1987 Minnesota Vikings season
| 1987 Minnesota Vikings season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jerry Burns |
| General manager | Mike Lynn |
| Home field | Metrodome |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–7 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish |
Won Wild Card Playoffs (Saints) 44–10 Won Divisional Playoffs (49ers) 36–24 Lost Conference Championship (Redskins) 10–17 |
The 1987 Minnesota Vikings season was the team's 27th year in the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins and seven losses. The 1987 strike caused the cancellation of the September 27 game at the Kansas City Chiefs. The games played October 4, 11 and 18 were played with replacement players.
Despite finishing the season only one game over .500, and losing three of their final four games, Minnesota sneaked into the playoffs with the final Wild Card position. In the playoffs, the Vikings won two huge upsets, beating the 12–3 Saints and 13–2 49ers on the road. The Vikings were unable, however, to defeat the eventual Super Bowl champion Redskins in the NFC Championship Game.
Note: The October 18 game against Tampa Bay was originally scheduled to be played in Minneapolis. The game was switched with the November 15 game due to Game 2 of the World Series. The game against the Broncos, originally scheduled for Sunday, October 25, was pushed back to Monday because the Metrodome was being used for Game 7 of the World Series.
Darrin Nelson's 24-yard touchdown run helped sealed the Vikings victory in an overtime thriller. It was the first time in 18 years the Vikings played on Thanksgiving.
In the Saints' first playoff game in history, the Vikings dominated the game by recording 2 sacks, forcing 4 turnovers, and allowing only 149 yards. The 34-point margin of victory stands as the most lop-sided win by an NFC team in a Wild Card round game in NFL history.
Jerry Rice set a single-season record for the 49ers with 22 touchdown receptions. This was an amazing feat when you consider that he achieved this goal in only 12 regular season contests (due to the players' strike). This record was later broken by Randy Moss in 2007 when he caught 23 touchdown passes in 16 games (originally, Randy played with the Vikings from 1998–2004 and was traded back to Minnesota in 2010)
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