1998 Minnesota Vikings Team Season Highlights "Purple Pride Restored"

me of my most treasured color by school [Applause] [Music] 1998 was a magical ride for the Minnesota Vikings a year in which they rejoined the NFL's elite and stunned the football world with one of the great seasons of all time the bedrock of their success was the highest scoring offense in NFL history a unit that featured a bright young star a wise old veteran and the comeback story of the decade [Music] even when the opposition knew what was coming they still couldn't stop this off [Music] eventually the Vikings reached a rarefied level of competition reserved only for the truly great [Applause] each week a different player rose to the occasion this was a team and every sense of the world as the season wore on each success the Vikings encountered only made them work harder was a state of constant urgency we got a March all night and then fight all day Oh scratching and biting the Vikings became only the third team in league history to go fifteen and won the best record in the NFL in 1998 [Music] that something was about more than just wins has the metrodome thunder dua beach summary a sense that the Vikings had regained their pride as a franchise that feeling Hammond dated directly from the top in the person of new owner [Applause] in 1998 the Vikings championship dreams died just one step away from the Super Bowl [Music] the Vikings loss in the NFC Championship game is a devastating and accomplishment a season that had begun with great enthusiasm back in September [Applause] in their season opener the Vikings received in high opening performance from their number-one draft pick [Music] in a stunning debut rookie Randy Moss scored twice [Music] [Applause] Vikings also went to the rubber weapon [Applause] it was clear from the beginning that this was an offense wouldn't plenty of firepower first step now we've got to build on it there are a lot of things that we can do better but it was clear that we were a quick routine than we were last year a more explosive team to er last year and I think we got that little bit extra Drive in week two in st. Louis Robert Smith showed that extra Drive and an extra gear as he went 74 yards on the longest run of the season but the major story of the game occurred when quarterback Brad Johnson was injured opening the way for Randall Cunningham to see his first action of the year he quickly rekindled an old combo with Chris cards but the Rams would have one last chance [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] right Colton you can't be hitting me like that counter there's not fair defensive end John Randall introduced himself to the Lions and we three in particular the great Barry Sanders [Music] Zander's remain silent so randall found a new friend [Music] rookie quarterback Charlie Batch [Music] [Applause] [Music] we're a three and alright now going to play a team in Chicago who is our big rival we got to make sure that we play better across the board hey Dee what's he going to do today you got a day game Carter brought his AGame - soldier feed and the confidence that has made him one of the most feared receivers in the game hey when you get on your knees to say your prayer tonight pray pray you can play as long as we pray Carter did just that Carter was equally valuable on the sidelines it's all about making plays and it all starts in practice that's why I try to tell you all the time man that's why it's so important to catch every ball because for the confidence standpoint you got to realize that man hey big fella eight late enough to push your mouse to way not to push them out that guy is right back there way to elevate a W is a w unless you're a perfectionist like Chris Carter you know to me it's not about it's not about beating the Bears not about beating st. Louis it's about when we play the big dogs we don't have everything tight on a stormy Monday night in October the Vikings entered storied Lambeau Field looking to snap Green Bay's 29 game home unbeaten streak [Music] in front of a national TV audience Minnesota trashed the defending two-time NFC champions and made it clear to all that they were the team to beat in the division the Packer game was also most of America's first glimpse of Randy Moss and what a sight they saw Moss saved his best for the big time with 190 yards receiving and two touchdown [Music] the Vikings first win in green baize since 1992 left them alone atop the division there the purple gang rock and rolled over the Redskins in week 7 a week later they ran away from the Lions to push their record to seven and old [Music] then in week 9 something unusual happened the Vikings actually lost a gate they would not lose again in the 1998 season back in the Metrodome a new governor was celebrating his recent victory but the Vikings were still thinking of their laws to the Bucs it was all purple early on [Applause] Robert Smith put the biking's out in front on a 61 yard run thanks to some stellar docking by Chris Carter [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] but the Saints would come back to tie the game on their final drive the Vikings pull out all the stops [Applause] [Music] [Music] in Melaka room no one was happier than coach grade whose thoughts were on his newborn son Zachary Dennis William green born on Friday great weekend getting preparation out on the field beat the saints and I get to pick him up at 5:30 so [Applause] [Music] in week 11 the Vikings encountered unexpected trouble with the Cincinnati Bengals that is until Dewayne Rudd returned to bumbles 63-yard [Music] Budds return inspired the offense to put the game away Landy Mars took matters into his own hands like coach graves dogs were the Packer game is the next one for us and it's gonna be important for us to really play our game okay so let's don't let's get caught up in the hype you know we're gonna have a great crowd everybody's all excited about it okay that's another just short-term goal in the March that we're taking just another short-term goal all right they said they were looking forward to play us now they got us it was the showdown that everyone had been waiting for [Music] but Greenbay would have been better off not even showing up Hitchcock's return sparked the Vikings who jumped to an early lead and never looked back once again Randy Moss did the honors [Music] [Applause] at 10:00 and 1:00 the Vikings had a firm hold on the division an axe base to Thanksgiving test in Dallas on the road again down in hostile territory in Texas now we do have our own Texas gym down there we read in the cones yeah so he he will protect our back believe he will protect our back and we take care of the rest [Applause] in front of all of America the Vikings took a part of Marika's team east by piece [Applause] Chris Carter did his part Dallas held Randy Maz to just three catches unfortunately all three were touchdowns of over fifty yards the last of which showcased his blazing speed [Music] [Applause] Leroy hoard capped off the demolition of Dallas as Minnesota made true believers out of the entire country [Music] [Applause] [Music] a warrior's effort that's when it comes down till we were willing to do whatever it took and that's that's what it took it took everything we have and that's kind of where it is in week 14 Chris Carter was out with an injury and coach Green was counting on Randy Moss matter what get it caught hold on to it make that damn official come try it out of your hands after you scored touchdown Randy in a rout of Chicago boss would score three more times as the Vikings clinched the NFC Center in week 16 biking alumni gathered to honor a longtime trainer Fred's amber letting an employee of the club since its inception in 1961 [Music] against playoff bound Jacksonville the defense rose up the offense ran off 50 points their highest output of the season and the most by any biking team since 1974 in the final game of the season the only thing left to hunt for were spots in the locker boy Chris Carter caught his 101st touchdown to move into second place on the all-time list [Music] and the Vikings broke the single-season points scored record three teams have been 15 to 1 in the history of the National Football League all right give yourselves a round of applause [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] early on in the NFC divisional playoffs the Viking defense noticed something about Cardinal quarterback Jake Plummer [Music] jake the snake' never knew what hit before the game Cardinal cornerback Aeneas Williams declared war on the biking receivers he would soon learn that they Conn would have been a far wiser policy Vikings unleashed all of their offensive might against the Cardinals every weapon was [Applause] [Applause] for Randy Moss it was the culmination of a season of work [Music] [Applause] when the dust cleared one thing was certain [Applause] [Music] [Applause] 1998 was an incredible journey for the Minnesota Vikings on they will not soon forget the team's restored purple pride to its rightful place among the NFL's best and now wait for a chance at a championship run in 99 you

Channel: Sports Odyssey

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Id: Kmfbv-W66Hw

Length: 22min 28sec (1348 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 06 2019