# 1981 Minnesota Vikings season

The 1981 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 21st in the National Football League, their 15th under head coach Bud Grant, and their final season at Metropolitan Stadium. They finished with a 7–9 record, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.
The Vikings attempted 709 passes in 1981 (44.3 per game), a league record that stood for 30 years until it was broken by the 2012 Detroit Lions.

## Offseason
### 1981 draft

* Pro Bowler
1981 Minnesota Vikings Draft :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| Round | Selection | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 18 | Traded to the Baltimore Colts | Traded to the Baltimore Colts | Traded to the Baltimore Colts | |
| 2 | 39 | Mardye McDole | Wide receiver | Mississippi State | from Colts |
| 2 | 45 | Robin Sendlein | Linebacker | Texas | |
| 2 | 52 | Jarvis Redwine | Running back | Nebraska | from Rams via Redskins and Colts |
| 3 | 71 | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | |
| 3 | 74 | Tim Irwin | Offensive tackle | Tennessee | from Patriots |
| 4 | 101 | John Swain | Cornerback | Miami (FL) | |
| 5 | 123 | Wendell Ray | Defensive end | Missouri | from Colts |
| 5 | 128 | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | Traded to the New Orleans Saints | |
| 6 | 154 | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | |
| 7 | 184 | Don Shaver | Running back | Kutztown | |
| 8 | 210 | Wade Wilson | Quarterback | East Texas State | |
| 9 | 237 | Traded to the Seattle Seahawks | Traded to the Seattle Seahawks | Traded to the Seattle Seahawks | |
| 10 | 266 | James Murphy | Wide receiver | Utah State | |
| 11 | 293 | Bill Stephanos | Offensive tackle | Boston College | |
| 12 | 320 | Brian Williams | Tight end | Southern | |
Notes
* 1 2 3 4 The Vikings traded their first-round selection (18th overall) to the Colts in exchange for two second-round (39th and 52nd overall) and a fifth-round selections (123rd overall).
* 1 2 The Vikings traded their third- and fifth-round selections (71st and 128th overall) to the Saints in exchange for OT Steve Riley.
* ↑ The Vikings traded RB Chuck Foreman to the Patriots in exchange for the a third-round selection (74th overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (154th overall) and a 1982 fifth-round selection (120th overall) to the Dolphins in exchange for C Jim Langer.
* ↑ The Vikings traded their ninth-round selection (236th overall) to the Seahawks in exchange for OT Nick Bebout.

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | August 8 | Miami Dolphins | L 6–20 | 0–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,165 |
| 2 | August 14 | at Washington Redskins | L 13–27 | 0–2 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 44,662 |
| 3 | August 22 | Atlanta Falcons | W 20–19 | 1–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 42,908 |
| 4 | August 27 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 31–34 | 1–3 | Anaheim Stadium | 60,141 |

## Regular season

After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Vikings ran off five straight wins and sat near the top of the NFC at midseason. After splitting their next four games, the Vikings were 7–4 and poised for a playoff run—however, they lost their last five games to close out the year.
The Vikings were led by quarterback Tommy Kramer, who enjoyed the most productive season of his career, throwing for 3,912 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, Kramer also threw 24 interceptions in 1981. The Vikings set an NFL record for pass attempts with 709.
A trio of offensive standouts paced the Vikings in 1981 at the skill positions. Running back Ted Brown was the team's main ball carrier, rushing for 1,063 yards, and also came in third in the NFL with 83 pass receptions; he scored eight touchdowns. Veteran wide receiver Sammy White also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career (1,001) and tight end Joe Senser, who would later become a color analyst on radio for the Vikings, logged 1,004 yards receiving with eight touchdowns; Senser went to the Pro Bowl for the 1981 season.

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 5 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–21 | 0–1 | Tampa Stadium | 66,287 |
| 2 | September 14 | Oakland Raiders | L 10–36 | 0–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,186 |
| 3 | September 20 | Detroit Lions | W 26–24 | 1–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,350 |
| 4 | September 27 | at Green Bay Packers | W 30–13 | 2–2 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 55,012 |
| 5 | October 4 | Chicago Bears | W 24–21 | 3–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 43,827 |
| 6 | October 11 | at San Diego Chargers | W 33–31 | 4–2 | San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium | 50,708 |
| 7 | October 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 35–23 | 5–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,459 |
| 8 | October 25 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 17–30 | 5–3 | Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium | 48,039 |
| 9 | November 2 | at Denver Broncos | L 17–19 | 5–4 | Mile High Stadium | 74,834 |
| 10 | November 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 25–10 | 6–4 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,038 |
| 11 | November 15 | New Orleans Saints | W 20–10 | 7–4 | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,215 |
| 12 | November 23 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 30–31 | 7–5 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 54,086 |
| 13 | November 29 | Green Bay Packers | L 23–35 | 7–6 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,025 |
| 14 | December 6 | at Chicago Bears | L 9–10 | 7–7 | Soldier Field | 50,766 |
| 15 | December 12 | at Detroit Lions | L 7–45 | 7–8 | Pontiac Silverdome | 79,428 |
| 16 | December 20 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 6–10 | 7–9 | Metropolitan Stadium | 41,110 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: September 5
* Game time: 8:05 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, showers, 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,287
* Referee: Fred Silva (7)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Kevin House 55-yard pass from Doug Williams (Garo Yepremian kick), 5:32. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:17.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 45-yard field goal, 10:41. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:36.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 25-yard field goal, 0:33. Buccaneers 7–6. Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 8:12.
Fourth quarter
TB – Doug Williams 10-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick), 13:17. Buccaneers 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 2:03.
MIN – Joe Senser 4-yard pass from Steve Dils (Rick Danmeier kick), 2:29. Buccaneers 14–13. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 2:39.
TB – Neal Colzie 82-yard interception return (Garo Yepremian kick), 0:21. Buccaneers 21–13.
Top passers
MIN – Steve Dils – 37/62, 361 yards, TD, INT
TB – Doug Williams – 8/22, 108 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Ted Brown – 20 rushes, 79 yards
TB – Jerry Eckwood – 6 rushes, 36 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Sammy White – 8 receptions, 92 yards
TB – Kevin House – 3 receptions, 74 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: vs Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 3 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 36 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 8:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 65 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 42,186
* Referee: Gene Barth
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Chris Bahr 21-yard field goal, 1:59. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:35.
Second quarter
OAK – Burgess Owens 29-yard interception return (Chris Bahr kick), 5:35. Raiders 10–0.
OAK – Todd Christensen 21-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (kick blocked), 1:50. Raiders 16–0. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:58.
MIN – Eddie Payton 99-yard kickoff return (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:35. Raiders 16–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15.
Third quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 37-yard field goal, 13:00. Raiders 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:00.
OAK – Morris Bradshaw 12-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 8:54. Raiders 23–10. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:06.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Cedrick Hardman 52-yard fumble recovery (Chris Bahr kick), 8:45. Raiders 30–10.
OAK – Malcolm Barnwell 61-yard pass from Marc Wilson (kick blocked), 4:14. Raiders 36–10. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:21.
Top passers
OAK – Jim Plunkett – 11/24, 109 yards, 2 TD, INT
MIN – Steve Dils – 17/40, 246 yards, INT
Top rushers
OAK – Kenny King – 14 rushes, 79 yards
MIN – Jarvis Redwine – 4 rushes, 20 yards
Top receivers
OAK – Malcolm Barnwell – 1 reception, 61 yards, TD
MIN – Sammy White – 7 receptions, 140 yards :

#### Week 3: vs Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 26 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,350
* Referee: Gene Barth
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Ted Brown 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 8:59. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:23.
Second quarter
MIN – Joe Senser 4-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:56. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:25.
DET – Billy Sims 2-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 7:28. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:28.
DET – Billy Sims 3-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 1:13. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:41.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 1:13.
Third quarter
MIN – Ted Brown 41-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (kick blocked), 8:12. Vikings 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards, 2:22.
DET – Gary Danielson 1-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 2:21. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 3:35.
Fourth quarter
DET – Eddie Murray 25-yard field goal, 10:30. Lions 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:08.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 20-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 26–24. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 1:52.
Top passers
DET – Gary Danielson – 14/26, 232 yards, INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 25/42, 333 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DET – Billy Sims – 27 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Ted Brown – 18 rushes, 77 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Freddie Scott – 5 receptions, 113 yards
MIN – Ted Brown – 9 receptions, 115 yards, TD :

#### Week 6: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 33 |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: October 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 50,708
* Referee: Chuck Heberling
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Chuck Muncie 2-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:11. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:45.
Second quarter
MIN – Rickey Young 15-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 14:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:24.
MIN – Ted Brown 4-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 9:00. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:10.
SD – Dwight Scales 60-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:45. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:15.
Third quarter
SD – Rolf Benirschke 39-yard field goal, 9:43. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:32.
MIN – Terry LeCount 26-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 6:28. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:15.
SD – Charlie Joiner 38-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:32. Chargers 24–21. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:56.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 28-yard field goal, 2:35. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 1:57.
Fourth quarter
SD – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:47. Chargers 31–24. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 6:48.
MIN – Terry LeCount 43-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (kick failed), 1:51. Chargers 31–30. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:35.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 33–31. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 27/43, 444 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
SD – Dan Fouts – 20/38, 310 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Ted Brown – 21 rushes, 68 yards
SD – Chuck Muncie – 21 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Terry LeCount – 6 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
SD – Charlie Joiner – 6 receptions, 97 yards, TD :

#### Week 7: vs Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 6 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Vikings | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: October 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,459
* Referee: Fred Silva (7)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 1-yard run (kick blocked), 1:55. Eagles 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
MIN – Joe Senser 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:42. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:04.
PHI – Tony Franklin 30-yard field goal, 3:48. Eagles 9–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:00.
MIN – Sammy White 50-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:54. Vikings 14–9. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:44.
MIN – Bob Bruer 1-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:00. Vikings 21–9. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 1:06.
Third quarter
MIN – Ahmad Rashad 5-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:32. Vikings 28–9. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:41.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 25-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick), 12:44. Vikings 28–16. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 2:51.
MIN – Ted Brown 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:20. Vikings 35–16. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:48.
PHI – Harold Carmichael 21-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick), 2:47. Vikings 35–23. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
PHI – Ron Jaworski – 30/45, 345 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 24/46, 257 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery – 16 rushes, 62 yards, TD
MIN – Ted Brown – 22 rushes, 92 yards, TD
Top receivers
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery – 10 receptions, 143 yards, TD
MIN – Joe Senser – 5 receptions, 88 yards, TD :

#### Week 9: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Mostly fair, 48 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,834
* Referee: Fred Wyant (11)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
DEN – Fred Steinfort 42-yard field goal, 4:06. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:00.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 32-yard field goal, 0:18. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 3:48.
Third quarter
DEN – Fred Steinfort 49-yard field goal, 7:29. Broncos 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 4:39.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Rob Lytle 5-yard run (kick failed), 10:16. Broncos 12–3. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 5:52.
DEN – Steve Watson 15-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 8:32. Broncos 19–3. Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:36.
MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:07. Broncos 19–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:25.
MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 2:40. Broncos 19–17. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:15.
Top passers
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 22/36, 230 yards, INT
DEN – Craig Morton – 16/28, 201 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Ted Brown – 14 rushes, 47 yards
DEN – Rick Parros – 12 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Joe Senser – 6 receptions, 73 yards
DEN – Ron Egloff – 2 receptions, 62 yards :

#### Week 10: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Vikings | 3 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 25 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 47,038
* Referee: Red Cashion
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:47. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:05.
Second quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 38-yard field goal, 13:33. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:19.
MIN – Ted Brown 2-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:09. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 17 plays, 95 yards, 9:04.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 0:40.
Third quarter
MIN – Rickey Young 1-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:35. Vikings 23–0. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:25.
TB – Bill Capece 27-yard field goal, 3:17. Vikings 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:15.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Doug Williams sacked in the end zone by Mark Mullaney and James White for a safety, 13:08. Vikings 25–3.
TB – Jimmie Giles 1-yard pass from Doug Williams (Bill Capece kick), 9:28. Vikings 25–10. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 1:54.
Top passers
TB – Doug Williams – 13/27, 154 yards, TD
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 24/41, 228 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
TB – Doug Williams – 3 rushes, 20 yards
MIN – Ted Brown – 31 rushes, 129 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Kevin House – 3 receptions, 70 yards
MIN – Joe Senser – 8 receptions, 101 yards :

#### Week 11: vs New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: November 15
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, high overcast, 55 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,215
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 35-yard field goal, 9:35. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:32.
NO – Benny Ricardo 24-yard field goal, 4:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:09.
MIN – Joe Senser 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:19. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.
Third quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 19-yard field goal, 8:29. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 6:31.
MIN – Ted Brown 9-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:36. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:45.
Fourth quarter
NO – George Rogers 1-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick), 6:59. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:54.
Top passers
NO – Dave Wilson – 19/39, 244 yards, 2 INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 19/40, 287 yards, TD
Top rushers
NO – George Rogers – 31 rushes, 97 yards, TD
MIN – Ted Brown – 16 rushes, 54 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Wayne Wilson – 3 receptions, 71 yards
MIN – Joe Senser – 7 receptions, 92 yards, TD :

#### Week 16: vs Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 41,110
* Referee: Tom Dooley
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Rick Danmeier 43-yard field goal, 10:33. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 50 yards, 4:27.
KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 1:12. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:41.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
KC – Stan Rome 15-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Nick Lowery kick), 10:03. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:57.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:30. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:15.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
KC – Steve Fuller – 12/16, 145 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 17/38, 177 yards, INT
Top rushers
KC – Billy Jackson – 25 rushes, 102 yards
MIN – Tony Galbreath – 11 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
KC – Carlos Carson – 3 receptions, 78 yards
MIN – Tony Galbreath – 7 receptions, 60 yards :

### Standings

NFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers$^{(3)}$ | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 315 | 268 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 397 | 322 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–7 | 324 | 361 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 325 | 369 | L5 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 253 | 324 | W3 |

## Statistics
### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Tommy Kramer | 3,912 |
| Passing touchdowns | Tommy Kramer | 26 |
| Rushing yards | Ted Brown | 1,063 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Ted Brown | 6 |
| Receiving yards | Joe Senser | 1,004 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Joe Senser | 8 |
| Points | Rick Danmeier | 97 |
| Kickoff return yards | Eddie Payton | 898 |
| Punt return yards | Eddie Payton | 303 |
| Tackles | Scott Studwell | 230 |
| Interceptions | Tommy Hannon Willie Teal | 4 |
* Vikings single season record although tackles were not official until 2001.

### League rankings

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 28) |
| Passing offense | 4,333 | 270.8 | 2nd |
| Rushing offense | 1,512 | 94.5 | 28th |
| Total offense | 5,845 | 365.3 | 6th |
| Passing defense | 3,328 | 208.0 | 18th |
| Rushing defense | 2,045 | 127.8 | 15th |
| Total defense | 5,373 | 335.8 | 17th |