Minnesota Vikings Notes
From Wire Reports
Dec 1 1996
Safety Robert Griffith returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. Griffith's interception set up Minnesota's first touchdown, and his eight tackles were second on the team. ... Rookie tight end Hunter Goodwin, an offensive tackle at Texas A&M, made a 24-yard catch in the third quarter, his first catch since 1992. ... Minnesota committed just three penalties and has only nine the last three games combined. The Vikings had at least that many in six of their first 10 games. ... The Vikings are 6-0 when a back carries at least 20 times; 4-0 with Robert Smith and 2-0 with Leroy Hoard, who ran 22 times for 94 yards and a touchdown Sunday. ... Hoard's 37-yard catch in the first quarter was the longest by a Minnesota running back since 1988. ... In games against the Cardinals the last two years, Cris Carter had 26 catches for 324 yards and two TDs. That included his 14 catches and 167 yards last year, both career highs. Carter was shut out in the first half Sunday but finished with five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. ... Jay Walker, No. 3 quarterback, got his first NFL action and completed his first career pass, a 19-yarder to Jake Reed in the final minutes.
Nov 24 1996
The Vikings, already playing with three defensive starters out with injuries, lost leading tackler Dixon Edwards to a strained hamstring in the second quarter. He didn't return, and his status for this week's game against Arizona was uncertain. ... Running back Leroy Hoard was knocked unconscious by Bill Romanowski in the third quarter. Hoard, who had 10 yards on 13 carries, stood on the sideline the rest of the game. "He seemed to get everything back together, but anytime someone gets knocked out like that you want to hold him out of the game," said coach Dennis Green. ... Orlando Thomas made one of the season's most spectacular plays on a second-quarter interception. The free safety plowed through tight end Shannon Sharpe and grabbed the ball while toppling to the ground. Sharpe remained prone for several minutes, while Thomas ran 34 yards to set up Brad Johnson's 7-yard TD pass to Chris Walsh for a 10-7 Minnesota lead. "That was the best play I've ever seen since I've been in the NFL," said Minnesota's Dewayne Washington. Sharpe said it was easily the hardest he ever has been hit. ... Walsh has become a crowd favorite for his special teams play during his three seasons with the Vikings. The crowd reacted accordingly to Walsh's first career TD catch, and the ovation was even louder when Walsh made a hard tackle on Vaughn Hebron on the ensuing kickoff.
Nov 17 1996
The Vikings, who entered the game leading the NFC in flags, were penalized four times for 53 yards against Oakland. Minnesota has 91 penalties for 737 yards this season. ... Leroy Hoard, a former Pro Bowl starter who ran for 108 yards on 20 carries in his first game for Minnesota, got cramps late in the game and had to be replaced by Scottie Graham. Hoard was playing for his third team this season. ... John Randle had two sacks, increasing his season total to 9 1/2. ... It was the Vikings' first game in Oakland since 1978. ... Offensive tackle Korey Stringer sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter. The extent of the injury was not known.
Nov 10 1996
Dennis Green's worst defeat as the Minnesota coach was 41-19 at Detroit on Dec. 17, 1994. Sunday's 42-23 Vikings' loss equalled Green's second worst defeat. Minnesota lost 38-19 at San Francisco Oct. 3, 1993. ... Cris Carter caught seven passes for a season-best 142 yards. He had a 40-yard reception in the third quarter. ... Warren Moon threw his 254th career touchdown pass, tying him for sixth on the NFL's career list for touchdown passes with Dan Fouts. ... Starting strong safety Robert Griffith suffered a bruised right shoulder. ... David Palmer lost two fumbles, but also had his career-best 60-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.
Nov 3 1996
The Vikings reported no injuries. ... Coach Dennis Green had said last week that little-used Scottie Graham would start Sunday in place of Robert Smith, who is out for the season with a knee injury. But Amp Lee started his second game of the season. None of the Vikings backs were effective. Lee carried five times for 22 yards, quarterback Brad Johnson had three carries for 12 yards and Graham had four carries for 5 yards. ... Cris Carter's 1-yard TD catch with 1:28 remaining gave him 52 with Minnesota, tying Anthony Carter's team record. That also was Carter's 71st career TD, tying him with Wesley Walker and Bob Hayes for 18th on the career list. ... Carter had only five catches for 88 yards in two previous games against the Chiefs. He had one of his best games of the season Sunday, with nine receptions for 89 yards.
Oct 28 1996
Key injuries played a significant role in the Chicago Bears' 15-13 victory over the Vikings on Monday night. The Vikings lost Robert Smith in the first quarter and possibly for the season with torn ligaments in his left knee. Smith came into the game on pace for 1,584 yards, which would shatter the team record 1,201 set by Terry Allen in 1992. Then Warren Moon limped off late in the third quarter after taking a hit from Jim Flanigan. Moon reinjured the right ankle he originally hurt in the first game. He was replaced by Brad Johnson, who once again played well in relief. ... Moon fumbled once -- Amp Lee recovered for Minnesota -- to creep closer to career fumbles leader Dave Krieg, who did not lose a ball for the Bears. Moon now has fumbled 145 times in 12 1/2 seasons, two fewer than Krieg, who is in his 17th year. ... Safety Robert Griffith also played well. His 10 tackles -- all solo -- included Minnesota's only sack.
Oct 13 1996
The Vikings went into the game tied for second in the NFL with 20 sacks, but only had one Sunday. ... Robert Smith had the Vikings' longest run of the season (57 yards) in the third quarter and finished with a career-high 133 on 18 carries. ... The Vikings broke out of an offensive funk with 394 yards to Tampa Bay's 284, yet only scored one touchdown. Minnesota also was held to one TD in a loss to the New York Giants two weeks ago. ... Minnesota is 3-7 in its last 10 games played outdoors. ... The Bucs finished with no turnovers for the third time this season. The Vikings forced six in a 14-12 victory over Carolina last week. ... Corey Fuller also returned in the fourth quarter after leaving the game because of cramps.
Oct 6 1996
Warren Moon moved past Dan Fouts into third place on the NFL's career passing yardage list. Moon threw for 209 yards, giving him 43,105 in 13 NFL seasons. He needs 3,899 to move past former Viking Fran Tarkenton into second place behind Dan Marino. ... After allowing only eight rushing first downs in its first three games, Carolina has given up 16 in the last two games, six by the Vikings. ... Minnesota is 4-0 this season when Robert Smith carries at least 20 times. He carried 27 times for 102 yards Sunday. ... Fernando Smith had Minnesota's only sack Sunday, forcing a Kerry Collins fumble that led to the Vikings' first touchdown. Smith, who had 2 1/2 sacks in his first two seasons, has 4 1/2 sacks in the last four games. ... When Carolina's Michael Bates blocked a Mitch Berger punt out of the end zone for a safety in the third quarter, it snapped a string of 339 punts without a block against the Vikings. The last time was when Harry Newsome had one blocked in a 42-7 win at Cincinnati on Sept. 27, 1992.
Sep 29 1996
The Giants defense limited the Vikings to just 10 first downs and a season low 228 yards in total offense. ... The Giants defense also got a huge call when field judge Don Hakes overruled an apparent third-quarter TD catch of a Warren Moon-to-David Palmer pass in the Giants end zone. ... The Vikings, who had outscored opponents 42-3 in the fourth quarter in coming from behind to win their first four games in the final period, managed just three second-half points against the Giants. ... With six catches, receiver Chris Carter moved ahead of Sterling Sharpe into 14th place in all-time NFL receptions with 599. ... Carter has now caught at least one pass in each of the last 72 games. ... Scott Sisson's 28-yard fourth quarter field goal was his 10th in a row. ... The Viking defense, which came into the game leading the NFL with 14 sacks, added five more including two by Fernando Smith, but the Vikes only got to Giants QB Dave Brown once in the second half.
Sep 24 1996
Sunday's Metrodome-record crowd of 64,168 included at least 20,000 Green Bay fans, and it sounded more like an even split. That ticked off the Minnesota Vikings, several of whom ripped down a few Packer-backer signs after the game. Robert Brooks also galled the Vikings when he replicated his Lambeau Leap after scoring the game's first touchdown. "We kind of felt like, 'What are you doing? This is our home stadium,' " said Vikings defensive end Derrick Alexander. "Don't come here putting up all those different things. And then when Brooks jumped in the stands, we kind of took that personal." ... Cris Carter had five receptions, giving him 593 for his career. That moved him past Fred Biletnikoff (589) and Harold Carmichael (590) into 15th place. Former Packer Sterling Sharpe is 14th with 595 receptions. ... Warren Moon moved past Joe Montana into third place on the career completions list with 3,431. Former Viking Fran Tarkenton is next for Moon at 3,686. ... There were no significant injuries in the hard-hitting game. Moon left with 3:59 left and Minnesota leading 24-21 after reinjuring his sprained right ankle. He said it wasn't serious and he expects to play against the New York Giants on Sunday.
Sep 16 1996
Cris Carter's fifth and final catch of the game gave him 499 with the Vikings, passing the club record held by Steve Jordan from 1982-94. ... The Vikings' Robert Smith left the game in the fourth quarter with leg cramps. Smith had 81 yards when he left and said he would have gotten 100 yards so he still planned to take his offensive line to dinner. ... Minnesota's Mitch Berger only averaged 34.8 yards per punt. But of his nine attempts, five landed inside the 20.
Sep 9 1996
Harlon Barnett was the defensive star. He was in on 10 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered it to set up the Vikings' winning touchdown.
Sep 1 1996
Linebacker Darryl Talley missed the first game of his 13-year NFL career Sunday as a left knee injury ended his consecutive-games streak at 221. It was the first game Talley missed since his senior year at Cleveland's Sha High School. ... Sunday's attendance of 52,234 was the second-lowest for a Vikings opener since the Metrodome opened in 1982. The lowest was 48,113 for the 1992 home opener against Tampa Bay. ... Minnesota has won 10 straight home openers dating to a 13-10 loss to Detroit in 1986. ... Warren Moon was helped off the field with 1:12 left in the second quarter with two sprained ankles. His status for next weekend's game at Atlanta was uncertain after the game. ... With eight catches, Cris Carter tied Harold Jackson in 19th place on the NFL's career list. Carter has at least one catch in his last 69 games. ... The Vikings ended Detroit's string of 20-point games at 13.
Aug 20 1996
Minnesota released Lin Elliott, leaving Scott Sisson, whose only regular-season experience came three years ago, as the successor to Fuad Reveiz as the Vikings' kicker.
Aug 12 1996
After ending his third holdout in four seasons last week, running back Robert Smith was back on the field, easing resentment over his absence.
He's been good when healthy, but a sprained ankle caused Smith to miss much of the second half of last season.
Linebacker Ed McDaniel was jogging on the field for the first time since injuring his knee July 23, but a decision on season-ending surgery is still pending.
May 25 1996
CB Corey Fuller received his collegiate degree this off-season.
Fuller was a criminology and child development major from Florida State. The Vikings are faced with the prospect of dealing with agent Leigh Steinberg, who represents first-round draft pick Duane Clemons. Steinberg, who represents current QB Warren Moon should be more accessible since no quarterbacks were were taken in the first round of the draft.... The Vikings are set to play the Buffalo Bills in an exhibition game on August8th. Not only will the game be televised on TNT, but it will be the first game in which the new instant replay will be tested.
Apr 22 1996
The Vikings elected to strengthen their defensive line at the top of the draft, electing California defensive end Duane Clemons in the first round and Vanderbilt defensive tackle James Manley in the second round. ... Minnesota chose Kentucky running back Moe Williams in the third round and North Carolina defensive back Sean Boyd in the fifth.
Dec 27 1995
The Vikings needed a win and a loss or tie by Chicago and a loss or tie by Atlanta to make the playoffs. The reverse happened as Minnesota lost to Cincinnati, 27-24. ... The Vikings failed to reach the playoffs for the first time under head coach Dennis Green. ... K Fuad Reveiz missed two field goals, including a
26-yarder that could have won the game, but instead led to the Bengals' winning score. ... QB Warren Moon completed 25-of-41 passes for 281 yards and finished the season with 33 touchdown passes, tying a career high. ... The Vikings are 11-6 in the month of December under Green. ... WR Cris Carter finished with 122 receptions, one shy of tying Detroit's Herman Moore for the NFL record. Carter set the mark last season with 122. ... Minnesota will pick 16th in the draft.
Dec 25 1995
Vikings end on depressing note, Bengals upbeat
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The contrast was striking.
There were the Cincinnati Bengals, frolicking on the field at the conclusion of their fifth consecutive losing season. Coach Dave Shula, only 18-46 in four seasons, was ecstatic.
Across the way, the Minnesota Vikings -- a team that just narrowly missed the playoffs -- headed off the field with the heads-down look of a loser. They made an impressive late-season run, but couldn't quite make up enough ground after their 3-5 start.
The Bengals' last-second, 27-24 victory Sunday demonstrated they're still a team satisfied with any kind of win, no matter how meaningless. The Vikings are not satisfied with anything less than the playoffs.
"We're 8-8. It's like starting from square one again," Vikings linebacker Ed McDaniel said. "It's like we shouldn't have even come out. 8-8? Average."
That's not what the Vikings were looking for after making the playoffs in coach Dennis Green's first three seasons. Quarterback Warren Moon, entering his second season with the Vikings, was expected to lead them deep into the playoffs.
It didn't happen, for a number of reasons. The offense started slowly, the pass defense was a constant problem, and injuries tripped up the Vikings in the first half.
Moon came on strong at the end, throwing 23 touchdown passes and just five interceptions in the final eight games. But the pass defense continued to fail, setting up a 44-38 loss to Detroit and a 37-30 loss to San Francisco that made Minnesota a long shot for the playoffs.
Even before they were finished blowing their 21-point lead Sunday, the Vikings were eliminated by Chicago's victory over Philadelphia.
"We like to win around here. That's what we do," Green said. "We came in with some very high expectations. We're obviously very upset about it."
Green is under contract through 1998, so his job security is not in question. Moon's future isn't nearly so clear.
Moon, 39, has completed the second and final guaranteed year of his contract with the Vikings, who got him from Houston in a trade. Moon doesn't know what's next for him.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said. "Ability-wise, I don't think I'm ready to quit. There are a lot more things involved in the decision."
Where the Vikings are headed is part of the equation.
"As long as you feel like you have a chance, that's going to be part of it," Moon said. "Where do I have a chance to win (a championship)?
"There's a nucleus (in Minnesota), but we need some things. Hopefully those things will be taken into consideration, and that will have something to do with it, too. There are a lot of things that are going to be considered whether I come back or not. In the next month or so, I'll know those answers."
The Bengals (7-9) have even more questions than the Vikings, but at least have improved to the point they can include themselves among the league's mediocre. After consecutive 3-13 seasons, they think they're finally headed up.
"Our next goal is to get into the playoffs," said Shula, who has one year left on his contract and is expected to get the chance to fulfill it. "We were just a game or two short this year. And if we make any progress next year, that's where we've got to go."
Dec 24 1995
The Vikings' 24 points gave them a new season scoring record -- 412. They had 448 net yards Sunday, giving them 6,388 for the season, another club record. ... Warren Moon completed 26 of 43 for 294 yards to finish the season with 4,228 yards, his fourth-highest career total. He threw 23 touchdown passes and just five interceptions in the last eight games. ... The 24 points ended a streak of four-consecutive 30-point games. ... The Vikings won their other three season-ending games under coach Dennis Green and had won their last four games in temperatures under 40 degrees. ... Cris Carter had seven catches for 79 yards and a touchdown, but lost out on the reception title. He finished with 122 -- matching his total of last season, which was an NFL record, but was one shy of Detroit's Herman Moore. "It's disappointing when you're that close and as hard as I've worked, but I've seen Moore and I know him. I'm happy for him. I wanted to break the record, but it's good for Herman," Carter said. ... The Bengals' finish was a repeat of the way they ended last season, with Doug Pelfrey beating Philadelphia on a field goal as time ran out. Pelfrey finished with a club-record 29 field goals and a club-record 121 points. ... Pro Bowl receiver Carl Pickens had six catches, leaving him with 99 for the season. No Bengals receiver has caught 100 in a season. ... Pickens finished the season with 1,234 yards in catches, second only to Eddie Brown's 1,273 yards in 1988. ... Quarterback Jeff Blake threw 11 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in the final eight games, but made the Pro Bowl. He threw for 300 yards just once, in the fourth game of the season. ... The Bengals' defense allowed 6,349 total yards and 4,245 passing yards for the season, both franchise worsts.
Dec 19 1995
Despite their loss to the Niners, the Vikings can still clinch a berth with a win and a loss or tie by Chicago and a loss or tie by Atlanta. ... Minnesota lost for just the second time in its last seven games, and fell to 11-5 in the month of December under Dennis Green. ... QB Warren Moon completed 22-of-39 for 224 yards and three touchdowns. ... WR Cris Carter continued to etch his place in the NFL record book with 12 receptions for 88 yards and a pair of scores. Carter has 115 catches, second only to his 118 last season in league history. ... In a wild game, the Vikings allowed 273 yards in returns, including a 78-yard punt return by San Francisco's Dexter Carter.
Dec 9 1995
Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter and Cleveland Browns coach Bill Belichik exchanged words during the fourth quarter, and Carter ripped Belichik after the game. "I just wanted to let him know that he can't talk to me that way," Carter said when asked about the argument. "That's probably part of the reason his team is in the position it's in, because of the way he treats people." The argument started when Cleveland linebacker Mike Caldwell was called for a late hit on Carter. ... Carter finished with eight catches (103 on the season) for 124 yards to join former Green Bay receiver Sterling Sharpe (1992-93) as the only players in NFL history with at least 100 catches in consecutive years. ... Getting out of Cleveland didn't mean the Browns could get away from criticism over their intended move to Baltimore. There were numerous banners in the Metrodome blasting the decision of owner Art Modell. One read: "All I want for Christmas is Art's two front teeth." Another read: "Cleveland has a Norm Green II," a reference to the owner of the NHL Dallas Stars, who moved the team from Minnesota in 1993. ... Browns receiver Andre Rison, a disappointment this season with just 39 catches entering Saturday's game, didn't start because he was late for a team meeting Friday. He had one reception for 49 yards to set up a first-half field goal and didn't play in the second half. ... Ed McDaniel got his fifth sack of the season, the most by a Vikings linebacker since Matt Blair had five in 1983. ... Browns cornerback Antonio Langham went out with an injury to his right shoulder. ... Along with his first two NFL touchdowns, Vikings running back Charles Evans also had a career-high six catches. Evans was ready to spike the ball after his first TD, but he tossed it to the official instead. "I said, 'No, I'm going to give it to the ref, because I'll be back,' " Evans said. ... Moon's two TD passes gave him 28 for the season, breaking the team record of 26 set by Tommy Kramer in 1981. Moon also tied Y.A. Tittle in ninth place on the NFL's career list with 242 TD passes.
Dec 7 1995
The Vikings completed divisional play with a 3-5 record after Sunday's 31-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Minnesota has won four of its last five games. ... The Vikings are tied with the Bears and Lions with a 7-6 record but they have the worst divisional record of the three teams, which hurts their playoff chances.
Dec 3 1995
Minnesota's Warren Moon moved past Dan Fouts into fourth place on the NFL's career completions list during Sunday's 31-17 win over Tampa Bay. Moon, who finished the game with 3,312 completions, moved past Fouts (3,297) with a 17-yard pass to Jake Reed in the first quarter. Moon's two TD passes to Cris Carter gave him 26 on the season, tying Tommy Kramer's team record set in 1981 and giving Moon 240 for his career. That's good for 10th place on the career list, one more than Len Dawson ... Carter, who set a team record with a TD catch for the fifth consecutive game, needs just five more catches to join Sterling Sharpe (1992-93) as the only players with at least 100 catches two years in a row ... Orlando Thomas tied the Vikings' rookie record with his sixth interception on a badly overthrown pass by Trent Dilfer in the second quarter. Thomas is tied with several players for the NFL lead ... The Buccaneers missed a chance to sweep Minnesota for just the second time since joining the league in 1976. Tampa Bay won both games in 1990 ... Errict Rhett ran for 96 yards against the Vikings -- 49 in the game's final 36 seconds -- to become the 13th player in NFL history to gain 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. Rhett, who had 1,011 yards as a rookie, has 1,002 with three games left. ... The Vikings are 4-0 with Jeff Brady as their starting middle linebacker, and Brady improved to 2-0 in games against teams that let him go. Brady played for Tampa Bay in 1994. He got revenge on Green Bay in his first career start Nov. 5.
Nov 29 1995
The Vikings had their three-game winning streak end Thursday at Detroit. ... QB Warren Moon threw an interception for the first time in his last 194 pass attempts. He finished 30-of-47 for 384 yards and was picked off twice. ... WR Jake Reed caught six passes for 149 yards and WR Cris Carter finished with a pair of touchdowns among his five catches with 51 yards. Carter's 12 scoring catches are a team record. Carter had a desperation pass from Moon slip through his hands at the end of the game. ... Minnesota lost for the first time in four games on Turkey Day.
Nov 23 1995
Scott Mitchell broke Gary Danielson's team records of 417 pass attempts (1980) and 252 completions (1984). Mitchell, who threw for career highs of 410 yards and four touchdowns Thursday, is 259-of-440 for 3,150 yards through 12 games. ... The teams played the third-highest scoring game in the Lions' Thanksgiving Day series dating back to 1934. ... Cris Carter's 12th touchdown reception enabled him to pass Jerry Reichow (1961) for most TD catches by a Viking in a season. ... Jake Reed caught six passes for a season-high 149 yards and recorded his second 100-yard receiving game this year. ... Johnnie Morton, who had seven receptions for 102 yards, posted his first career 100-yard receiving game. ... Over Minnesota's last four games, Warren Moon has completed 110-of-161 passes for 1,301 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. ... Barry Sanders was thrown for a loss on six of his first nine carries. ... Moon, who had his streak snapped at 193 pases without an interception, jumped past George Blanda (236) into 11th place on the career touchdown passes list with 238. ... Brett Perriman went over 1,000 yards receiving in a season for the first time in his eight-year career. ... Mitchell's first-quarter touchdown pass to Perriman was the first points Minnesota has allowed on Thanksgiving Day against Detroit. The Vikings shut out the Lions 27-0 in 1969 and 23-0 in 1988. ... The Vikings are 3-1 in Thanksgiving Day games. ... Detroit successfully converted its first eight third-down plays. ... The Lions have an 12-9 record in Thanksgiving Day games played at the Silverdome. ... Detroit has a 23-13 record under coach Wayne Fontes in games played on and after Thanksgiving. ... Sanders needs 370 yards to catch Ottis Anderson for ninth place on the NFL's career rushing list. ... Herman Moore's first-quarter reception extended to 60 his streak of games with at least one reception, including four playoff games. ... Detroit is 27-3 in its last 30 regular season games when scoring 24 or more points. ... The Lions have forced 13 turnovers in the last five games after recording just three in the previous six contests. ... Detroit's 534 yards was the fourth-highest total in team history.
Scott Mitchell broke Gary Danielson's team records of 417 pass attempts (1980) and 252 completions (1984). Mitchell, who threw for career highs of 410 yards and four touchdowns Thursday, is 259-of-440 for 3,150 yards through 12 games. ... The teams played the third-highest scoring game in the Lions' Thanksgiving Day series dating back to 1934. ... Cris Carter's 12th touchdown reception enabled him to pass Jerry Reichow (1961) for most TD catches by a Viking in a season. ... Jake Reed caught six passes for a season-high 149 yards and recorded his second 100-yard receiving game this year. ... Johnnie Morton, who had seven receptions for 102 yards, posted his first career 100-yard receiving game. ... Over Minnesota's last four games, Warren Moon has completed 110-of-161 passes for 1,301 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. ... Barry Sanders was thrown for a loss on six of his first nine carries. ... Moon, who had his streak snapped at 193 pases without an interception, jumped past George Blanda (236) into 11th place on the career touchdown passes list with 238. ... Brett Perriman went over 1,000 yards receiving in a season for the first time in his eight-year career. ... Mitchell's first-quarter touchdown pass to Perriman was the first points Minnesota has allowed on Thanksgiving Day against Detroit. The Vikings shut out the Lions 27-0 in 1969 and 23-0 in 1988. ... The Vikings are 3-1 in Thanksgiving Day games. ... Detroit successfully converted its first eight third-down plays. ... The Lions have an 12-9 record in Thanksgiving Day games played at the Silverdome. ... Detroit has a 23-13 record under coach Wayne Fontes in games played on and after Thanksgiving. ... Sanders needs 370 yards to catch Ottis Anderson for ninth place on the NFL's career rushing list. ... Herman Moore's first-quarter reception extended to 60 his streak of games with at least one reception, including four playoff games. ... Detroit is 27-3 in its last 30 regular season games when scoring 24 or more points. ... The Lions have forced 13 turnovers in the last five games after recording just three in the previous six contests. ... Detroit's 534 yards was the fourth-highest total in team history.
Nov 21 1995
It took him 28 games, but QB Warren Moon has re-established himself as a standout. Over the last three games, Moon has led the Vikings to three wins, throwing 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. ... Moon's 338 yards on 25-of-37 passing against New Orleans on Sunday moved him past Joe Montana for fourth place on the all-time list with 40,735. ...The Vikings play Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, they are 2-0 all-time vs. Detroit on Turkey Day and 3-0 all-time on Thanksgiving.
Nov 19 1995
Minnesota Vikings rookie James Stewart helped replace injured running back Robert Smith on Sunday, and Stewart had his best day as a pro until getting injured. Stewart, whose 51-yard second-quarter run was the Vikings' second-longest of the season, fractured the fibula in his left leg. He carried eight times for 77 yards before the injury. ... Saints quarterback Jim Everett became the 18th player to top 30,000 career yards on a 48-yard pass to Michael Haynes late in the first half. Everett finished with 335 yards for the game and 30,245 in 10 seasons with the Saints and Los Angeles Rams. ... Cris Carter caught 12 passes against the Saints for the second year in a row. He also did it for the second week in a row, and his 84 receptions lead the NFC. ... Minnesota's 32 first downs equaled the third-most in team history and were two short of the record set in a 52-14 win over Baltimore on Sept. 28, 1969. ... The Saints, who play in the Superdome, have won five of their last seven indoor road games. Both losses have been at the Metrodome the last two seasons. ... The defense the Vikings burned for 544 yards was designed by New Orleans defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who spent eight years as a Minnesota assistant before leaving after 1994. ... Along with career-bests of nine catches and 150 yards, Quinn Early also caught two touchdown passes for New Orleans. That gives him 23 for his career and moves him into fourth place on the Saints' career list. Eric Martin (48) holds the team record. ... In his 11 NFL seasons, Vikings punter Mike Saxon has only gone an entire game without getting a chance to kick. The first came at Chicago last year and the second was Sunday. "And both came with Warren Moon at the helm," Saxon said.
Nov 15 1995
The Vikings sure like playing those extra minutes each week. The Vikings played their fourth overtime game of the season, one shy of the NFL record, and eighth in the last two seasons Sunday.
... Minnesota is now 2-2 in overtime games after beating the Arizona Cardinals, 30-24. ... QB Warren Moon completed 23-of-43 passes for 342 yards, including a 50-yard pass to Qadry Ismail for the winning score. Moon moved past Johnny Unitas into fifth place on the NFL's career list with 40,398 yards. He should pass Joe Montana for fourth place this week. ... The Vikings picked on rookie CB Tito Paul of the Cardinals and produced two scores.
Nov 12 1995
Both quarterbacks in the game moved up a notch in a career passing category. Warren Moon's 342-yard effort lifted him past Johnny Unitas into fifth place in yardage, with 40,398, and Dave Krieg's 9-yard touchdown pass to Rob Moore was the 240th of his career, one better than Len Dawson, who had been eighth. ... Moon threw 43 passes without an interception, and that gave him a personal best of 135 in a row. Moon had a 130-pass string without a pickoff in 1984. ... Minnesota's Fuad Reveiz's 43-yard field goal in the first quarter ran his league record to 39 consecutive field goals from 45 yards or less. But the string ended later in the first quarter, when Reveiz missed from 32 yards. ... Cris Carter of the Vikings set a record by a Cardinals opponent last year, catching 14 passes for 167 yards en route to an NFL-record 122 receptions. This time, he had 12 catches for 156 yards and two TDs and has 72 for the season. ... The Vikings were third in the NFL against the rush coming in, but Garrison Hearst of the Cardinals had his third 100-yard game of the season, gaining 103 in 18 carries. ... Arizona's Larry Centers, who set a team record for running backs with 77 catches last season, caught six balls in the game for a 10-game total of 61. ... Twelfth-year safety Terry Hoage, who played for coach Buddy Ryan in Philadelphia and Houston, where Ryan was defensive coordinator, had 11 tackles and finished with a career total of 602. ... Injuries: Carter had a slight separation of his right shoulder but kept playing after trainers fashioned a fiberglass pad. For the Cardinals, rookie safety C.J. Richardson, signed last week off Houston's practice squad, broke his right forearm in his first NFL action, and Krieg experienced numbness in his left side and his neck after getting two stingers in the game.
Nov 11 1995
The Vikings are back in the playoff hunt of the NFC Central. Minnesota saved its season with a 27-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers. ... The Vikes are at 4-5, two games behind the front-running Chicago Bears. ... Warren Moon became the sixth quarterback in league history to throw for more than 40,000 yards. He finished 21-of-39 for 237 yards and three touchdowns. ... WR Cris Carter had nine catches for 91 yards.
Nov 8 1995
The Vikings are back in the playoff hunt of the NFC Central. Minnesota saved its season with a 27-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers. ... The Vikes are at 4-5, two games behind the front-running Chicago Bears. ... Warren Moon became the sixth quarterback in league history to throw for more than 40,000 yards. He finished 21-of-39 for 237 yards and three touchdowns. ... WR Cris Carter had nine catches for 91 yards.
Nov 5 1995
Brett Favre's streak of 17 consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass ended Sunday. Favre, who played less than three quarters because of a sprained left ankle, finished 17-of-30 for 177 yards and two interceptions. He was 3-of-10 for 21 yards and both interceptions in the third quarter, when he tried to play on the heavily taped ankle. Favre's streak ended five games short of the Green Bay record of 22 straight, set by Cecil Isbell over the 1941-42 seasons. ... After being held without a sack in last week's loss to Chicago, the Vikings matched their season-high with four against the Packers, all in the first half. John Randle, Roy Barker and Jeff Brady had one each, and defensive backs Robert Griffith and Corey Fuller shared the other. Randle now has 4 1/2 on the season to lead the team; he had 13 1/2 last year. ... Green Bay's Antonio Freeman averaged 10 yards on six punt returns and nearly broke several, but the bumbling Packers failed to take advantage. A penalty wiped out Morgan's longest return, a 30-yarder, and returns of 23 and 18 yards led to no points. Green Bay did capitalize on Freeman's 25-yard return in the second quarter for Chris Jacke's 50-yard field goal and a 13-10 lead. ... Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf was livid after the loss, the second time in a row the Vikings have beaten the Packers at the Metrodome on a Fuad Reveiz field goal on the game's final play. Last year's 13-10 Minnesota victory came in overtime. "I'm sick and tired of Fuad Reveiz deciding the outcome," Wolf said. "I'm tired of all the B.S. about 'wait till next year.' When you play a divisional team, you've got to win. I don't care where the game is played." ... Green Bay's Robert Brooks, who replaced Sharpe this season, caught nine passes for 120 yards Sunday, his second consecutive 100-yard game and his fourth of the year ... Minnesota's Cris Carter had nine catches for 91 yards and is on pace for his second-straight 100-catch season, something only Green Bay's Sterling Sharpe (1992-93) has done in the history of the NFL. ...
Nov 1 1995
The Vikings lost for just the second time in six games on Monday night under Dennis Green. ... Minnesota has lost three straight and fell three games behind the division leaders and has a 1-4 mark in the NFC Central. ... Fuad Reveiz accounted for Minnesota's scoring by kicking a pair of field goals. ... QB Warren Moon completed only 28-of-42 passes for 252 yards and was sacked four times.
Oct 31 1995
Curtis Conway tied "Da Coach" for a Chicago Bears receiving record Monday night. Conway's 48-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter gave him at least one in each of his last five games. That ties him with Mike Ditka (1961) and Dennis McKinnon (1985) for second on the team's career list. Ken Kavanaugh set the record of seven straight games in 1947. ... Until their 14-6 victory, the Bears had been the only team in the league to score at least 24 points in every game. ... Chicago has given up a league-low four sacks this season, and didn't allow any to the Vikings. But it was close. John Randle appeared to sack Erik Kramer and force a fumble in the third quarter, and the Vikings recovered around the Bears 10. The officials ruled Kramer's arm was moving forward and called it an incomplete pass. The Bears offensive line also extended its streak of games without a holding penalty to 12. ... Minnesota played the second half without its leading tackler, middle linebacker Jack Del Rio. Del Rio, who signed a two-year contract extension last week, sprained his left knee. An MRI was planned for Tuesday ... Anthony Carter, who recently retired from Detroit, was an honorary captain for the Vikings on Monday night. He is Minnesota's career leader in several receiving categories, including yards (7,636) and touchdown catches (52). ... Minnesota's Cris Carter had eight catches, giving him 500 for his career. ... After playing his 164th NFL game, Minnesota's Warren Moon needs 181 yards to become the sixth player in league history to pass for 40,000 yards. He probably will become the second-fastest quarterback to that mark. Dan Marino did it in 153 games, and Dan Fouts is next at 168. Including his six CFL seasons, Moon already is the only pro quarterback to pass for 60,000 yards.
Oct 24 1995
Minnesota has its work cut out for them in the rugged N-F-C Central following Sunday's 38-21 loss at Green Bay. ... The Vikings are two games behind Chicago and the Packers. ... Green Bay QB Brett Favre shredded Minnesota's secondary for 295 yards and four touchdowns. ... QB Warren Moon struggled, completing 16-of-35 passes for 119 yards and two interceptions. He was yanked in favor of Brad Johnson, who completed 10-of-17 passes for 94 yards and an interception. ... Minnesota gave up 17 fourth-quarter points. ... RB Amp Lee had a team-high six catches for 52 yards and WR Cris Carter had five receptions for 58 yards. ... The Vikings have a chance to make up the two-game deficit in the next two weeks, home games against Chicago and Green Bay.
Oct 22 1995
The Packers' 38-21 victory over the Vikings Sunday marked coach Mike Holmgren's second victory in seven meetings with former colleague Dennis Green, with whom he coached at San Francisco. ... Vikings right guard Chris Hinton (ankle, knee) was inactive and replaced by David Dixon. ... Tight end Keith Jackson, who reported to Green Bay on Friday after a 91-day absence, watched from the sideline in a heavy coat, gloves and a stocking cap. Jackson, who is expected to be activated for next week's game at Detroit, long maintained during his "retirement" following a trade from Miami that he didn't want to play in cold Green Bay. The temperature Sunday was in the 40s, balmy for an autumn evening in Wisconsin. ... There were two plays that appeared to be fumbles that were ruled down instead, one benefiting each team. In the first half, Packers safety LeRoy Butler recovered the ball after Vikings receiver Andrew Jordan coughed it up when he hit the ground without being touched. But the officials said a whistle downed the ball before Butler grabbed it. In the second half with the Packers ahead 21-14, the ball popped loose after Green Bay's Charles Jordan caught a pass, and it was recovered by Minnesota's Alfred Jackson. But it was ruled down by contact, in apparent contradiction to TV replays. ... With San Francisco's Steve Young sidelined by a shoulder injury and his 55-game starting streak coming to an end Sunday, Green Bay's Brett Favre took over the longest current string among NFL quarterbacks with his 52nd straight start. ... Because backup tight end Jeff Wilner was inactive, Mark Chmura was the Packers' only tight end after Jeff Thomason sustained a concussion on the second-half kickoff. ... Minnesota tackle Todd Steussie hurt his left shoulder in the first half but returned. Vikings rookie tackle Korey Stringer sat out much of the second half because he was dehydrated and vomiting.
Oct 17 1995
The Vikings played their third overtime game in the last four contests and the seventh in 16 games. ... They had a chance to win on a few occasions Sunday. Trailing by three towards the end of regulation, Minnesota had to settle for a game-tying field goal after having a first and goal at the nine. Then on their first possession of overtime, K Fuad Reveiz missed a 53-yard field goal attempt. ... The Vikings fell 1 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the division lead. ... RB Robert Smith was held to 53 yards rushing while WR Cris Carter picked up just 21 yards receiving.
Oct 15 1995
Michael Husted's second straight game-winning field goal of more than 50 yards enabled Tampa Bay to even its franchise record in overtime games to 7-7-1, including a 4-2-1 mark at Tampa Stadium ... The Bucs also went to overtime the last time they faced the Vikings, winning 20-17 on a Husted field goal Nov. 27, 1994 ... After going two seasons without an interception, Bucs safety John Lynch has three in the last two weeks. He stopped one Vikings drive inside the Bucs 10 and another at the 15, becoming the first Tampa Bay player to have two interceptions in a game since 1992 ... Tampa Bay forced four turnovers while losing two fumbles. That gives it a turnover ratio of plus-13 during the team's four-game winning streak. With 13 fumble recoveries, the club has already exceeded its 1994 total of 12. The team record is 24, set in 1979 .... Warren Moon became the first quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards against the Bucs in over a year. Green Bay's Brett Favre threw for 332 against Tampa Bay on Sept. 25, 1994. Moon finished with 332 yards on 33-of-48 passing. It was Moon's first 300-yard performance of the season and the 45th of his career, the third most in NFL history behind Dan Fouts (51) and Dan Marino (50) ... Vikings running back Amp Lee had 10 receptions for 71 yards, ... The Vikings allowed only 44 yards on the ground, holding Errict Rhett to 42 yards on 22 attempts ... John Booty, starting in place of injured Tampa Bay safety Thomas Everett, left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring strain and did not return ... Vikings receiver David Palmer left in the third quarter with a thigh bruise and did not return.
Oct 9 1995
QB Warren Moon faced his former team, the Houston Oilers, for the first time on Sunday. He played for them from 1984-93 and is the club's all-time leader in passing yardage, attempts, completions and touchdown passes. ... The Vikings have never lost before or after a bye week under head coach Dennis Green. ... Moon is 26-9 in domed stadiums over the past four seasons. ... WR Cris Carter caught 12 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns, and passed Ahmad Rashad for 3rd-place on the Vikings' all-time touchdowns catches list (35). ... RB Robert Smith's 20-yard scoring run 7:10 into overtime was the difference. ... Minnesota is the least experienced team in the NFL with an average of 3.3 years.
The Minnesota Vikings activated defensive end Keith Washington from the practice squad Monday, replacing him on the developmental unit with safety Shelly Hammonds. Washington, a rookie free agent from UNLV, played well in the exhibition season while No. 1 draft choice Derrick Alexander was a holdout. "He had a solid preseason, and he kind of fits that mold of what we like to do in moving young guys from step one to step two," said coach Dennis Green. Washington's promotion appeared linked to the poor play of Fernando Smith, last year's No. 2 pick. Smith started all four exhibition games and the season-opener at Chicago, but he was deactivated for Sunday's game against Houston. Hammonds began the season on the Vikings' practice squad for the second straight year. He was activated for the Pittsburgh game when injuries sidelined three defensive backs.
Oct 8 1995
The Minnesota Vikings remained perfect in 10 games before and after bye weeks since Dennis Green became their coach in 1992. They are the only team unbeaten surrounding its off weeks during that time. "We're proud of that fact," Green said. "Now we start our stretch of 11 straight ballgames." That includes four straight against NFC Central opponents, beginning at Tampa Bay. ... The Vikings lost All-Pro guard Randall McDaniel with a pulled hamstring in the second quarter. He was injured chasing Darryll Lewis on his 78-yard interception return for a touchdown, which was nullified by a penalty. McDaniel is expected to be able to play next week. ... Going into its bye week, Houston has an extra week for Chris Chandler's sprained throwing shoulder to heal. He injured it in the opener at Jacksonville and aggravated it once more before linebacker Ed McDaniel knocked him out with a sack 18 seconds before the end of regulation. ... Minnesota receiver Cris Carter's two TD catches gave him 35 as a Viking, moving him into third place on the team's career list, one ahead of Ahmad Rashad and 15 behind Sammy White. Anthony Carter, who retired from the Detroit Lions last week, is the leader with 52. ... With the game tied 17-17, Houston got he ball back at its own 24 with 1:01 remaining and two timeouts. Marion Butts ran up the middle for 4 yards and the Oilers let the clock run down to 22 seconds before running another play, on which McDaniel knocked Chandler out. "By no means did I intend to just go in and be satisfied with overtime," said Houston coach Jeff Fischer. "We really had one of our best opportunities, and Chris got sacked." ... Houston punter Rich Camarillo had three punts inside the 20, extending his NFL record to 264. Minnesota's Mike Saxon entered the game fourth on the career list with 228. He had two Sunday, including a 60-yarder to the Houston 8 in overtime. Five plays later, Dewayne Washington intercepted Furrer, setting up Robert Smith's winning touchdown run.
Oct 6 1995
QB Warren Moon plays his former team, the Houston Oilers, for the first time on Sunday. ... The Vikings have never lost before or after a bye week under head coach Dennis Green. Green is 0-1 lifetime vs. Houston. The Vikings have split six games all-time vs. Houston. ... Moon is 25-9 in domed stadiums over the past four seasons. ... WR Cris Carter needs one more catch to tie Ahmad Rashad for 3rd-place on the Viking's all-time list. ... The Vikings have a +4 giveaway-takeaway ratio, which overshadows the fact they've allowed 378.8 yards per game. ... Minnesota has scored 19 defensive touchdowns since 1992 and has 78 interceptions, leading the league.
Sep 26 1995
Minnesota erupted for 24 points in the third quarter and easily defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 44-24, Sunday. ... The Vikings' defense forced seven turnovers, including five in the third quarter. ... Minnesota intercepted six passes, including two by rookie S Orlanda Thomas. ... RB Robert Smith rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown. ... "I felt like we were going to have a breakout game," said Vikings LB Jack Del Rio, who intercepted a pass. "Before the game, I was telling some of the guys, 'We're going to get things in bunches, we're going to have big plays,' and we had our share." ... Warren Moon, who passed for 213 yards, became the first quarterback in pro football< history to pass for over 60,000 yards. Moon, who passed for over 21,000 yards in the Canadian Football League, stands at 60,035.
Sep 24 1995
Pittsburgh's 44 points allowed were a team high under coach Bill Cowher and the most since a 52-34 loss at Buffalo on Sept. 8, 1991. ... The Vikings' 24 points were a team record for the third quarter. ... Robert Smith's 58-yard touchdown run was the longest by a Viking since Herschel Walker's 71-yarder against Tampa Bay on Dec. 8, 1991. ... The Steelers' seven turnovers were their most since they committed eight in a 51-0 loss to Cleveland in 1989. ... The Steelers have thrown 13 interceptions in four games, four more than their 1994 season total. Mike Tomczak has eight in 92 attempts; he didn't throw any in 93 passes last season. ... The 20-point loss was the Steelers' worst at home since a 41-14 defeat to Washington in 1991. ... The Vikings (2-2) avoided their first 1-3 start since 1990. ... Vikings coach Dennis Green is 2-0 against Steelers coach Bill Cowher in Three Rivers Stadium. Cowher is 21-5 at home in four seasons, with two losses to Minnesota. ... Minnesota allowed only one sack despite a rebuilt right side of the offensive line. Right tackle Korey Stringer was making only his second NFL start, and right guard David Dixon started for the injured Chris Hinton at right guard. ... Pittsburgh, which led the NFL with 55 sacks last season, has only 11 sacks in four games. ... Steelers left tackle John Jackson's 97 consecutive games-played streak ended due to a hyperextended right knee. ... The Steelers have a minus-10 turnover ratio; they led the NFL with a plus-14 ratio in 1994. ... Minnesota has a plus-5 ratio. ... Vikings quarterback Warren Moon is 10-11 against Pittsburgh, 5-6 at Three Rivers. ... Moon's 60,055 passing yards are the equivalent of 34 miles of passing. ... Moon had been intercepted once in 104 attempts before being picked off twice. ... The Vikings' Cris Carter made six catches, giving him 22 in four games. ... Bam Morris, taking over for Barry Foster as the Steelers feature back, has 201 yards on 62 carries, a 3.24 average. ... Pittsburgh's six interceptions were three short of the team record of nine in a 47-13 loss to Philadelphia in 1965.
Sep 16 1995
The Vikings are playing with fire by starting rookie CB Corey Fuller against the Dallas Cowboys and star WR Michael Irvin. Fuller was drafted in the second round from Florida State and Irvin is a graduate of Miami. ... Another key match will be rookie OT Korey Stringer, Minnesota's first-round pick, against DE Tony Tolbert. Stringer has replaced OT Rick Cunningham, who was injured in the opener. ... Minnesota's defense held Detroit RB Barry Sanders to 35 yards last week and must contend with red-hot Dallas RB Emmitt Smith, who has an NFL-best 277 yards on 47 carries with five touchdowns.
Sep 10 1995
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Qadry Ismail's deflected 85-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter equaled the second-longest pass play in Minnesota Vikings history. The longest was Charley Ferguson's 89-yard TD catch from Fran Tarkenton on Nov. 11, 1962. Joe Kapp also passed 85 yards to Gene Washington on Oct. 8, 1967. ... Lions defensive tackle Henry Thomas, who spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Vikings, spent time during pregame warmups getting reacquainted with his former teammates. He wrestled playfully with Esera Tuaolo, his replacement on Minnesota's defensive line, and pretended to play quarterback in the face of a mock pass rush from Vikings right end James Harris. He got a mix of boos and cheers when he was introduced before the game, and had four tackles. "It's a little different, I mean, I know the guys and I know what they're capapble of and they know what I'm capable of," Thomas said. "It was fun. We had a good, clean battle." ... Detroit coach Wayne Fontes tied Monte Clark for the team record for games coached with 107. Fontes needs four wins to pass George Wilson on the team's all-time win list. Wilson won 55 games from 1957-64. ... Vikings All-Pro defensive tackle John Randle blamed himself for the defense's poor performance against the run in the season-opening loss to Chicago. He had just one tackle in that game. He needed one play to match that total Sunday, stopping Barry Sanders for 1 yard on the game's first play. Randle finished with four tackles, including his second sack. "This was a nice rebound from that, but I definitely think we can play better," Randle said after helping hold Sanders to 35 carries on 13 carries. ... Lomas Brown, Detroit's Pro Bowl offensive tackle, played every play but the first snap. He came in when left guard Doug Widell went out with an injury. Left tackle Mike Compton shifted to guard to make way for Brown, who ended his holdout this week by signing a one-year, $2.7 million contract. ... Although the Vikings stopped Sanders from running the ball, he caught nine passes for 60 yards. Those were his best statistics as a receiver since catching nine for 76 yards in a 24-20 win over Minnesota on Oct. 6, 1991.
Sep 3 1995
Rookie Rashaan Salaam, the Bears' first-round draft pick and the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner, went for a no gain on his first carry in the second quarter. He finished with 47 yards on 10 carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. That capped an 81-yard, five-play drive...Vikings offensive tackle Rick Cunninghman was carted off the field with 22 seconds to go in the first half with a sprained ligament in his left knee. He was replaced by first-round draft pick Korey Stringer...Salaam, 20, is the youngest player in the NFL. Stringer, 21, is exactly five months older....Bears defensive tackle Jim Flanigan had two sacks Sunday, two more than he made all last season....Jeff Graham caught eight passes for 107 yards and Curtis Conway five for 100 yards. It's the first time in 10 years the Bears have had two receivers gain 100 yards in the same game. Dennis McKinnon and Willie Gault did it against the Vikings in 1985. Conway caught two touchdown passes, the same number he caught in each of his first two seasons...The Bears now have 37 opening-day wins, most in the NFL...The loss snapped a three-game winning streak at Soldier Field for the Vikings...Bears defensive back John Mangum suffered a thigh injury and coach Dave Wannstedt said he would be out for a while. Rookie Sean Harris suffered a hamstring injury on the opening kickoff.
Aug 25 1995
The Vikings do not have to worry if QB Warren Moon goes down, at least if backup QB Brad Johnson plays as well as he has during the preseason. Johnson has completed 30 of 47 passes for 299 yards and three scores with two interceptions and a rating of 85.3. ... Rookie RB James Stewart of Miami has been a pleasant surprise during the preseason, running for 162 yards on 30 carries.
Aug 4 1995
Head Coach Dennis Green always keeps the Vikings on top of things in the pre-season, as evidenced by his career 11-3 mark. Only the San Francisco 49ers (12-3) have a better exhibition mark than Minnesota since Green's takeover. The Vikings have outscored the opposition, 348-158 under Green in pre-season< games. ... For the first time since 1986, the Vikings will not play a pre-season game against a team they will meet during the regualr season. ... Good training camps have helped vault the Vikings to a 19-8 mark over the first nine games of each of the last three seasons. ... There is a three-way battle for the starting running back job among Scottie Graham, Amp Lee and Robert Smith. But Smith must cure his situation by signing and getting into camp.
July 12, 1995
IF Warren Moon gets hurt, the Vikings do not have another
quarterback with an NFL start. Rookie Chad May and four-year
backup Brad Johnson, who played in the World League, are on the
roster. ... The Vikings and the San Diego Chargers will be the
last teams to play a pre-season game when they meet Monday
night, August 7th in San Diego.
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