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Sunday, January 14
Vikes shut out for first time in nine seasons
Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Just like that, the Minnesota
Vikings became a poor-tackling, penalty prone, mistake-riddled
shell of the team that was 11-2 going into December.
Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings couldn't do anything right in
their stunning 41-0 loss to the New York Giants in the NFC
championship game Sunday.
|  | | Vikings wideout Randy Moss, left, and quarterback Daunte Culpepper were shut down by the Giants' defense Sunday. |
They couldn't catch up to the Giants' receivers. They couldn't
even catch a kickoff.
And those were only their opening-minute blunders. They were
down 14-0 before Culpepper touched the ball.
"You get to this point, you want to win so bad," Culpepper
said. "If anything, this just brings tears to your eyes."
Making matters worse, one star receiver, 35-year-old Cris
Carter, is considering retirement. And another, Randy Moss,
questioned whether the Vikings ever will be a championship team.
"I would love for Cris to come back, but I don't want him to
come back and have his hopes set on the Super Bowl," Moss said.
"It's going to be hard for us to win a Super Bowl in Minnesota.
"I don't know if he'd be coming back for Super Bowl reasons or
for football reasons. I don't want to say Minnesota will never win
a Super Bowl, but it's going to be hard."
The problems began when defensive back Kenny Wright joined
Orlando Thomas on the injured list before game time, thinning an
already porous secondary. They carried over to their four stars --
Culpepper, Moss, Carter and Robert Smith -- and never let up in the
most lopsided NFC championship game in history.
"I probably won't forget about this the rest of my life,"
Smith said.
Minnesota was shut out for the first time in nine seasons under
coach Dennis Green, who fell to 4-8 in the playoffs, and were
denied their first Super Bowl appearance since 1977.
Culpepper completed only 13 of 28 passes for 78 yards. Carter
was held to three receptions for 24 yards, Moss was limited to two
catches for 18.
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Kerry Collins lit up the Vikings for the third-most yards ever in a conference championship game, and he did it in just three quarters. The only two quarterbacks to have better championship games are future Hall-of-Famers. Collins' five touchdown passes are also the third-most ever in a postseason game.
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Year
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Player
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Yards
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1984
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D. Marino*
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421 vs. Pit
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1989
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J. Elway*
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385 vs. Cle
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2000
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K. Collins*
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381 vs. Min
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1994
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T. Aikman
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380 vs. SF
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1998
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V. Testaverde
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356 vs. Den
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1987
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B. Kosar
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356 vs. Den
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* Won game
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Moss said he sensed there were problems even before kickoff.
"I don't really know if all of our losses were because we were
too cocky or there was too much hooping and hollering," he said.
"We ate our words today."
Several factors worked against the Vikings. They were playing
outdoors for the first time since Thanksgiving and fell to 3-3 on
grass fields. The outcome also exposed many of the Vikings'
problems over the latter part of the season. They won their first
seven games but were a mediocre 5-6 the rest of the way.
The greatest factor, though, was the Giants.
Keith Thibodeaux, inserted into the Vikings' nickel package
because of Thomas' absence, was burned on the game's fourth play
from scrimmage, a 44-yard touchdown catch by Ike Hilliard.
Then the kickoff fell between Troy Walters and Moe Williams, and
the Giants' Lyle West recovered. One play later, the Giants' Greg
Comella scored on an 18-yard TD pass.
The Vikings never climbed out of the hole.
When they attempted to convert on fourth-and-4, still trailing
14-0, a false start forced them to punt. They had the Giants pinned
at their 2 after the kick, but immediately let them off the hook by
giving up a 24-yard pass to Amani Toomer.
Later in the quarter, the Vikings couldn't even punt right.
Mitch Berger's 26-yard shank helped set up a 22-yard field goal by
Brad Daluiso on the first play of the second quarter.
The Vikings were in the NFC championship game record book by
halftime, trailing 34-0.
Things got worse right away in the second half. Culpepper lost a
fumble on the Vikings' first play, and offensive tackle Todd
Steussie lost his temper, throwing his helmet in disgust.
Even the mild-mannered Walters was ejected late in the game for
throwing two punches at the Giants' Ramos McDonald.
"It was the spur of the moment," Walters said. "It's not who
I am."
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