Three Most Painful Loses in Vikings History?

[Nosferatu]

I'm Professor Plum! Let's get a game started...

 

[PnkPanther]

they all hurt

 

[richig07]

Come on... this has to be worse than the Eagles loss. I mean, you guys weren't even expected to get that far. Also, how about Blair Walsh?

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

Come on... this has to be worse than the Eagles loss. I mean, you guys weren't even expected to get that far. Also, how about Blair Walsh?

No way. Regular season losses just don't compare to playoff losses, especially when it wasn't even a huge game against a division rival. That 2003 Cardinals loss was definitely tough at the time, but it doesn't hold a candle to playoff losses. The team's 2003 implosion wasn't any worse than 2004's, and the Eagles loss was following the upset wildcard playoff win in Lambeau, giving a shred of hope that maybe they could pull it off in Philly, albeit unlikely.

As for the Walsh missed kick, yeah it was rough, but let's be real, there was no way that Vikings team was going anywhere beyond the first round that year. They were one of the worst 11-5 teams I've ever seen, especially on offense. The fact that they weren't able to score a single TD at home with Adrian Peterson as their RB in one of the coldest NFL games of all time was all you needed to know that they had no shot beyond the first round once they hit the road. So although the loss was hard, I don't think any realistic Vikings fans actually thought they had a chance beyond that. Meanwhile, say the NFC Championship losses of 1998, 2000, and 2009 - all three of those teams had extremely realistic chances of winning the Superbowl had they followed through the NFC title games. And there are tons of other playoff losses with better Vikings teams than that 2015 one. The Blaire Walsh kick seemed extra bad because of the comparison's to Gary Anderson's wide left miss in '98, too.

 

[richig07]

No way. Regular season losses just don't compare to playoff losses, especially when it wasn't even a huge game against a division rival. That 2003 Cardinals loss was definitely tough at the time, but it doesn't hold a candle to playoff losses.

That WAS a playoff loss though... It was win or go home. Same concept. It cost you your entire season. After a ridiculous collapse when the playoffs looked sewn up, to give up two scores in the final two minutes, including an onside kick and basically a hail mary to some no name young QB? To the hapless early-00's Cardinals? That is BRUTAL.

I'm sorry, I'm just picturing that happening to the Bears and still... I'm nearly punching a hole through my wall. You cannot just dismiss that as a "regular season loss". It wasn't... that was a season deciding loss. No different than a playoff game.

And I do understand that the Anderson kick trumps all, no doubt. I'm not debating that it should be ahead of the NFC Title losses. Just saying... it should in this thread as an honorable mention.

The Walsh kick would have killed me, because you guys clearly were the better team that day. The Seahawks were INCREDIBLY lucky just to have the damn lead... I know all roads eventually led to Carolina (and a probable loss) anyway, but jeez.

 

[Nosferatu]

That WAS a playoff loss though... It was win or go home. Same concept. It cost you your entire season. After a ridiculous collapse when the playoffs looked sewn up, to give up two scores in the final two minutes, including an onside kick and basically a hail mary to some no name young QB? To the hapless early-00's Cardinals? That is BRUTAL.

I'm sorry, I'm just picturing that happening to the Bears and still... I'm nearly punching a hole through my wall. You cannot just dismiss that as a "regular season loss". It wasn't... that was a season deciding loss. No different than a playoff game.

And I do understand that the Anderson kick trumps all, no doubt. I'm not debating that it should be ahead of the NFC Title losses. Just saying... it should in this thread as an honorable mention.

The Walsh kick would have killed me, because you guys clearly were the better team that day. The Seahawks were INCREDIBLY lucky just to have the damn lead... I know all roads eventually led to Carolina (and a probable loss) anyway, but jeez.

The Walsh miss didn't affect me at all, as a Vikings fan you expect things like that to happen. I was at home watching the game with a bunch of Niners fans and they were all happy we were gonna beat the Seadogs and I told them don't be so sure, they have no idea what it's like to be a fan of a team that simply can't win... Nothing will ever hurt like losing to Atlanta in 98, NOTHING!

 

[PnkPanther]

Walsh miss was a straight gut shot.

The AZ loss hurt, especially since it put GB in the playoffs..I remember fans blaming Daunte, when he last left the field there was 2 score lead....

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

Walsh miss was a straight gut shot.

The AZ loss hurt, especially since it put GB in the playoffs..I remember fans blaming Daunte, when he last left the field there was 2 score lead....

The AP 4th quarter fumble was a much bigger deal in that game than the missed Walsh kick, as it directly lead to the only Seahags TD - take away that TD, and the Hags never score enough to take the lead over 9 Walsh FG points. Plus that one play where Russell Wilson fumbled the snap and it flew way back about 10 yards behind him, then he picked it up and rolled around for about 10 seconds before lobbing a pass for a long completion that should have been an easy sack/defended pass/possibly turnover for the D.

The Hags were playing without Marshawn Lynch for that game, whereas we were at home outdoors in sub-zero weather with the 2015 rushing yards leader AP at RB. Given those circumstances, we had no excuse to lose that game, yet our offense played so miserably we kept giving them every opportunity to stick around when we should have put them away with at least 1 AP TD earlier in the game, plus that flub on D letting them turn a huge loss into a huge gain. So the Walsh miss was just the Vikes being the Vikes and wasn't surprising at all. Winning that game via a last second Walsh kick would have made it a fluke win given how AP should have been a much bigger factor than he was in that type of game.

 

[Win TWINS!!!]

I get why you added that game but they weren't suppose to be in that game to lose, the games I mentioned we were clearly the better team and blew it! They wanted to draft Marcus Allen but he said he wouldn't sign with the Vikes so poof Darrin Nelson...

Can't look at the overall record and say that.

If you recall, the real team was 8-4. The Scabs were 0-3.

 

[1phlapdown]

No mention of the SB losses!! Are you all too young to remember them, or what?

Shit, I still have pain from the '65 Series.

 

[Chewbaccer]

The Falcons were 14-2 in 98, so it's not like they backed into the playoffs. They were a great team as well, and IMO, the best team in the NFL won the Super Bowl that season.

 

[Win TWINS!!!]

The Falcons were 14-2 in 98, so it's not like they backed into the playoffs. They were a great team as well, and IMO, the best team in the NFL won the Super Bowl that season.

GTFO, TROLL!!!

 

[GNG]

Those four SB loses should be the most painful.

 

[Ojb81]

The Falcons were 14-2 in 98, so it's not like they backed into the playoffs. They were a great team as well, and IMO, the best team in the NFL won the Super Bowl that season.

I still believe with all my heart that had the Vikes not crapped themselves vs. Atlanta, they'd have beaten the broncos in the superbowl

 

[Chewbaccer]

I still believe with all my heart that had the Vikes not crapped themselves vs. Atlanta, they'd have beaten the broncos in the superbowl

Guess we'll never know for sure, but I doubt it.

 

[Nosferatu]

The Falcons were 14-2 in 98, so it's not like they backed into the playoffs. They were a great team as well, and IMO, the best team in the NFL won the Super Bowl that season.

 

[Nosferatu]

The Vikes were easily the best team in the NFL in 1998, most points scored in league history and a point differential of 260. Denny Green simply sucked as a coach so Atlanta went to the Super Bowl!

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

I still believe with all my heart that had the Vikes not crapped themselves vs. Atlanta, they'd have beaten the broncos in the superbowl

People underestimate how tough beating Denver in 1998 would have been. Denver was also 14-2 that season, and people really underrate how great they were. They humiliated Atlanta in that Superbowl. It would have been a very tough game to win in that Superbowl.

A huge part of why they lost the game to Atlanta was because Randle started the game off hurt, and was hurt significantly worse from a chop block on first play of the NFCC game. Had they managed to make it to the Superbowl, Terrell Davis would have destroyed them with the running game without a healthy Randle, plus Elway and the passing attack was also elite. The Denver D wasn't bad at all either. It would have taken the absolute best game by the Vikings offense to have stood a chance given the various injuries on the team by that point and how incredibly good that Denver team also was. Considering how Denver dropped 34 points on Atlanta, it's a safe bet that the Vikings would have had to put up 40+ to have a serious chance of winning that game in a shootout.

Had both teams been able to play reasonably healthy, I'd give a nod to the Vikings in a still high scoring game. But without a healthy Randle, the Vikings D would have been decimated by the Denver offense, and that's just a fact.

 

[fknhippie]

Guess we'll never know for sure, but I doubt it.

GTFO, TROLL!!!

 

[Nosferatu]

Those four SB loses should be the most painful.

Not really, the only one that should be painful is the loss to Kansas City, Vikes were a double digit favorites in that game. The Dolphins just ran over our undersized defense, Pittsburgh had a great defense and Oakland was just the better team. Fran Tarkenton was amazingly overrated too, that didn't help.