Worst Vikings Teams

[Funkytown]

It's hard to say how it'll all end up, but at this point...it's this year. Our team seems to be getting worse, and our schedule isn't going to let up. It doesn't help that we're a big joke. It's a bit like a mixture of the '10-'11 seasons for me, and that's not good!

[tmscr]

I'm only 26 so I mercifully missed Steckel by 3 years. Though I do faintly remember Spurgeon Wynn as a sort of bogeyman character
that would steal children away in the middle of the night and force them to watch Vikings Super Bowl games.

I guess that makes me a Denny Green era kid, and as much as he made terrible decisions (Kneeldown, anybody?)
I only saw 1 season of losing football under him.

I don't understand what was so bad about Tice? I'm pretty sure I'd immediately take him over Childress and Frazier.
Ah, we'll always have the Moon Bowl, Michael. Leave the memories alone.

Childress was a godawful cancer on the franchise and had a good record with the team with Peterson and Favre who chugged
a bottle of Geritol and threw for 300 yards every game. Other than that, abominable.

Frazier went 10-6-1 with a 2300 yard all purpose running back. I think he's like a collective 17-27 now?

2001 and 2010-2011 are probably the worst I've ever seen 'em, but this year takes the cake. Maybe its because I'm an adult
or maybe it is because this team is so deeply dysfunctional, especially at QB, and Rodgers just crushed us again, but this year
has been a real bitter pill. I expected some 6-10 to 9-7 regression with an admittedly difficult schedule, but this?

off the field issues probably were the end of tice. you had the embarrassing love boat scandal and also his personal involvement in scalping super bowl tickets. i think he was fined like $100,000 for that too. also, starting 6-0 in '03 and missing the playoffs was not good. even though they beat the packers in the playoffs in '04, they sort of fizzled down the stretch in '05. they lost 2 of their last 3 and missed the playoffs. his tenure was just sort or mediocre.

[me4get]

Two words. Les Steckel. I think he lost the team before preseason was over. Maybe before training camp was over. It was so bad, they convinced Bud Grant to come out or retirement for one year after they Les left.

Steckel wore the team out in a preseason BOOT CAMP.

[Orion]

These mistakes my blood BOIL! What do we pay these guys so well for? I shriek at the screen every game!!!

[Laserman]

we won't get another win this season. we are done. The whole team has quit

[majorm]

we won't get another win this season. we are done. The whole team has quit

Being a Viking fan in KC, I LOVE I Heart Radio. I listen to PA, at least a little every day.

He has Sullivan on every Monday and I just can't listen to it. It's the same old garbage every week. I know the guy can't say some things but to hear him say the SAME THING after EVERY LOSS just makes me want to throw up.

"Well, I know this group of guys in this locker room. We're all sticking together and I can guarantee nobody has quit. We're going to go back to work and try and win a football game."

I know there's not much more he CAN say, but I am so sick of it. Probably as sick of hearing it as he is of saying it.

Of course no player would ever admit that a teammate quit, but it's really starting to look like it on the field to me.

And that is ABSOLUTELY what happened in 1984. The team quit on Steckel big time. They were just getting destroyed over the last part of that season. Go look up the scores of those last handful of games. This year is feeling just like that. I think there are some 40 or even 50 something to 7 games coming. Maybe several of them.

[John_Viveiros]

ya know, it's kind of funny. a 3 win season has been the absolute bottom of the barrel for the vikings. but that's only happened a few times. the vikings have been a pretty consistently competitive franchise in their history.

By a couple measures, the Vikings have been among the top consistently competitive teams in league history. I keep reminding you all that the Vikings are the only franchise to never have a long string of losing seasons - long as defined by the number two(!!). Since 1964, the most consecutive losing seasons by the Vikes is two. That is an absolutely amazing statistic. The team never sucks for long time periods. In the 80's, the Packers were one of the Bay of Pigs teams to Chris Berman. The Bears had a lost decade in there too. Cowboys stunk for many seasons in the 80's.

The second stat is playoff appearances. Dallas has 30 in the Superbowl Era. Minnesota has 27. Pittsburgh has 26. There's your top 3. Hard to believe dumb luck can't get you a Superbowl win in 27 tries.

[tmscr]

By a couple measures, the Vikings have been among the top consistently competitive teams in league history. I keep reminding you all that the Vikings are the only franchise to never have a long string of losing seasons - long as defined by the number two(!!). Since 1964, the most consecutive losing seasons by the Vikes is two. That is an absolutely amazing statistic. The team never sucks for long time periods. In the 80's, the Packers were one of the Bay of Pigs teams to Chris Berman. The Bears had a lost decade in there too. Cowboys stunk for many seasons in the 80's.

The second stat is playoff appearances. Dallas has 30 in the Superbowl Era. Minnesota has 27. Pittsburgh has 26. There's your top 3. Hard to believe dumb luck can't get you a Superbowl win in 27 tries.

this is an excellent post. i did not know that consecutive losing years stat. that really is amazing. don't get this wrong, i would trade all of that for even one super bowl, but like you said the packers were miserable for at least 2 decades. i can be proud that the vikings are at least consistently competitive. one day we'll get ours.

[Reignman]

By a couple measures, the Vikings have been among the top consistently competitive teams in league history. I keep reminding you all that the Vikings are the only franchise to never have a long string of losing seasons - long as defined by the number two(!!). Since 1964, the most consecutive losing seasons by the Vikes is two. That is an absolutely amazing statistic. The team never sucks for long time periods. In the 80's, the Packers were one of the Bay of Pigs teams to Chris Berman. The Bears had a lost decade in there too. Cowboys stunk for many seasons in the 80's.

The second stat is playoff appearances. Dallas has 30 in the Superbowl Era. Minnesota has 27. Pittsburgh has 26. There's your top 3. Hard to believe dumb luck can't get you a Superbowl win in 27 tries.

Yeah good point, I didn't even know about the consecutive losing seasons fact. And to add to your dumb luck point, we've had 19 playoff and 5 NFC championship appearances since our last Superbowl appearance in 1976. Talk about dumb luck to not even make it 1 time in all those tries. Of course most of those playoff games were on the road due to poor seeding, and only 1 of the NFC championships was played at home.

[PurpleHalo]

Two words. Les Steckel. I think he lost the team before preseason was over. Maybe before training camp was over. It was so bad, they convinced Bud Grant to come out or retirement for one year after they Les left.

That was a badly coached team, but not that bad of a team. Bud returned in 85 and took them to 9-7. Word was that Steckel wore that team out with military style training camp / practices.

In my time the worst purple teams have been:

2001: Green had lost the team, and the talent had eroded, and the reality was that the window had finally closed, and the super bowl was not in the cards anymore. I remember getting destroyed by Philly when they were starting to get good under Reid, and it told me how far away from good this team was now. And Spergeon Wynn starting the 9/11 makeup game in Baltimore, oh that was something to forget, happy new year.

2005: How depressing was that season? Bad got worse after Culpepper went down, you just knew no help was on the way, getting destroyed by decent teams all year and Moss was in Oakland. Remember Steve Smith, beat us like nobodys business. 90% of the earth is covered by water, the rest by Fred Smoot, yeah right.

2006: Reminds me of the QB situation this year, no matter who was trotted out it was boring with a big B, was never so unammused to watch a team play offense as that year, got some nice Sunday catnaps on the couch tho.

2011: Favre gone, and still burning from being left at the super bowl alter again, McNabb brutal, roof collapses and than AP blows a knee, seemed so dark for this franchise.

2013: We know whats happening this year, no need to rehash whats fresh.

[majorm]

While we're re-living misery, I think one of the best and worst Viking seasons happened in the same year.

Anybody remember what happened in 1981??

Tommy Kramer was hurt and missed the first two games, which they lost. When he returned, they won five in a row weeks 3 through 7. Beat San Diego and Philly in back to back weeks. The Chargers would play in the AFCC game that season and the Eagles were coming off a Super Bowl appearance and were one of the NFC's top teams. Vikes crushed them and were starting to get some buzz as a serious SB contender. Kramer was turning into a real star.

They were 7-4, playing Atlanta on a Monday night. I believe they jumped out to a 24-6 lead and were looking awesome. Then the wheels came off!!! After a second half collapse they lost to the Falcons 31-30 and were never the same team. Kramer - who had been brilliant during the winning streak - suddenly became an interception machine and they dropped their last five games to finish 7-9.

Probably one of the best Viking teams and certainly one of the worst. In ONE season.

[Mothman]

While we're re-living misery, I think one of the best and worst Viking seasons happened in the same year.

Anybody remember what happened in 1981??

Tommy Kramer was hurt and missed the first two games, which they lost. When he returned, they won five in a row weeks 3 through 7. Beat San Diego and Philly in back to back weeks. The Chargers would play in the AFCC game that season and the Eagles were coming off a Super Bowl appearance and were one of the NFC's top teams. Vikes crushed them and were starting to get some buzz as a serious SB contender. Kramer was turning into a real star.

They were 7-4, playing Atlanta on a Monday night. I believe they jumped out to a 24-6 lead and were looking awesome. Then the wheels came off!!! After a second half collapse they lost to the Falcons 31-30 and were never the same team. Kramer - who had been brilliant during the winning streak - suddenly became an interception machine and they dropped their last five games to finish 7-9.

Probably one of the best Viking teams and certainly one of the worst. In ONE season.

I remember it. It was a really frustrating, disappointing season but that hot streak was thrilling while it lasted.

[majorm]

I remember it. It was a really frustrating, disappointing season but that hot streak was thrilling while it lasted.

That season is very memorable for me for a couple of reasons. The miserable finish after such promise. And...I got to see the Vikings play at Metropolitan Stadium for my only time. That of course was the last year at the Met. Living in SE Kansas at the time, that was a very rare treat. Took a family vacation centered around going to the Lions game in week 3. That was Kramer's first game back and they won on a last second FG by Rick Danmeier.

Ironically, I was also at the game in St. Louis that they lost to end the five game streak. I saw the beginning and the end of the streak in person.

[Eli]

Just think... we could be witnessing history in the making. Now I know what that other thread was about when the guy said he was excited about the prospect of going 1-15. We can tell our great-grandchildren about it one day.

[tmscr]

That was a badly coached team, but not that bad of a team. Bud returned in 85 and took them to 9-7. Word was that Steckel wore that team out with military style training camp / practices.

In my time the worst purple teams have been:

2001: Green had lost the team, and the talent had eroded, and the reality was that the window had finally closed, and the super bowl was not in the cards anymore. I remember getting destroyed by Philly when they were starting to get good under Reid, and it told me how far away from good this team was now. And Spergeon Wynn starting the 9/11 makeup game in Baltimore, oh that was something to forget, happy new year.

2005: How depressing was that season? Bad got worse after Culpepper went down, you just knew no help was on the way, getting destroyed by decent teams all year and Moss was in Oakland. Remember Steve Smith, beat us like nobodys business. 90% of the earth is covered by water, the rest by Fred Smoot, yeah right.

2006: Reminds me of the QB situation this year, no matter who was trotted out it was boring with a big B, was never so unammused to watch a team play offense as that year, got some nice Sunday catnaps on the couch tho.

2011: Favre gone, and still burning from being left at the super bowl alter again, McNabb brutal, roof collapses and than AP blows a knee, seemed so dark for this franchise.

2013: We know whats happening this year, no need to rehash whats fresh.

I was at that Philly game in 2001 and I remember it being a blowout. That game can actually be found on youtube. I remember that being a particularly bad year for a lot of reasons. You had the embarrassment of the 41-0 championship game the year before. You had Korey Stringer dying in camp. The Panthers returned the opening kickoff of the season for a TD to get their ONLY win of the year. I remember Dennis Green being basically a lame duck. You definitely got a feeling that the party of the 90's was over and it was, albeit for a short two years. Of course we all remember what happened in '03