1982 Minnesota Vikings season
| 1982 Minnesota Vikings season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bud Grant |
| General manager | Mike Lynn |
| Home field | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–4 |
| Division place | 4th NFC |
| Playoff finish |
Won First Round (Falcons) 30–24 Lost Second Round (at Redskins) 7–21 |
The 1982 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League. This was Minnesota's first season in the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The team was looking to improve on it's 7-9 record from 1981. However, a players strike cancelled 7 of the team's 16 games, and each NFL team was only allowed to play 9 games. The Vikings would win 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 miraculous comeback to win 23-22. After the strike ended, the Vikings would get embarrassed in Green Bay against the Packers 26-7 before beating the Bears the next week 35-7 to sit at 2-2. After a loss to the Dolphins, the Vikings would win their next 2 games to sit at 4-3. In their final game of the season, they would upset the Dallas Cowboys 31-27 to clinch the NFC's 4th place spot in the playoffs (as divisions were ignored in 1982 and the standings were determined by conference). In the playoffs, the Vikings would defeat the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 to reach the divisional round. However, in that game, they would lose 21-7 to the eventual champion Redskins.
The Vikings opened up 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.
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