The 1998 Minnesota Vikings might be the most memorable team in franchise history. Sure, we’re all aware of the four failed Super Bowls, but those ’98 Vikings and ’09 Brett Favre-led Vikings left deep scars on Minnesota – but only one of them made Sports Illustrated’s list of the 15 worst playoff failures of all time.
At No. 12 on the list, the 1998 Vikings.
“Best team never to reach the Super Bowl? A strong case could be made for the ’98 Vikings, an offensive juggernaut that went 15–1 and set a then-NFL record with 556 points scored. Quarterback Randall Cunningham and sensational rookie wide receiver Randy Moss helped boost Minnesota’s point differential to 16.2 per game, one of the best of the Super Bowl era. The Vikes blew out Arizona 41–21 in the divisional round and held a 20–7 lead over the Atlanta Falcons late in the first half of the NFC title game. However, an Atlanta TD with 59 seconds left, set up by a Cunningham fumble deep in Minnesota territory, cut the halftime edge to 20–14. Gary Anderson, who hadn’t missed a field goal all season, was wide on a 38-yard attempt with two minutes to play, giving the Falcons life. Chris Chandler’s 16-yard TD pass to Terance Mathis tied the game in the final minute, and Morten Andersen’s 38-yard field goal in overtime gave Atlanta a 30–27 win and its first berth in the Super Bowl.”
