Team: | Minnesota Vikings |
Year: | 1980 |
Record: | 9–7 |
Division Place: | 1st NFC Central |
Coach: | Bud Grant |
General Manager: | Mike Lynn |
Stadium: | Metropolitan Stadium |
Playoffs: | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Eagles) 16–31 |
Pro Bowlers: | LB Matt Blair WR Ahmad Rashad |
Ap All-Pros: | LB Matt Blair (1st team) |
Uniform: | File:Vikings1975-86.png |
Shortnavlink: | Vikings seasons |
The 1980 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 20th in the National Football League and their 14th under head coach Bud Grant. The Vikings improved on their 7-9 record from last year with a 9–7 record, equal to that of the Detroit Lions, but won the NFC Central division title on the tiebreaker. In the Divisional Playoffs the Vikings lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 31–16.
The most dramatic game of the season came in a Week 15 home game against Cleveland, with Minnesota at 8–6. The Vikings trailed 23–9 early in the fourth quarter, but with five seconds left in regulation, despite missing two field goals and two extra points in the game, they were on the Cleveland 46-yard line having reduced the Browns' lead to one point. Quarterback Tommy Kramer threw a Hail Mary pass that Ahmad Rashad caught at the 2-yard line before backing into the end zone to give Minnesota a 28–23 win.[1]
See main article: 1980 NFL draft.
1980 Minnesota Vikings Draft | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | ||
Round | Selection | |||||
9 | ||||||
2 | 30 | From 49ers | ||||
39 | Traded to the San Francisco 49ers | |||||
3 | 65 | Traded to the San Francisco 49ers | ||||
68 | From Saints | |||||
4 | 92 | |||||
5 | 121 | |||||
122 | Paul Jones | From Saints | ||||
6 | 148 | |||||
7 | 174 | |||||
8 | 204 | Traded to the Seattle Seahawks | ||||
9 | 232 | In lieu of #231 (passed) | ||||
10 | 258 | Kenny Brown | ||||
11 | 288 | |||||
12 | 315 | Thomas Lane |
Notes
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance[2] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 9 | San Diego Chargers | W 21–17 | 1–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,179 | |
2 | August 18 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 10–14 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 39,879 | |
3 | August 23 | at Miami Dolphins | W 17–10 | 2–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 36,116 | |
4 | August 30 | Cleveland Browns | W 38–16 | 3–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,262 |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 7 | Atlanta Falcons | W 24–23 | 1–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 44,773 | |
2 | September 14 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–42 | 1–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,460 | |
3 | September 21 | at Chicago Bears | W 34–14 | 2–1 | Soldier Field | 59,983 | |
4 | September 28 | at Detroit Lions | L 7–27 | 2–2 | Silverdome | 80,291 | |
5 | October 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 17–23 | 2–3 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,583 | |
6 | October 12 | Chicago Bears | W 13–7 | 3–3 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,751 | |
7 | October 19 | L 0–14 | 3–4 | Riverfront Stadium | 44,487 | ||
8 | October 26 | at Green Bay Packers | L 3–16 | 3–5 | Lambeau Field | 56,191 | |
9 | November 2 | at Washington Redskins | W 39–14 | 4–5 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 52,060 | |
10 | November 9 | Detroit Lions | W 34–0 | 5–5 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,264 | |
11 | November 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 38–30 | 6–5 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,032 | |
12 | November 23 | Green Bay Packers | L 13–25 | 6–6 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,234 | |
13 | November 30 | at New Orleans Saints | W 23–20 | 7–6 | Louisiana Superdome | 30,936 | |
14 | December 7 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 21–10 | 8–6 | Tampa Stadium | 65,649 | |
15 | December 14 | Cleveland Browns | W 28–23 | 9–6 | Metropolitan Stadium | 42,202 | |
16 | December 21 | L 16–20 | 9–7 | Astrodome | 51,064 |
See main article: Miracle at the Met. Trailing 23–9 entering the fourth quarter the Vikings came back and won on a desperation Hail Mary pass from quarterback Tommy Kramer to wide receiver Ahmad Rashad to clinch the NFC Central Division title in what became known as the "Miracle at the Met".
width=150px style="" | Category | width=150px style="" | Player(s) | width=75px style="" | Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Passing yards | 3,582 | ||||
Passing touchdowns | 19 | ||||
Rushing yards | 912 | ||||
Rushing touchdowns | 8 | ||||
Receiving yards | 1,095 | ||||
Receiving touchdowns | 7 | ||||
Points | 81 | ||||
Kickoff return yards | 1,184 | ||||
Punt return yards | 251 | ||||
Interceptions | 6 |
width=150px style="" | Category | width=100px style="" | Total yards | width=110px style="" | Yards per game | width=80px style="" | NFL rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Passing offense | 3,688 | 230.5 | 3rd | ||||
Rushing offense | 1,642 | 102.6 | 27th | ||||
Total offense | 5,330 | 333.1 | 11th | ||||
Passing defense | 3,400 | 212.5 | 24th | ||||
Rushing defense | 2,456 | 153.5 | 25th | ||||
Total defense | 5,856 | 366.0 | 26th |