Too little too late
Vikings Fall in 5th consecutive NFC Championship Game
Ryan McGlennen
Issue date: 1/28/10 Section: Sports
It hasn't been since the 1998 season when the 15-1 Minnesota Vikings played in an NFC championship game. Playing against an undersized, under matched Atlanta Falcons team, many critics believe the Vikings were a shoe-in for the Super Bowl. Although heavily favored, the Vikings lost the game due to an unprecedented missed field goal by Gary Anderson. At the time, Gary Anderson was renowned as one of the best kickers in the league and had not missed a field goal all season. Anderson’s missed 38-yard attempt sent the Falcons to the Super Bowl, spoiling another lustrous season for the Vikings. This made the first 15-1 team in NFL history to fall short of a Super Bowl berth.
Well folks, 12 years later things haven’t changed. Yet again the Vikings’ journey to the “promised land” was unfulfilled. Entering the 2010 playoffs, the Vikings were seeded second in the NFC, closely following the New Orleans Saints. However, a late season slump put Minnesota in jeopardy of dropping seeds, potentially forcing them to play in a wildcard matchup. Luckily, things fell into place when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the last game of the regular season to solidify the Vikings’ second overall seed in the NFC.
Dallas' 34-14 victory over the Eagles in the wildcard put them in the divisional round with the Vikings in January 2010. What was predicted to be two high-powered offenses accompanied by two high-powered defenses seemed to be a lopsided battle. The Vikings came out swinging early as Sidney Rice caught three touchdown passes, tying an NFL single game postseason record. The game concluded with a score of 34-3 in the Vikings favor.
On Jan. 24, 2010 the Vikings traveled to the New Orleans’ Superdome to play in their ninth NFC championship game. Since 1967, when the Saints were established, they have only won two postseason games and have never made a Super Bowl appearance. The Vikings, however, have been to the NFC championship game eight times prior to this trip and have been to the Super Bowl four times. Winning their first four appearances in the NFC championship game, the Vikings have been on a consecutive four-game losing streak in their NFC championship matchups.
Well folks, 12 years later things haven’t changed. Yet again the Vikings’ journey to the “promised land” was unfulfilled. Entering the 2010 playoffs, the Vikings were seeded second in the NFC, closely following the New Orleans Saints. However, a late season slump put Minnesota in jeopardy of dropping seeds, potentially forcing them to play in a wildcard matchup. Luckily, things fell into place when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the last game of the regular season to solidify the Vikings’ second overall seed in the NFC.
Dallas' 34-14 victory over the Eagles in the wildcard put them in the divisional round with the Vikings in January 2010. What was predicted to be two high-powered offenses accompanied by two high-powered defenses seemed to be a lopsided battle. The Vikings came out swinging early as Sidney Rice caught three touchdown passes, tying an NFL single game postseason record. The game concluded with a score of 34-3 in the Vikings favor.
On Jan. 24, 2010 the Vikings traveled to the New Orleans’ Superdome to play in their ninth NFC championship game. Since 1967, when the Saints were established, they have only won two postseason games and have never made a Super Bowl appearance. The Vikings, however, have been to the NFC championship game eight times prior to this trip and have been to the Super Bowl four times. Winning their first four appearances in the NFC championship game, the Vikings have been on a consecutive four-game losing streak in their NFC championship matchups.
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