October 14, 2026
October 14, 2026
1998 Minnesota Vikings: Explosive Offense
For most of the 1990s, things were quiet for the Minnesota Vikings, who weren’t winning many meaningful football games. When the 1998 NFL regular season rolled around, however, there was a clear change in the way the Vikings played football. It took the revival of one player’s career, the start of another player’s successful career and the steady leadership of veteran players to make the 1998 Minnesota Vikings an explosive offense. That season, the Vikings went 15-1, easily winning the NFC Central Division by four games over the Green Bay Packers.
At the age of 35, quarterback Randall Cunningham experienced a revival in his football career as he found the right pieces to the offensive puzzle and ran with his talented supporting cast. Cunningham went 13-1 in 14 starts, completing 259 of 425 pass attempts for 3,704 yards and 34 touchdowns while throwing only 10 interceptions. Statistically, this was the best year of Cunningham’s NFL career, and he won the Bert Bell Award as a result.
Running back Robert Smith had 249 rushing attempts for 1,187 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with 28 receptions for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Leroy Hoard had 115 rushing attempts for 479 yards and 9 touchdowns, along with 22 receptions for 198 yards and 1 touchdown.
In the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected a stud wide receiver from Marshall University with the 21st pick. That wide receiver’s name was Randy Moss, and, making good on his promise, he broke away from the troubles of the small town of Rand, West Virginia, to immediately become a dominant NFL superstar. Moss had 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 17 touchdowns are an NFL rookie record that still stands to this day. Moss made the Pro Bowl in his rookie year, as did center Matt Birk, whom the Vikings selected in the sixth round with the 173rd pick of the 1998 NFL Draft.
Wide receiver Cris Carter was one of the team’s veteran leaders and helped guide Moss when it came to catching the football. Carter had 78 receptions for 1,011 yards and 12 touchdowns. Tight end Andrew Glover had 35 receptions for 522 yards and 5 touchdowns. Wide receiver Jake Reed had 34 receptions for 474 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Matthew Hatchette had 15 receptions for 216 yards, and wide receiver David Palmer had 18 receptions for 185 yards.
On special teams, David Palmer excelled, finding plenty of running lanes on kick and punt returns. Palmer had 50 kick returns for 1,176 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 28 punt returns for 289 yards. Kicker Gary Anderson provided a steady foot for the Vikings, going a perfect 35-for-35 on field goals.
Minnesota’s defense deserved attention too. Middle linebacker Ed McDaniel had 93 tackles, 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. Right linebacker Dwayne Rudd had 79 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns. Strong safety Robert Griffith had 74 tackles, 5 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Cornerback Corey Fuller had 70 tackles, 1 sack and 4 interceptions. Cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock had 58 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and 7 interceptions for 242 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Free safety Orlando Thomas had 60 tackles, half a sack and 2 interceptions. Defensive end Derrick Alexander had 37 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Defensive end John Randle had 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Left linebacker Dixon Edwards had 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive end Duane Clemons had 2.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Defensive back Torrian Gray had 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception.
The 1998 Minnesota Vikings scored 556 points across their 16 regular season games, the highest total of the 1990s and an NFL record at the time. In 11 of their 15 regular season wins, the Vikings scored more than 30 points. Their most impressive regular season victories included a 31-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 on September 6 and a 41-7 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 7 on October 18. In the second-to-last game of the season, the Vikings destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars 50-10 in Week 16 on December 20.
The only loss in an otherwise incredible regular season came in Week 9 on November 1, a tight 27-24 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The full schedule and results are available on Pro Football Reference.
The playoffs started off the right way for the Vikings, as they handily beat the Arizona Cardinals 41-21 in the Divisional Round on January 10. Randall Cunningham was still sharp, completing 17 of 27 passes for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns while throwing only 1 interception. Robert Smith had 19 rushes for 124 yards. In the first quarter, Leroy Hoard punched in a 1-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, Andrew Glover caught a 15-yard touchdown pass, and Gary Anderson followed with a 34-yard field goal.
Arizona running back Mario Bates punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to put his team on the board. With 0:32 remaining before halftime, Hoard caught a 16-yard touchdown pass. Bates came back in the third quarter with another 1-yard touchdown run for the Cardinals, but Minnesota responded with a 20-yard field goal by Anderson and a 2-yard touchdown reception by Randy Moss. In the fourth quarter, Bates punched in yet another 1-yard touchdown run for Arizona, but Hoard answered with a 6-yard touchdown run.
What appeared to be inevitable for a team as explosive as the Vikings was taken away by costly errors and a couple of injuries on defense, as they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime in the NFC Championship Game on January 17. Still, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings had brought life back to their franchise with a surprisingly strong regular season, and they would compete in the postseason over the next five years.
7th February, 2017
17th June, 2026
5th March, 2016
29th March, 2016
17th April, 2016
October 14th, 2026 2
October 14th, 2026 2
October 14th, 2026 2
