Vikings blow it at the Dome

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 12/29/2004

 

For the second year in a row, with one game left on the road against a last place team (Washington 5-10), the fate of the Vikings has come down to what other teams do. If this happens and if that happens the Vikings can still qualify for the playoffs, thanks to blowing a 31-24 fourth quarter lead at home to the Green Bay Packers.

Yes, the Vikings actually led most of the game 7-0, 14-7, 21-14, 31-24 in the fourth quarter, only to fold again and allow the hated Packers to win 34-31 with just seconds left. The game was played on Christmas Eve before 64,311 at the Metrodome.

The loss could seal the fait of Head Coach Mike Tice, who has an option clause in his contract January 1, stating that team owner Red McCombs can either chose to sign or not.

The Vikings play at Washington Sunday, January 2, 2005, in the final regular season game.

It comes down to the final game on the road again, with the Vikings needing to win to qualify for the playoffs — or have St. Louis lose to either Philadelphia Monday Night or to the New York Jets next Sunday.

Losing to the Packers not only cost the Vikings the Division Title, it also cost them about $9 million in revenues because they may have lost the ability to host a playoff game.

What’s wrong with this picture? Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New England, the Vikings and the New York Jets all started 5-1 or 6-0; only the Vikings and Jets have not qualified for the playoffs. Green Bay started the season 1-4. While the Vikings were 5-1, the Packers swept the Vikings.

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper is headed to the Pro Bowl for the third time, center Matt Birk was selected for the fourth time, and defensive tackle Kevin Williams was selected for the first time. Williams is the second Vikings player to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Dennis Green left, who was not drafted by Green.

Culpepper’s three touchdown passes Friday gives him a team record 37 for the season, surpassing Randall Cunningham’s 34 set in 1998. One of the big reasons the Vikings lost was because the Packers held Randy Moss to only two receptions for 30 yards. He still passed Don Maynard for eighth place on the NFL’s all-time list, with 89 career touchdown receptions.

Culpepper also smashed Warren Moon’s team record for most passing yards in a season of 4,264 set in 1994. Culpepper threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-31 lost to the Packers, and has now thrown for a Vikings record of 4,418 yards — the most ever for one season. Randy Moss also passed Jerry Rice’s NFL record of 9,072 yards for the most receiving yards in NFL history the first seven seasons; Moss has the new mark at 9,076.

Another reason the Vikings lost to the Packers was because they scored too fast. The Packers won the time of possession game 34:13 to 25:47, partly because the Vikings scored touchdowns on three straight plays in the second quarter. The Vikings also had nine penalties for 78 yards; the Packers had only four for 25 yards.

NFL mourns the death of Reggie White

The NFL community was shaken on Sunday after hearing of the tragic death of Reggie White the NFL’s famed “Minister of Defense.” Reggie died of respiratory failure at age 43 at his home in North Carolina.

White played 15 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Carolina Panthers.

White was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He was also an ordained minister. White is second on the NFL’s all-time sacks list with 198 and helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XXXI.

“I just think it’s a tragedy,” said Arizona Head Coach Dennis Green. “Reggie was a great man and father and husband to his wife — a great leader and minister. He brought so many things to the table, and for him to die of a massive heart attack is tragic.”