Top Ten Teams In Vikings' History

As I sat in my chair at 2 P.M. on a Sunday afternoon with no football games to watch that I'd care for, I happened upon the wonderful world of Wikipedia.

Out of boredom I began to look up the history of the Minnesota Vikings. Seeing as how both the Iowa Hawkeyes and Vikings had a bye week, thus leaving me hung out to dry for a whole week, I started to think about things I could do with the information I found on this site for my weekly blog post.

The result...A top ten list of the best teams in Minnesota Vikings history. That's 47 years worth of football teams to review from. Some of them are pretty obvious. The Super Bowl teams of the '70s. The roller coaster 1998 season with Moss, Carter and Cunningham. So many memories and only 10 to pick from. So without further delay, the Ten Best Teams in Vikings History:

10. 1999 (10-6)- It was a tweener year for this Vikings squad. Coming off of the unforgettable 1998 season, expectations were again high for Minnesota. However, injuries and lack of execution held the Vikes to a 2-4 start to the season. A suddenly ineffective Randall Cunningham was replaced by veteran QB Jeff George and the Vikings found their offensive touch once again, going an impressive 8-2 in their final 10 games to finish 2nd in the NFC Central, a game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and make the playoffs for the 4th year in a row. Minnesota would dominate the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 in the Wild Card game, but lost a wild shootout to the destined Super Bowl champions St. Louis Rams, led by Kurt Warner. That season set the stage for another banner year in 2000 for Minnesota, especially with the acquisition of Daunte Culpepper in the NFL Draft before the season.

9. 1992 (11-5)- After a two year absensce from the playoffs, under the guidance of new head coach Dennis Green (eventual Coach of the Year), the Vikings went on to win the NFC Central and make the playoffs for the first time since 1989, which was coincidentally the last time Minnesota also won the Central division title. The Vikings were upset in the Wild Card game, however, by the Washington Redskins 24-7.

8. 1988 (11-5)- After a miracle run in the NFC playoffs in 1987, in which the 8-7 Vikings got all the way to the NFC Championship before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in one of the best NFC title games of the '80s, the '88 Vikings looked to take it up a notch. They finished 2nd again, a game behind the Chicago Bears, but made the playoffs with an even better record than in 1987. However, the magic wasn't there this time as Minnesota lost in the Divisional round to the powerhouse San Francisco 49ers 34-9.

7. 1970 (12-2)- Just a year removed from Minnesota's first Super Bowl appearance, the Vikings looked poised for another shot at the title. They finished with the best record in the new NFL (the AFL and old NFL merged following the 1969 season), won the first-ever NFC Central division title, and became just the second team in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points allowed and fewest yards allowed in consecutive seasons. All of that was for naught, however, as the Vikings were knocked off in the Divisional round by the San Francisco 49ers 17-14.

6. 1974 (10-4)- A team chalked full of future Hall of Famers, the 1974 version of the Minnesota Vikings was all about repeats. They had repeated as NFC North division champs, then repeated as NFC conference champions (defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 30-14 and the Los Angeles Rams 14-10), and they once again lost a hard-fought battle 16-6 in the Super Bowl. This time to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that would win four titles in the 1970s. The Vikings, meanwhile, would go on to lose four Super Bowls in the '70s.

5. 1975 (12-2)- A determined Vikings team took the field in 1975, eager to get back to the Super Bowl and prove their worth after losing their third NFL title game in three tries. Minnesota dominated en route to their third consecutive Central division title finishing five games ahead of 2nd place Detroit. The Vikings were again No. 1 in the NFC to end the regular season.Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton won several awards that year including Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, and the Bert Bell Award given to the best football player of the year. Yet, once again it just wasn't enough as the Vikings were ousted in the Divisional round by the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, losing 17-14.

4. 1976 (11-2-1)- Minnesota continued its dominating play in the NFC picking up right where they left off in 1975. The Vikings won their fourth consecutive NFC Central division title (they would win 11 of 13 division titles from 1968-1980). Chuck Foreman continued to be one of the league's best running backs and was named to the NFC All-Pro team. Meanwhile, another offensive threat stepped into the spotlight for the Vikings. Fresh out of Grambling State, Sammy White was the unanimous choice for NFL Rookie of the Year at Wide Receiver, a title Foreman had earned three years earlier. Minnesota romped through the playoffs taking out Washington 35-20 and the LA Rams 24-13 to earn their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in eight seasons. The Vikings faced John Madden and the Oakland Raiders in the Rose Bowl for Super Bowl XI. The game was never in doubt, however, as the Vikings would lose 32-14 making them the first to lose four Super Bowls, a feat later outdone by the Buffalo Bills as they decided to lose four straight Super Bowls. It's the kind of thing you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemies.

3. 1973 (12-2)/ 2000 (11-5)- Alright so I lied. I'm listing the Top Eleven teams....that and I accidentally put the two in the same spot when I was picking out the Top 10 teams. Both teams are very deserving, but my apologies all the same. Anyways:
1973- The 1973 Vikings was a squad that was finally starting to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. They had the feared "Purple People Eaters". They had a fiesty gunslinger at QB in Fran Tarkenton. But they needed a running back. Enter Chuck Foreman. Foreman won NFL Rookie of the Year honors and gave the Vikings another viable threat to their offense. Meanwhile, leader of the Vikings defense, defensive tackle Alan Page, won the George S. Halas award for Defensive Player of the Year boosting his future Hall of Fam resume. Minnesota won their 5th Central division title in six years, and this after finishing third the year before going 7-7. They defeated the Redskins 27-20 in the Divisonal round, and the Cowboys 27-10 in the NFC championship to earn the right to face the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII, the Vikings second Super Bowl appearance. The Dolphins, led by Don Shula, were too much for the Vikings, though, defeating them 24-7.

2000- The 2000 Minnesota Vikings took the NFL by storm. They had a opportunistic defense, a veteran receiving corp with Jake Reed and Cris Carter and a young phenom in Randy Moss, and a solid, grind-it-out running back in Robert Smith, who rushed for a career-best 1,521 yards and seven touchdowns. The Vikings just needed some consistency at quarterback. They found that in a young man out of Central Florida named Daunte Culpepper. In his second year as a Viking, Culpepper took over for the aging Jeff George and led the Vikings to a 7-0 start. Minnesota would get to 11-2 clinching their second division title in three years, but lost their last three games while Culpepper was battling injuries. The Vikings took care of the upstart New Orleans Saints 34-16 in the Divisional round and then faced a stern test against the New York Giants in the Meadowlands for the NFC Conference championship.
It was the first time the Vikings and Giants met in the playoffs since 1997 when the Vikings rallied from a 22-13 deficit with a 1:30 remaining to beat the Giants 23-22 at New York. In that game, Minnesota improbably recovered onside kicks on consecutive possessions to spark the unlikely comeback. Minnesota was not so fortunate in their next meeting, getting blown out 41-0. The Giants would then lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. However, Minnesota officials accused New York of listening in to what the Vikings coordinators were saying in the press box and tampering with their equipment. Nothing came of this, however, and Minnesota was yet again denied a shot at the Super Bowl. It was Dennis Green's last shot and it was the closest the Vikings have been since.

2. 1969 (12-2)- The team that started it all. A year after they won their first Central division title, Minnesota upped the ante. This time they won the conference title. Minnesota won their first 12 games of the season before dropping their last two. They led the league in points scored (379) and points allowed (133). They won the last Western Conference Championship game (divisional playoffs) over the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 and then won the last NFL championship game before the NFL-AFL merger over the Cleveland Browns 27-7. They became the first NFL expansion team to win the NFL championship. Bud Grant was named Coach of the Year for his efforts.
The Vikings were loaded with star athletes on both sides of the ball. The defensive unit earned its legendary nickname "Purple People Eaters". This unit consisted of DTs Gary Larsen and Alan Page and DEs Carl Eller and Jim Marshall. They were considered one of the best defensive front-fours in NFL history. Minnesota also had playmakers in the secondary. Bobby Bryant led the team with eight interceptions while Earsell Mackbee had six and future Hall of Famer and former Iowa Hawkeye alum Paul Krause had five interceptions and a touchdown. Joe Kapp was the Viking leader at QB, known for his versatility both on the ground and through the air. Kapp tied the record for most passing TDs in a game with seven against the Baltimore Colts that season. Kapp led the Vikings to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Still, as dominant as the Vikings had been, they could not find their offense against a determined Kansas City Chiefs team from the upstart AFL. The Chiefs upset the mighty Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV. To this day, the '69 Vikings are considered one of the best teams to never win a Super Bowl.

1. 1998 (15-1)- They were arguably one of the greatest teams in NFL history. They set franchise records, they set individual records and they set the NFL record for most points scored in a single season (556). The 1998 Minnesota Vikings had it all. They were the best team in the NFL by season's end. Only a 3-point loss at Tampa Bay kept Minnesota from achieving perfection. They won the NFC Central with ease (their first division title since 1994). Their offense never scored less than 24 points in a single game. It was a team that clicked for one amazing season. Up and down the roster are some of the more recognizable names in NFL history.
With the addition of to-be Offensive Rookie of the Year Randy Moss, Minnesota had a fearsome trio at WR in Moss, Jake Reed, and Cris Carter. Moss would set a record for most receiving touchdowns by a rookie with 17. They had pro bowlers all across the offensive line. Behind them the shifty running back Robert Smith, who would rush for 1,187 yards and six touchdowns despite injuries. And then there was the key that unlocked the magic. After sitting out the 1996 season, an aging Randall Cunningham was signed by the Vikings in 1997 and used as a backup to Brad Johnson. But early in 1998, Johnson was injured an Cunningham would step in and change the complexion of the '98 Vikings for good. Cunningham would go on to pass for 3,704 yards and 34 TDs and win the Bert Bell Award. He was the orchestrator behind Dennis Green's new West Coast offense, in which Offensive Coordinator Brian Billick (who would leave for the Baltimore Ravens the next season) helped design. Green would win Coach of the Year.
Even the defense had veteran playmakers. Guys like John Randle, Ed McDaniel, Orlando Thomas, and Robert Griffith were all instrumental in Minnesota's success defensively.
And then there was Gary Anderson. The old school kicker with the single bar helmet. Anderson was much like the Vikings were that season: perfect in just about every way imaginable. He went 35-for-35 on field goals in the regular season and set a record for most points scored in a single season.

Minnesota dominated the Arizona Cardinals 41-21 in the Divisional round of the playoffs. All they had to do was defeat the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game, which would be played at the Metrodome, and Minnesota would be off to the Super Bowl to face the defending champion Denver Broncos.

But, as has been the case throughout Minnesota's history, it wasn't meant to be.
Atlanta defeated the Vikings 30-27 in Overtime in one of the bigger upsets in NFL history. In that game, Anderson missed a 38-yard field goal that would've potentially sealed the victory for the Vikings. Instead, Atlanta would force overtime, get the ball and sink a 38-yarder of their own by Morten Anderson and walk away with the NFC title and a bid in Super Bowl XXXIII. The Vikings were so close to reaching their ultimate goal, but were denied by fate. As it was, Minnesota became just the third team in NFL history to win 15 games, but they were the first to fail to reach the Super Bowl.

Despite the unfortunate ending to the season, it is hard to argue that the 1998 Minnesota Vikings were the greatest team in franchise history.