2000 Minnesota Vikings season


The 2000 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 40th in the National Football League. They won the NFC Central division title with an 11–5 record. After not retaining either Randall Cunningham or Jeff George, the team was led by first-year starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper and running back Robert Smith, who ran for a then team record 1,521 yards and seven touchdowns. The Vikings started out 7–0 and were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the St. Louis Rams, [2000 2000 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers] and [2000 2000 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts] while Culpepper was hampered by injury.
After easily beating the [2000 2000 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints] in the Divisional game 34–16, they were defeated 41–0 by the [2000 2000 New York Giants season|New York Giants season|New York Giants] in the Conference Championship. Running back Robert Smith retired at the end of the year, after only playing eight NFL seasons. It would be 2004 before the Vikings returned to the playoffs.
After a contract dispute, Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle was let go after 11 seasons with the Vikings. Randle had only eight sacks this year, ending a streak of eight consecutive seasons with 10+ sacks.
Seven Vikings including Culpepper, Moss, Carter, Smith, Korey Stringer, Robert Griffith and Matt Birk were selected to play in the Pro Bowl after the season. It was Stringer's only Pro Bowl appearance before his death in 2001.
This would be the final full season for Dennis Green as the team's head coach, he was fired the next season with just one game remaining on the schedule.

Offseason

2000 draft

'''Notes:'''

Undrafted free agents

PlayerPositionCollege
Billy CockerhamQuarterbackMinnesota
Andy CroslandKickerMiami (FL)
Tim EngelhardtDefensive tackleNew Mexico State
Brody LiddiardTight endColorado
Lenny LucasFullbackTroy State
Matt WilsonWide receiverBloomsburg
Antwone YoungFullbackSan Diego State

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 9: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Week 17: at Indianapolis Colts

This was the first occasion the Colts hosted the Vikings in the regular season since 1968 in Baltimore, although the two teams would again play in the Colts’ stadium during that postseason. The intervening gap of 31 seasons constitutes the second-longest gap without one team visiting another in NFL history, and at the time was a record.

Awards and records

  • Gary Anderson, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Week 8
  • Mitch Berger, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Week 14
  • Mitch Berger, NFC Special Teams Player of the Month, December
  • Cris Carter, All-NFL Team
  • Cris Carter, NFC Pro Bowl Selection
  • Daunte Culpepper, NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Week 6
  • Daunte Culpepper, NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Week 12
  • Chris Hovan, PFW/Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team
  • Randy Moss, All-NFL Team
  • Randy Moss, PFW/PFWA All-Pro Team
  • Robert Smith, NFC Offensive Player of the Month, December

40-year team

The Vikings named an all-time team in 2000 in recognition of the franchise's 40th year in the NFL.