2005: TDs on Returns Propel Vikings to Win Over Giants

The Minnesota Vikings were struggling with a 3-5 record and had yet to win a road game as they faced the New York Giants at the New Jersey Meadowlands on November 13, 2005. Head Coach Mike Tice’s team was without starting QB Daunte Culpepper, who went down with a season-ending knee injury two weeks earlier, and 37-year-old Brad Johnson was in his place. The receiving corps had no one of the stature of the talented but troublesome Randy Moss, who had departed the previous offseason, and the running game was only fair.

The Giants were coached by Tom Coughlin and 6-2 following three straight wins. Second-year QB Eli Manning was playing well and RB Tiki Barber was a consistent running threat. The receiving corps was a good one, with WR Plaxico Burress and TE Jeremy Shockey the favored targets. The defense was strongest on the line, where DE Osi Umenyiora was a rising talent.  

There were 78,637 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium. The Vikings got a break right at the start when WR Willie Ponder fumbled the opening kickoff and CB Antoine Winfield recovered at the New York 27. However, they were unable to capitalize when the offense couldn’t move and Paul Edinger missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts until FS Darren Sharper (pictured above) intercepted a pass by Eli Manning to give Minnesota the ball once again in New York territory at the 17. And once again the visitors failed to make the most of the opportunity when Edinger tried another field goal attempt that was blocked by DT Damane Duckett.

The teams again exchanged punts following short possessions, but as the first quarter wound down the Giants were on the move. Tiki Barber carried five times for 20 yards and Manning ran the ball himself twice for 24, the first an 11-yard gain that converted a third-and-11 situation. The second quarter began with the ball on the Minnesota 11, but on the first play Manning’s pass intended for Plaxico Burress was intercepted by Sharper, who returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. Edinger added the extra point and in stunning fashion the Vikings held a 7-0 lead.

Starting from their 25 following the ensuing kickoff, the Giants again drove into Minnesota territory. The big play was a throw from Manning to Barber that picked up 48 yards and another pass to FB Jim Finn gained 12 yards to the Minnesota 17. The advance stalled there and Jay Feely kicked a 35-yard field goal.

The Vikings again had to punt following their next series and New York went 49 yards in nine plays. Manning had completions to Burress for 15 yards, Barber for 9, and WR Amani Toomer for 8, and Barber contributed a 13-yard run. Feely booted another field goal, of 40 yards, and it was a one-point game at 7-6.

Minnesota was still unable to move on offense and the resulting punt was returned 55 yards by RB Chad Morton to the Vikings’ 27. But now it was New York’s turn to fail to capitalize when, after reaching the 10, Feely missed a try for a field goal from 28 yards. The score remained unchanged at the half with Minnesota in front despite having gained only six yards on offense.

The Vikings started the third quarter off in a big way as WR Koren Robinson returned the second half kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. Edinger’s PAT put the visitors up by 14-6. New York responded by driving 85 yards in seven plays. A pass interference penalty on Winfield picked up 40 yards and Manning connected with Toomer for a 23-yard TD. Feely added the point after and it was once again a one-point contest at 14-13.

Minnesota put together a promising series in which Brad Johnson threw to Robinson for a 44-yard gain to the New York 27, but an offensive pass interference penalty moved the Vikings back and they ended up having to punt. A three-and-out series by the Giants also resulted in a punt, and RB Mewelde Moore (pictured at left) ran it back 71 yards for yet another touchdown on a return. Edinger added the extra point and the Vikings led by 21-13.

The Giants had to punt following a short series and the teams then exchanged turnovers, with Minnesota RB Michael Bennett fumbling the ball away at his own 40 and Manning giving up an interception to CB Brian Williams.

As the game continued into the fourth quarter, the punts continued. The Giants finally put together a promising drive, starting from their 44. Manning completed three passes, the third to Jeremy Shockey for a gain of 19 yards to the Minnesota 11. But a throw into the end zone was picked off by Sharper, his third of the game, and he returned it 31 yards.

The interception seemed as though it might be the game-clinching blow, but with 3:40 remaining in regulation, the Giants used all of their timeouts as the Vikings ran three plays and punted. New York then advanced 67 yards in eight plays, with Manning successful on three straight passes to start things off and Barber running for 11 yards. A defensive holding penalty moved the ball to the Minnesota 21 from where Manning completed a pass to Barber for 18 yards. Barber ran for a three-yard TD, and then again for the two-point conversion, and the score was tied at 21-21.

The clock was now down to 1:15 as the Vikings, who had not done at all well offensively, began to move down the field. Osi Umenyiora sacked Johnson on the first play, but the quarterback then connected on his next four throws. The drive halted at the New York 30 and Edinger, who had missed twice from shorter distances earlier in the game, kicked a 48-yard field goal with ten seconds left. The Vikings won by a final score of 24-21.

It was the first time in NFL history that a team returned a punt, kickoff, and interception for touchdowns in the same game, and Minnesota would not have won without them. The Giants dominated in total yards (405 to 137) and first downs (25 to 11) as the Vikings had their worst output of the season. They also recorded four sacks, to two by Minnesota. However, New York turned the ball over five times and drew seven flags, to one turnover and seven penalties by the Vikings. And the coverage units for the Giants were burned for the two scoring returns.

Brad Johnson completed 18 of 31 passes for 144 yards and no touchdowns, but also no interceptions. Michael Bennett led the Vikings in rushing with 16 yards on 19 carries and had another 11 yards on 6 catches. Jermaine Wiggins also caught 6 passes, for 42 yards, and Koren Robinson led the team with 44 yards on his lone reception. However, Robinson also averaged 39.5 yards on four kickoff returns that included a TD and, with the long scoring return, Mewelde Moore averaged 29.0 yards on three punt returns. On defense, Darren Sharper intercepted three passes and returned them for 123 yards and a touchdown.

For the Giants, Eli Manning, who had difficulty reading Minnesota’s shifting coverages on defense, was successful on 23 of 48 throws for 291 yards and a TD, but gave up four interceptions. Tiki Barber (pictured above) ran for 95 yards on 23 attempts that included a touchdown and also had 8 catches for 111 yards. Amani Toomer contributed 6 pass receptions for 61 yards and a score.

“I’m glad the guys figured out that we can win the game on defense and special teams,” said Minnesota’s Coach Tice.

The win over the Giants was part of a turnaround by the Vikings as it marked their second of an eventual six straight wins on the way to a 9-7 record and second place finish in the NFC North. New York bounced back to win the next week and topped the NFC East at 11-5, although the Giants were shut out by Carolina in the Wild Card playoff round.

Darren Sharper went on to intercept 9 passes, which led the NFC, while topping the entire league by returning them for 276 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl. Koren Robinson was also selected to the Pro Bowl as he led the conference in kickoff returns with a 26.0 yard average and accounted for 1595 all-purpose yards.

2004: Failed Extra Point Try Allows Vikings to Hold Off Lions

The Minnesota Vikings had gotten off to a 5-1 start in the 2004 NFL season but had struggled thereafter. By the time they faced the Detroit Lions on December 19 they were at 7-6 and trying to stay alive for a playoff spot. Coached by Mike Tice, the offense featured sixth-year QB Daunte Culpepper (pictured above), adept at running as well as passing, and highly talented – if also temperamental – WR Randy Moss. They had beaten Detroit four weeks earlier.

The Lions, under Head Coach Steve Mariucci, were a rebuilding club with a 5-8 record, having lost six of their last seven games. There was young talent on offense in QB Joey Harrington, WR Roy Williams, and rookie first draft choice Kevin Jones, but Harrington was proving to be inconsistent and the defense was tough but thin on depth.

There were 62,337 fans in attendance at Detroit’s Ford Field. The home team had first possession and drove 59 yards in 13 plays. Harrington completed four passes and Jason Hanson kicked a 32-yard field goal to make it 3-0. The Vikings came right back with a long series of their own, going 85 yards in 12 plays. Daunte Culpepper completed five throws along the way, including two to TE Jermaine Wiggins for first downs and a 36-yard touchdown pass to WR Nate Burleson. It was 7-3 in favor of Minnesota after one quarter of play.

The teams traded punts heading into the second quarter before the Vikings struck with a big play. In a third-and-24 situation at his own 18, Culpepper threw to Randy Moss for an 82-yard TD and, with another successful PAT, a 14-3 lead. The Lions responded with a long, sustained 11-play drive that covered 83 yards. Harrington completed a pass to Roy Williams for 24 yards on a third-and-three play and Kevin Jones carried the ball 6 times for 42 yards that included a 16-yard scoring run.  In the final two minutes, Detroit added a 23-yard field goal by Hanson and it was a 14-13 game at the half.

In Detroit’s first possession of the third quarter, and backed up deep in its own territory, Harrington (pictured at left) threw to Williams for another big gain of 37 yards. But the drive ended with SS Corey Chavous intercepting a pass at his own 37. The Lions got a break three plays later when Culpepper was picked off in turn by FS Brock Marion, who returned it to the Minnesota 33. However, three plays after that Jones fumbled and DT Spencer Johnson recovered for the Vikings to snuff out the threat. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, Harrington was intercepted by CB Brian Williams and the Vikings proceeded to put together an eight-play, 68-yard drive. Culpepper connected with Burleson for a 37-yard touchdown. Detroit came back with an 83-yard series that featured a Harrington pass to WR Az-Zahir Hakim for 40 yards, who then lateraled to RB Shawn Bryson for another 22 yards to the Minnesota 14 and, three plays later, Harrington threw to Roy Williams for a nine-yard TD. With the successful two-point conversion on a pass from Harrington to WR Tai Streets, the game was tied at 21-21.

There were just over six minutes remaining as the Vikings took over for their next series. Culpepper came out throwing, with the big completion to RB Moe Williams for 28 yards to the Detroit 34. The tenth play of the 73-yard drive was an 11-yard Culpepper pass to Williams for a TD. Morten Andersen added the extra point and it was 28-21 with the clock now down to 1:37.

Now it was Harrington throwing on every down as the Lions took over at their 20 following a touchback on the kickoff. Three consecutive completions got the ball to the Detroit 40 and, after an incomplete pass, Harrington hit Streets for 15 more yards to get the ball into Vikings territory. A 23-yard toss to Roy Williams moved the Lions to the 15 and a penalty on Minnesota took it to the one. From there, Harrington threw to Williams for a touchdown and it appeared that the game was going into overtime.

However, on the usually-automatic extra point attempt, a bad snap by long snapper Don Muhlbach  bounced before reaching holder Nick Harris. Unable to set the ball for Hanson to kick, Harris was tackled and the PAT was no good. The Vikings recovered the ensuing onside kick and were able to run out the remaining seconds and win by a score of 28-27.

The game was close statistically as the Lions barely edged Minnesota in both total yards (463 to 461) and first downs (24 to 21). Detroit sacked Culpepper five times, while Harrington was dumped twice by the Vikings, but the Lions also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Minnesota.

Daunte Culpepper completed 25 of 35 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Nate Burleson (pictured above) had 5 catches for 134 yards and two TDs and Randy Moss contributed 102 yards on his four pass receptions that included the long touchdown. Jermaine Wiggins had the most receptions for the Vikings with his 6 for 39 yards. RB Michael Bennett gained 51 rushing yards on 13 carries and also had another 51 yards on three catches.

For the Lions, Joey Harrington was successful on 25 of 44 throws for 361 yards and two TDs while two were picked off. Roy Williams, despite suffering from a hip injury, caught 7 of those passes for 104 yards and two scores. Az-Zahir Hakim gained 108 yards on four receptions. Kevin Jones (pictured below) rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts and also made four catches for 35 yards.

The Vikings lost two close games to finish out the regular season at 8-8, but they still qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card. They defeated the division-rival Packers in the first round but lost to Philadelphia at the Divisional level. The loss to Minnesota officially eliminated the Lions from postseason contention and they ended up third in the division at 6-10. Still, it was still the club’s best record since 2000.

For Daunte Culpepper, it was a year in which he led the league in passing yards (4717) and completions (379), both career highs, as were his 39 TD passes, 8.6 yards per attempt, and 69.2 completion percentage. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the third time. It was also the pinnacle of a career that quickly faded. Culpepper was limited to seven games in 2005 due to injury and never again played in more than eight during a season as he moved around to three more teams and, eventually, the UFL.

Likewise, Joey Harrington never lived up to his promise. He, too, achieved career highs in 2004 in passing yards (3047) and touchdowns (19) but failed to meet expectations in ’05 and was dealt to Miami – where he became a teammate of Culpepper.   

2002: Brad Johnson Throws for 5 TDs as Bucs Beat Vikings

Under the leadership of defensive-minded Head Coach Tony Dungy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had gone from being perennial bottom feeders to contenders. However, while they made it to the postseason in four of the five seasons prior to 2002, they got as far as the NFC Championship game once and, in 2000 and ’01, had not gotten beyond the Wild Card playoff round. The problem had been that, while the defense was solid, the offense, directed by a series of coordinators, was conservative and tended to have difficulty scoring points – especially in the postseason. As a result, Dungy was fired following the 2001 season (and of course resurfaced in Indianapolis, where he enjoyed greater success) and was replaced by the more offense-minded Jon Gruden, late of the Oakland Raiders (and after being turned down by Bill Parcells).

Key to the offense was QB Brad Johnson (pictured above), a nine-year NFL veteran in his second season with Tampa Bay. While immobile and not much of a deep passer, he was very accurate on short passes, which made him a good fit in Gruden’s version of the West Coast offense. He also had good leadership skills and toughness. His abilities in the revamped offense were especially evident in a Week 9 matchup against Minnesota.

The Buccaneers were 6-2 as they hosted the Vikings on November 3, 2002 at Raymond James Stadium, but the defense was still largely carrying the club (they had scored just 11 offensive TDs in the eight games) and Johnson had missed the previous contest due to a rib injury. Minnesota, under Head Coach Mike Tice, lost its first four games and was 2-5 coming into the contest, although coming off a good win against Chicago.

Things got off to a good start for Tampa Bay very quickly as safety Jermaine Phillips recovered a fumble by Minnesota WR Nick Davis on the opening kickoff at the Vikings’ 21 yard line. Three plays later, Johnson tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to WR Karl Williams for a quick 7-0 lead.

The Bucs went on to score on each of their first four possessions. A 12-play, 86-yard drive ended with Johnson completing a two-yard TD pass to TE Rickey Dudley and the score stood at 14-0 after one quarter. Early in the second quarter, Martin Gramatica kicked a 36-yard field goal, and Johnson threw another short touchdown pass of two yards to WR Keyshawn Johnson.

Down 24-0 and still in the second period, the Vikings finally got on the board thanks to a big play as RB Michael Bennett ran for an 85-yard touchdown. 43-year-old Gary Anderson kicked a 26-yard field goal before the quarter was over to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 24-10 at halftime (Gramatica missed a 40-yard field goal attempt that would have added to the lead).

Brad Johnson tossed a third quarter touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson of 19 yards and FB Mike Alstott scored in the fourth quarter on a five-yard reception. The Vikings had two one-yard runs by RB Moe Williams, but Minnesota was never able to mount a credible comeback in the second half – even a successful onside kick led to failure when QB Daunte Culpepper was intercepted by DT Warren Sapp. The Buccaneers won convincingly, 38-24.

For a team that had been considered offensively-challenged, it was an impressive showing. Tampa Bay rolled up 446 yards, to 387 for the Vikings, and only punted once. They gave up no turnovers and Johnson wasn’t sacked (pass protection had been an issue in prior weeks). In addition, Minnesota was hurt by a total of 12 penalties.


Brad Johnson completed 24 of 31 passes for 313 yards and a club-record tying five touchdowns while not being intercepted. Keyshawn Johnson (pictured at left) caught 9 passes for 133 yards and two of the TDs (of his career-high 106 receptions in 2001, only one had been for a score). RB Aaron Stecker carried the ball just once, but it was for a 59-yard gain to lead the team in rushing. Mike Alstott ran for 55 yards on 26 carries and caught three passes for 16 yards, including a TD.

Daunte Culpepper went to the air 29 times for the Vikings, with 18 completions for 225 yards, but had no touchdown passes and surrendered two interceptions. Thanks to the long scoring run, Michael Bennett gained 114 yards on just 10 carries. Moe Williams had the two short rushing touchdowns while gaining 43 yards on 7 attempts, and also led Minnesota with 5 pass receptions, for 24 yards. TE Jim Kleinsasser gained 64 yards on three catches.

Tampa Bay lost only twice more the rest of the way and finished atop the NFC South with a 12-4 record. They finally broke through in the postseason, beating the Eagles in Philadelphia for the NFC Championship (the site of their losses in the preceding two playoff appearances) and defeating Oakland in the Super Bowl. Minnesota went 6-10 for second place in the NFC North.

Brad Johnson led the NFC in passing (92.9 rating) and was among the league leaders in completion percentage (62.3) and touchdown passes (22). He threw for 3049 yards and was intercepted only six times, for a league-low 1.3 INT percentage. Johnson was named to the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career (and only time in Tampa Bay).

While the Tampa Bay offense ranked 18th in the league, that was higher than at any time during the Dungy years. Combined with the NFL’s top-ranked defense, it was enough to win a championship.