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1982 Minnesota Vikings season

NFL team season; first one in the Metrodome From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1982 Minnesota Vikings season was the team's 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their first in the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The team was looking to improve on its 7–9 record from 1981. However, a players strike meant seven of the team's 16 games were canceled, and each NFL team was only able to play nine games. The Vikings won their opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before losing the next week to the Buffalo Bills, a game in which they had a 19–0 lead before the Bills pulled off a comeback to win 23–22.

General managerMike Lynn
Head coachBud Grant
Offensive coordinatorJerry Burns
Defensive coordinatorBob Hollway
Quick facts Minnesota Vikings season, General manager ...
1982 Minnesota Vikings season
General managerMike Lynn
Head coachBud Grant
Offensive coordinatorJerry Burns
Defensive coordinatorBob Hollway
Home stadiumHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Results
Record5–4
Division place4th NFC (2nd NFC Central)
PlayoffsWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Falcons) 30–24
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at Redskins) 7–21
Pro BowlersLB Matt Blair
Uniform
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After the strike ended, the Vikings lost 26–7 to the Packers in Green Bay before beating the Bears 35–7 the following week to sit at 2–2. After a loss to the Dolphins, the Vikings won their next two games to sit at 4–3. In their final game of the season, they upset the Dallas Cowboys 31–27 to clinch the NFC's fourth place spot in the playoffs[i] In the playoffs, the Vikings defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30–24 to reach the divisional round. However, in that game, they lost 21–7 to the eventual champion Redskins.

Offseason

1982 draft

Main article: 1982 NFL draft
Pro Bowler
More information Draft order, Player name ...
1982 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order Player name Position College Notes
Round Selection
17 Darrin NelsonRunning backStanford
239 Terry TauschGuardTexas
366 Traded to the New Orleans Saints[A]
492 Jim FahnhorstLinebackerMinnesota
5120 Traded to the Miami Dolphins[B]
6147 Greg StorrLinebackerBoston College
7179 Steve JordanTight endBrown
8206 Kirk HarmonLinebackerPacific
9233 Bryan HowardDefensive backTennessee State
10260 Gerald LucearWide receiverTemple
11286 Curtis RouseGuardChattanooga
12318 Hobson MilnerRunning backCincinnati
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Notes

  1. [A]
    The Vikings traded their third-round selection (66th overall) to the Saints in exchange for RB Tony Galbreath.
  2. [B]
    The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (120th overall) and a 1981 sixth-round selection (154th overall) to the Dolphins in exchange for C Jim Langer.

Roster

1982 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 (ST)

Reserve

Rookies in italics

Preseason

More information Week, Date ...
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance[1]
1 August 7 Baltimore Colts[ii] W 30–14 1–0 Fawcett Stadium (Canton, Ohio) 23,379
2 August 14 at Atlanta Falcons L 17–20 1–1 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 49,831
3 August 21 Seattle Seahawks W 7–3 2–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome[iii] 57,880
4 August 28 at Denver Broncos L 17–27 2–2 Mile High Stadium 73,371
5 September 3 New Orleans Saints W 24–21 3–2 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 59,810
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Regular season

The Vikings opened their new stadium with a 17–10 win over Tampa Bay in the season opener. A close loss to Buffalo on the road followed.

The season was then interrupted by the players' 57-day strike that reduced the NFL regular season to nine games. Upon resumption of play in November, the Vikings went 4–3 to close out the abbreviated regular season and closed the campaign with a 5–4 record. Games against Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Washington were canceled.

As three of Minnesota's losses were to AFC opponents, their 4–1 conference record put them at the top of a logjam of teams with similar records in the playoff seedings. In 1982, the NFL took the top eight teams from each conference regardless of division record for playoff consideration. The Vikings earned the #4 seed based on this tiebreaker and home field advantage in round one.

In their opening round playoff game, the Vikings took on the Atlanta Falcons. The game was a back-and-forth affair that saw Minnesota take a 13–7 halftime lead, only to see the Falcons retake the lead late in the final period on a 41-yard field goal by Mick Luckhurst. With just under two minutes remaining, the Vikings began a game-winning drive that culminated in a Ted Brown 5-yard touchdown run to win the game and send the Vikings on to round two.

In the second round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, 21–7, at RFK Stadium. The Vikings trailed 14–0 after one quarter. Ted Brown's touchdown run in the second period cut it to 14–7, but Joe Theismann hit Alvin Garrett late in the quarter with an 18-yard touchdown strike to make it 21–7. Neither team scored in the second half.

QB Tommy Kramer threw for 2,037 yards and 15 touchdowns in the short season. RB Ted Brown had 515 yards to lead all rushers, and WR Sammy White tallied 503 yards and five touchdowns to lead receivers.

LB Matt Blair anchored the Vikings defense and also made the 1982 Pro Bowl.

Schedule

More information Week, Original week ...
Week Original
week		 Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 1 September 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 17–10 1–0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 58,440
2 2 September 16 at Buffalo Bills L 22–23 1–1 Rich Stadium 77,753
— 3 September 26 Dallas Cowboys Postponed 1–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982 NFL players strike
— 4 October 3 at Chicago Bears Canceled 1–1 Soldier Field
— 5 October 10 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Stadium
— 6 October 17 New Orleans Saints Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
— 7 October 24 Green Bay Packers Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
— 8 November 1 Detroit Lions Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
— 9 November 7 at San Francisco 49ers Candlestick Park
— 10 November 14 at Washington Redskins Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
3 11 November 21 at Green Bay Packers L 7–26 1–2 Milwaukee County Stadium 44,681
4 12 November 28 Chicago Bears W 35–7 2–2 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 54,724
5 13 December 5 at Miami Dolphins L 14–22 2–3 Miami Orange Bowl 45,721
6 14 December 12 Baltimore Colts W 13–10 3–3 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 53,981
7 15 December 19 at Detroit Lions W 34–31 4–3 Pontiac Silverdome 73,058
8 16 December 26 New York Jets L 14–42 4–4 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 58,672
9 17 January 3 Dallas Cowboys W 31–27 5–4 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 60,007
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
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Game summaries

Week 1: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 0 0710
Vikings 0 7 7317
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at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: September 12
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 58,440
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • Recap, Game Book
More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

  • TB – Bill Capece 51-yard field goal, 2:00. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:55.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • MIN – Sammy White 22-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 6:48. Vikings 14–3. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 8:12.

Fourth quarter

  • TB – Jimmie Giles 20-yard pass from Doug Williams (Bill Capece kick), 5:06. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:30.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 2:06. Vikings 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:13.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Close

Week 4: vs Chicago Bears

Week 4: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 7 007
Vikings 0 14 71435
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at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: November 28
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 54,724
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • Recap, Game Book
More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • MIN – Sammy White 8-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:44. Vikings 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 95 yards, 3:37.

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Leo Lewis 31-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 12:48. Vikings 28–7. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, 0:52.
  • MIN – Sammy White 13-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 6:17. Vikings 35–7. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:38.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

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Week 5: at Miami Dolphins

Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 7 0714
Dolphins 6 3 31022
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at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

  • Date: December 5
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear, 82 °F (27.8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,721
  • Referee: Fred Silva
  • Recap, Game Book
More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

  • MIA – David Woodley 1-yard run (kick blocked), 2:48. Dolphins 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:08.

Second quarter

  • MIN – Tommy Kramer 18-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 12:10. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 5:38.
  • MIA – Uwe von Schamann 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 9–7. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:17.

Third quarter

  • MIA – Uwe von Schamann 28-yard field goal, 5:48. Dolphins 12–7. Drive: 16 plays, 62 yards, 9:12.

Fourth quarter

  • MIA – Andra Franklin 9-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick), 14:17. Dolphins 19–7. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:12.
  • MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 9:25. Dolphins 19–14. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:22.
  • MIA – Uwe von Schamann 24-yard field goal, 1:46. Dolphins 22–14. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:44.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

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Week 6: vs Baltimore Colts

Week 6: Baltimore Colts at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 3 7010
Vikings 7 0 3313
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at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • BAL – Mike Wood 39-yard field goal, 10:57. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:50.

Third quarter

  • BAL – Jim Burroughs 94-yard interception return (Mike Wood kick), 6:42. Colts 10–7.
  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 23-yard field goal, 3:21. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:11.

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Rick Danmeier 40-yard field goal, 9:09. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:41.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

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Week 8: vs New York Jets

Week 8: New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 7 14 71442
Vikings 0 7 0714
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at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: December 26
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 58,672
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • Recap, Game Book
More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • NYJ – Bobby Jackson 80-yard return of blocked field goal (Pat Leahy kick), 5:43. Jets 14–0.
  • NYJ – Freeman McNeil 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 5:17. Jets 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 0:22.
  • MIN – Tommy Kramer 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:32. Jets 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:25.

Third quarter

  • NYJ – Mickey Shuler 20-yard pass from Pat Ryan (Pat Leahy kick), 1:12. Jets 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 2:32.

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Ted Brown 16-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 13:23. Jets 28–14. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 2:36.
  • NYJ – Bruce Harper 39-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick), 11:33. Jets 35–14. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 1:38.
  • NYJ – Bobby Jackson 77-yard interception return (Pat Leahy kick), 7:18. Jets 42–14.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

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Standings

More information NFC Central, W ...
NFC Central
 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Green Bay Packers 5 3 1 .611 1–2 4–2 226 169 L1
(4) Minnesota Vikings 5 4 0 .556 3–1 4–1 158 178 W3
(7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 4 0 .556 2–1 3–3 158 178 W1
(8) Detroit Lions 4 5 0 .444 3–3 4–4 181 176 W1
Chicago Bears 3 6 0 .333 1–3 2–5 141 174 L1
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More information #, Team ...
NFC
# Team W L T PCT PF PA STK
Seeded postseason qualifiers
1 Washington Redskins 8 1 0 .889 190 128 W4
2 Dallas Cowboys 6 3 0 .667 226 145 L2
3 Green Bay Packers 5 3 1 .611 226 169 L1
4[a] Minnesota Vikings 5 4 0 .556 187 198 W1
5[a] Atlanta Falcons 5 4 0 .556 183 199 L2
6[a] St. Louis Cardinals 5 4 0 .556 135 170 L1
7[a] Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 4 0 .556 158 178 W3
8[b] Detroit Lions 4 5 0 .444 181 176 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
9[b] New Orleans Saints 4 5 0 .444 129 160 W1
10[b] New York Giants 4 5 0 .444 164 160 W1
11[c] San Francisco 49ers 3 6 0 .333 209 206 L1
12[c] Chicago Bears 3 6 0 .333 141 174 L1
13[c] Philadelphia Eagles 3 6 0 .333 191 195 L1
14 Los Angeles Rams 2 7 0 .222 200 250 W1
Tiebreakers
  1. [a]
    Minnesota (4–1), Atlanta (4–3), St. Louis (5–4), Tampa Bay (3–3) seeds were determined by best won-lost record in conference games.
  2. [b]
    Detroit finished ahead of New Orleans and the N.Y. Giants based on best conference record (4–4 to Saints’ 3–5 to Giants’ 3–5).
  3. [c]
    San Francisco finished ahead of Chicago, and Chicago finished ahead of Philadelphia, based on conference record (49ers’ 2–3 to Bears’ 2–5 to Eagles’ 1–5).
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Postseason

Schedule

More information Round, Date ...
Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
Wild Card January 9 Atlanta Falcons (5) W 30–24 1–0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 60,560
Division January 15 at Washington Redskins (1) L 7–21 1–1 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 54,593
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Statistics

Team leaders

More information Category, Player(s) ...
Category Player(s) Value
Passing yardsTommy Kramer2,037
Passing touchdownsTommy Kramer15
Rushing yardsTed Brown515
Rushing touchdownsTommy Kramer3
Receiving yardsSammy White503
Receiving touchdownsSammy White5
PointsRick Danmeier47
Kickoff return yardsJarvis Redwine286
Punt return yardsEddie Payton179
SacksDoug Martin11.5
InterceptionsWillie Teal4
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League rankings

More information Category, Total yards ...
Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank
(out of 28)
Passing offense1,967122.95th
Rushing offense91257.022nd
Total offense2,879179.914th
Passing defense1,875117.220th
Rushing defense1,02063.814th
Total defense2,895180.919th
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Notes

  1. [i]
    Divisions were ignored in 1982 and standings were determined by conference.
  2. [ii]
    Hall of Fame Game
  3. [iii]
    First Vikings game at the Metrodome

References

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