 yards. Robert Smith rushed 21 times for 71 yards against the tough Falcon defense.

Afterward, many of the comments pertained to the shocking missed field goal attempt by Gary Anderson. “There's no such thing as a guarantee in football in any way, shape or form,” said Coach Dennis Green. “We had such tremendous expectations. That makes it ten times more disappointing,” added Anderson, who had not only had an outstanding season prior to the miss but was one of the great placekickers in NFL history over the course of his long career (the same could be said of Atlanta’s Morten Andersen).

Jubilant Atlanta LB Jessie Tuggle, leader of the defensive unit that performed so well, exclaimed, “We shocked the world! No one thought we would be where we are right now, playing in the NFC Championship. But not only did we come here to play in it, we came here to win it.”

The jubilation failed to extend into the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos – the Falcons lost convincingly, 34-19. They dropped to 5-11 in 1999 and didn’t return to the playoffs until the 2002 season.

The stunning loss in the ’98 NFC Championship game cast a pall over what had arguably been the Minnesota franchise’s greatest season. The Vikings were back in ’99, but the team wasn’t as dominating and made it into the postseason as a wild card, losing in the Divisional round.