Another edition of Throwback Thursday here at BringMeTheNews, where we pick a game from the NFL archives between the Vikings and the current week’s opponent.
This week, of course, it’s the Washington Redskins, who are already in town to take on Minnesota for Thursday Night Football.
First, a little history between the two teams, from the Daily Norseman.
The teams have met 17 times, with the Redskins holding a 9-8 edge. The most recent victory for the Vikings over Washington in Minnesota was a 41-7 trouncing during the great season of 1998.
The most recent victory for Washington at the Dome was in 2007, 32-21.
And the largest margin of victory for Washington in Minnesota was a 31-17 win in 1984.
Which might be the score this time around. And that game was, in fact, on a Thursday night. Minnesota had just dropped nine in a row to go into the game at 3-10, and the Redskins were still fighting for the top spot in the NFC East coming in at 8-5.
Washington came in with a red-hot Joe Theismann at QB, who delivered a 68-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Muhammad on the first play from scrimmage to put the Redskins up 7-0 just 18 seconds into the game.
Meanwhile, the Vikings came into the game with an uncertainty at quarterback (sound familiar?), and let “Whiskey” Wade WIlson start and play long enough to throw 8 for 17 with 63 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Redskins also used two fumble recoveries to build 31-0 halftime lead.
Enter Archie Manning, the Vikings’ backup QB at the time. According to this Associated Press account from the Palm Beach Post, Manning threw two strikes to little Leo Lewis after Jan Stenerud opened the second half with a field goal.
Manning played like the beat-up 35-year-old he was at the time, completing 11 of 22 for 164 yards. But no interceptions, and he got the Vikings in the end zone. And that, sports fans, was the ball game.
The loss dropped the Vikings to 3-11, which at the time was the team’s worst record since 1962, the second year of the franchise.
