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1981 Minnesota Vikings season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NFL team season; last one in Metropolitan Stadium
1981 Minnesota Vikings season
General manager Mike Lynn
Head coach Bud Grant
Home stadiumMetropolitan Stadium
Results
Record7–9
Division place4th NFC Central
PlayoffsDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers LB Matt Blair
WR Ahmad Rashad
TE Joe Senser
Uniform

The 1981 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 21st in the National Football League, their 15th under head coach Bud Grant, and their final season at Metropolitan Stadium. They finished with a 7–9 record, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

The Vikings attempted 709 passes in 1981 (44.3 per game), a league record that stood for 30 years until it was broken by the 2012 Detroit Lions.[1]

Offseason

[edit ]

1981 draft

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Main article: 1981 NFL draft
Pro Bowler
1981 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order Player name Position College Notes
Round Selection
1 18 Traded to the Baltimore Colts [A]
2 39 Mardye McDole Wide receiver Mississippi State from Colts [A]
45 Robin Sendlein Linebacker Texas
52 Jarvis Redwine Running back Nebraska from Rams via Redskins and Colts [A]
3 71 Traded to the New Orleans Saints [B]
74 Tim Irwin Offensive tackle Tennessee from Patriots [C]
4 101 John Swain Cornerback Miami (FL)
5 123 Wendell Ray Defensive end Missouri from Colts [A]
128 Traded to the New Orleans Saints [B]
6 154 Traded to the Miami Dolphins [D]
7 184 Don Shaver Running back Kutztown
8 210 Wade Wilson Quarterback East Texas State
9 237 Traded to the Seattle Seahawks [E]
10 266 James Murphy Wide receiver Utah State
11 293 Bill Stephanos Offensive tackle Boston College
12 320 Brian Williams Tight end Southern

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d The Vikings traded their first-round selection (18th overall) to the Colts in exchange for two second-round (39th and 52nd overall) and a fifth-round selections (123rd overall).
  2. ^ a b The Vikings traded their third- and fifth-round selections (71st and 128th overall) to the Saints in exchange for OT Steve Riley.
  3. ^ The Vikings traded RB Chuck Foreman to the Patriots in exchange for the a third-round selection (74th overall).
  4. ^ The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (154th overall) and a 1982 fifth-round selection (120th overall) to the Dolphins in exchange for C Jim Langer.
  5. ^ The Vikings traded their ninth-round selection (236th overall) to the Seahawks in exchange for OT Nick Bebout.

Roster

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1981 Minnesota Vikings roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Reserve

Rookies in italics

Preseason

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance[2]
1 August 8 Miami Dolphins L 6–20 0–1 Metropolitan Stadium 45,165
2 August 14 at Washington Redskins L 13–27 0–2 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 44,662
3 August 22 Atlanta Falcons W 20–19 1–2 Metropolitan Stadium 42,908
4 August 27 at Los Angeles Rams L 31–34 1–3 Anaheim Stadium 60,141

Regular season

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After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Vikings ran off five straight wins and sat near the top of the NFC at midseason. After splitting their next four games, the Vikings were 7–4 and poised for a playoff run—however, they lost their last five games to close out the year.

The Vikings were led by quarterback Tommy Kramer, who enjoyed the most productive season of his career, throwing for 3,912 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, Kramer also threw 24 interceptions in 1981. The Vikings set an NFL record for pass attempts with 709.

A trio of offensive standouts paced the Vikings in 1981 at the skill positions. Running back Ted Brown was the team's main ball carrier, rushing for 1,063 yards, and also came in third in the NFL with 83 pass receptions; he scored eight touchdowns. Veteran wide receiver Sammy White also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career (1,001) and tight end Joe Senser, who would later become a color analyst on radio for the Vikings, logged 1,004 yards receiving with eight touchdowns; Senser went to the Pro Bowl for the 1981 season.

Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 13–21 0–1 Tampa Stadium 66,287
2 September 14 Oakland Raiders L 10–36 0–2 Metropolitan Stadium 47,186
3 September 20 Detroit Lions W 26–24 1–2 Metropolitan Stadium 45,350
4 September 27 at Green Bay Packers W 30–13 2–2 Milwaukee County Stadium 55,012
5 October 4 Chicago Bears W 24–21 3–2 Metropolitan Stadium 43,827
6 October 11 at San Diego Chargers W 33–31 4–2 San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium 50,708
7 October 18 Philadelphia Eagles W 35–23 5–2 Metropolitan Stadium 45,459
8 October 25 at St. Louis Cardinals L 17–30 5–3 Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium 48,039
9 November 2 at Denver Broncos L 17–19 5–4 Mile High Stadium 74,834
10 November 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 25–10 6–4 Metropolitan Stadium 47,038
11 November 15 New Orleans Saints W 20–10 7–4 Metropolitan Stadium 45,215
12 November 23 at Atlanta Falcons L 30–31 7–5 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 54,086
13 November 29 Green Bay Packers L 23–35 7–6 Metropolitan Stadium 46,025
14 December 6 at Chicago Bears L 9–10 7–7 Soldier Field 50,766
15 December 12 at Detroit Lions L 7–45 7–8 Pontiac Silverdome 79,428
16 December 20 Kansas City Chiefs L 6–10 7–9 Metropolitan Stadium 41,110

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 0 6713
Buccaneers 7 0 01421

at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: September 5
  • Game time: 8:05 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, showers, 80 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,287
  • Referee: Fred Silva (7)
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 45-yard field goal, 10:41. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:36.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 25-yard field goal, 0:33. Buccaneers 7–6. Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 8:12.

Fourth quarter

  • TB – Doug Williams 10-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick), 13:17. Buccaneers 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 2:03.
  • MIN – Joe Senser 4-yard pass from Steve Dils (Rick Danmeier kick), 2:29. Buccaneers 14–13. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 2:39.
  • TB – Neal Colzie 82-yard interception return (Garo Yepremian kick), 0:21. Buccaneers 21–13.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 2: vs Oakland Raiders

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Week 2: Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Raiders 3 13 71336
Vikings 0 7 3010

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: September 14
  • Game time: 8:05 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Overcast, 65 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 42,186
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • OAK – Chris Bahr 21-yard field goal, 1:59. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:35.

Second quarter

  • OAK – Burgess Owens 29-yard interception return (Chris Bahr kick), 5:35. Raiders 10–0.
  • OAK – Todd Christensen 21-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (kick blocked), 1:50. Raiders 16–0. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:58.
  • MIN – Eddie Payton 99-yard kickoff return (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:35. Raiders 16–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 37-yard field goal, 13:00. Raiders 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:00.
  • OAK – Morris Bradshaw 12-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 8:54. Raiders 23–10. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:06.

Fourth quarter

  • OAK – Cedrick Hardman 52-yard fumble recovery (Chris Bahr kick), 8:45. Raiders 30–10.
  • OAK – Malcolm Barnwell 61-yard pass from Marc Wilson (kick blocked), 4:14. Raiders 36–10. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:21.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 3: vs Detroit Lions

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Week 3: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 14 7324
Vikings 7 10 6326

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: September 20
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,350
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • MIN – Joe Senser 4-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:56. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:25.
  • DET – Billy Sims 2-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 7:28. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:28.
  • DET – Billy Sims 3-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 1:13. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:41.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 1:13.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Ted Brown 41-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (kick blocked), 8:12. Vikings 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards, 2:22.
  • DET – Gary Danielson 1-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 2:21. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 3:35.

Fourth quarter

  • DET – Eddie Murray 25-yard field goal, 10:30. Lions 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:08.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 20-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 26–24. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 1:52.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • DET – Billy Sims – 27 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TD
  • MIN – Ted Brown – 18 rushes, 77 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • DET – Freddie Scott – 5 receptions, 113 yards
  • MIN – Ted Brown – 9 receptions, 115 yards, TD

Week 6: at San Diego Chargers

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Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 14 10933
Chargers 7 7 10731

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: October 11
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 50,708
  • Referee: Chuck Heberling
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • MIN – Rickey Young 15-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 14:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:24.
  • MIN – Ted Brown 4-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 9:00. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:10.
  • SD – Dwight Scales 60-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:45. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:15.

Third quarter

  • SD – Rolf Benirschke 39-yard field goal, 9:43. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:32.
  • MIN – Terry LeCount 26-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 6:28. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:15.
  • SD – Charlie Joiner 38-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:32. Chargers 24–21. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:56.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 28-yard field goal, 2:35. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 1:57.

Fourth quarter

  • SD – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:47. Chargers 31–24. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 6:48.
  • MIN – Terry LeCount 43-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (kick failed), 1:51. Chargers 31–30. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:35.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 33–31. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:45.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 7: vs Philadelphia Eagles

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Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Eagles 6 3 01423
Vikings 0 21 7735

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: October 18
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,459
  • Referee: Fred Silva (7)
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 1-yard run (kick blocked), 1:55. Eagles 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:45.

Second quarter

  • MIN – Joe Senser 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:42. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:04.
  • PHI – Tony Franklin 30-yard field goal, 3:48. Eagles 9–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:00.
  • MIN – Sammy White 50-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:54. Vikings 14–9. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:44.
  • MIN – Bob Bruer 1-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:00. Vikings 21–9. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 1:06.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Ahmad Rashad 5-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:32. Vikings 28–9. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:41.

Fourth quarter

  • PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 25-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick), 12:44. Vikings 28–16. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 2:51.
  • MIN – Ted Brown 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:20. Vikings 35–16. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:48.
  • PHI – Harold Carmichael 21-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick), 2:47. Vikings 35–23. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 2:24.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • PHI – Wilbert Montgomery – 10 receptions, 143 yards, TD
  • MIN – Joe Senser – 5 receptions, 88 yards, TD

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

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Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 3 01417
Broncos 0 3 31319

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

  • Date: November 2
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: Mostly fair, 48 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 74,834
  • Referee: Fred Wyant (11)
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • DEN – Fred Steinfort 42-yard field goal, 4:06. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:00.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 32-yard field goal, 0:18. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 3:48.

Third quarter

  • DEN – Fred Steinfort 49-yard field goal, 7:29. Broncos 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 4:39.

Fourth quarter

  • DEN – Rob Lytle 5-yard run (kick failed), 10:16. Broncos 12–3. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 5:52.
  • DEN – Steve Watson 15-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 8:32. Broncos 19–3. Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:36.
  • MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:07. Broncos 19–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:25.
  • MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 2:40. Broncos 19–17. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:15.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 10: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week 10: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 0 3710
Vikings 3 13 7225

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Game information

First quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:47. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:05.

Second quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 38-yard field goal, 13:33. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:19.
  • MIN – Ted Brown 2-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:09. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 17 plays, 95 yards, 9:04.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 0:40.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Rickey Young 1-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:35. Vikings 23–0. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:25.
  • TB – Bill Capece 27-yard field goal, 3:17. Vikings 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:15.

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Doug Williams sacked in the end zone by Mark Mullaney and James White for a safety, 13:08. Vikings 25–3.
  • TB – Jimmie Giles 1-yard pass from Doug Williams (Bill Capece kick), 9:28. Vikings 25–10. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 1:54.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • TB – Doug Williams – 3 rushes, 20 yards
  • MIN – Ted Brown – 31 rushes, 129 yards, TD

Top receivers

Week 11: vs New Orleans Saints

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Week 11: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saints 0 3 0710
Vikings 0 10 10020

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: November 15
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, high overcast, 55 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,215
  • Referee: Dick Jorgensen
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 35-yard field goal, 9:35. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:32.
  • NO – Benny Ricardo 24-yard field goal, 4:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:09.
  • MIN – Joe Senser 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:19. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 19-yard field goal, 8:29. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 6:31.
  • MIN – Ted Brown 9-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:36. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:45.

Fourth quarter

  • NO – George Rogers 1-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick), 6:59. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:54.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 16: vs Kansas City Chiefs

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Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 3 0 7010
Vikings 3 0 306

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Game information

First quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 43-yard field goal, 10:33. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 50 yards, 4:27.
  • KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 1:12. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:41.

Second quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Third quarter

  • KC – Stan Rome 15-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Nick Lowery kick), 10:03. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:57.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:30. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:15.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • KC – Carlos Carson – 3 receptions, 78 yards
  • MIN – Tony Galbreath – 7 receptions, 60 yards

Standings

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NFC Central
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3) 9 7 0 .563 6–2 9–3 315 268 W1
Detroit Lions 8 8 0 .500 4–4 6–6 397 322 L1
Green Bay Packers 8 8 0 .500 4–4 7–7 324 361 L1
Minnesota Vikings 7 9 0 .438 4–4 6–6 325 369 L5
Chicago Bears 6 10 0 .375 2–6 2–10 253 324 W3

Statistics

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Team leaders

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Category Player(s) Value
Passing yards Tommy Kramer 3,912
Passing touchdowns Tommy Kramer 26
Rushing yards Ted Brown 1,063
Rushing touchdowns Ted Brown 6
Receiving yards Joe Senser 1,004
Receiving touchdowns Joe Senser 8
Points Rick Danmeier 97
Kickoff return yards Eddie Payton 898
Punt return yards Eddie Payton 303
Tackles Scott Studwell 230
Interceptions Tommy Hannon
Willie Teal 		4
  • Vikings single season record although tackles were not official until 2001.

League rankings

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Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank
(out of 28)
Passing offense 4,333 270.8 2nd
Rushing offense 1,512 94.5 28th
Total offense 5,845 365.3 6th
Passing defense 3,328 208.0 18th
Rushing defense 2,045 127.8 15th
Total defense 5,373 335.8 17th

References

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Franchise
Stadiums
Culture
Lore
Rivalries
Division championships (21)
Conference championships (4)
League championships (1)
Retired numbers
Current league affiliations

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