1981 Minnesota Vikings season

1981 Minnesota Vikings season
1981 Minnesota Vikings season
General manager	Mike Lynn
Head coach	Bud Grant
Home field	Metropolitan Stadium
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	4th NFC Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	LB Matt Blair; WR Ahmad Rashad; TE Joe Senser
Uniform
	← 1980; Vikings seasons; 1982 →;

The 1981 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 21st in the National Football League, their 15th under head coach Bud Grant, and their final season at Metropolitan Stadium. They finished with a 7–9 record, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

The Vikings attempted 709 passes in 1981 (44.3 per game), a league record that stood for 30 years until it was broken by the 2012 Detroit Lions.^[1]

Offseason

1981 draft

	Pro Bowler

1981 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Notes
Round	Selection	Player name	Position	College	Notes
1	18	Traded to the Baltimore Colts^[A]
2	39	Mardye McDole	Wide receiver	Mississippi State	from Colts^[A]
	45	Robin Sendlein	Linebacker	Texas
	52	Jarvis Redwine	Running back	Nebraska	from Rams via Redskins and Colts^[A]
3	71	Traded to the New Orleans Saints^[B]
3	74	Tim Irwin	Offensive tackle	Tennessee	from Patriots^[C]
4	101	John Swain	Cornerback	Miami (FL)
5	123	Wendell Ray	Defensive end	Missouri	from Colts^[A]
5	128	Traded to the New Orleans Saints^[B]
6	154	Traded to the Miami Dolphins^[D]
7	184	Don Shaver	Running back	Kutztown
8	210	Wade Wilson	Quarterback	East Texas State
9	237	Traded to the Seattle Seahawks^[E]
10	266	James Murphy	Wide receiver	Utah State
11	293	Bill Stephanos	Offensive tackle	Boston College
12	320	Brian Williams	Tight end	Southern

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Vikings traded their first-round selection (18th overall) to the Colts in exchange for two second-round (39th and 52nd overall) and a fifth-round selections (123rd overall).
^ ^a ^b The Vikings traded their third- and fifth-round selections (71st and 128th overall) to the Saints in exchange for OT Steve Riley.
^ The Vikings traded RB Chuck Foreman to the Patriots in exchange for the a third-round selection (74th overall).
^ The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (154th overall) and a 1982 fifth-round selection (120th overall) to the Dolphins in exchange for C Jim Langer.
^ The Vikings traded their ninth-round selection (236th overall) to the Seahawks in exchange for OT Nick Bebout.

Roster

**1981 Minnesota Vikings roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 12 Steve Dils 9 Tommy Kramer 11 Wade Wilson Running backs (RB) 23 Ted Brown FB 32 Tony Galbreath FB 36 Sam Harrell 22 Jarvis Redwine 31 Eddie Payton 34 Rickey Young Wide receivers (WR) 80 Terry LeCount 87 Leo Lewis 88 Mardye McDole 28 Ahmad Rashad 85 Sammy White Tight ends (TE) 82 Bob Bruer 81 Joe Senser		Offensive linemen (OL) 61 Wes Hamilton G 51 Jim Hough G 56 Dave Huffman G 76 Tim Irwin T 58 Jim Langer C 78 Steve Riley T 67 Dennis Swilley C 73 Ron Yary T Defensive linemen (DL) 73 Neil Elshire DE 75 Randy Holloway DE 79 Doug Martin DE 77 Mark Mullaney DE 89 Ken Sanders DE 72 James White DT 91 Ray Yakavonis DT		Linebackers (LB) 59 Matt Blair 52 Dennis Johnson 53 Henry Johnson 54 Fred McNeill 57 Robin Sendlein 55 Scott Studwell Defensive backs (DB) 45 Tommy Hannon SS 25 Kurt Knoff FS 49 Keith Nord FS 29 John Swain CB 37 Willie Teal CB 27 John Turner CB 44 Walt Williams CB Special teams 8 Greg Coleman P 7 Rick Danmeier K		Reserve 62 Brent Boyd G (IR) 74 Greg Murtha T (IR) 90 Wendell Ray DE (IR) 71 Bill Stephanos T (IR) Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance^[2]
1	August 8	Miami Dolphins	L 6–20	0–1	Metropolitan Stadium	45,165
2	August 14	at Washington Redskins	L 13–27	0–2	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium	44,662
3	August 22	Atlanta Falcons	W 20–19	1–2	Metropolitan Stadium	42,908
4	August 27	at Los Angeles Rams	L 31–34	1–3	Anaheim Stadium	60,141

Regular season

After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Vikings ran off five straight wins and sat near the top of the NFC at midseason. After splitting their next four games, the Vikings were 7–4 and poised for a playoff run—however, they lost their last five games to close out the year.

The Vikings were led by quarterback Tommy Kramer, who enjoyed the most productive season of his career, throwing for 3,912 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, Kramer also threw 24 interceptions in 1981. The Vikings set an NFL record for pass attempts with 709.

A trio of offensive standouts paced the Vikings in 1981 at the skill positions. Running back Ted Brown was the team's main ball carrier, rushing for 1,063 yards, and also came in third in the NFL with 83 pass receptions; he scored eight touchdowns. Veteran wide receiver Sammy White also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career (1,001) and tight end Joe Senser, who would later become a color analyst on radio for the Vikings, logged 1,004 yards receiving with eight touchdowns; Senser went to the Pro Bowl for the 1981 season.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 5	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 13–21	0–1	Tampa Stadium	66,287
2	September 14	Oakland Raiders	L 10–36	0–2	Metropolitan Stadium	47,186
3	September 20	Detroit Lions	W 26–24	1–2	Metropolitan Stadium	45,350
4	September 27	at Green Bay Packers	W 30–13	2–2	Milwaukee County Stadium	55,012
5	October 4	Chicago Bears	W 24–21	3–2	Metropolitan Stadium	43,827
6	October 11	at San Diego Chargers	W 33–31	4–2	San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium	50,708
7	October 18	Philadelphia Eagles	W 35–23	5–2	Metropolitan Stadium	45,459
8	October 25	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 17–30	5–3	Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium	48,039
9	November 2	at Denver Broncos	L 17–19	5–4	Mile High Stadium	74,834
10	November 8	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 25–10	6–4	Metropolitan Stadium	47,038
11	November 15	New Orleans Saints	W 20–10	7–4	Metropolitan Stadium	45,215
12	November 23	at Atlanta Falcons	L 30–31	7–5	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium	54,086
13	November 29	Green Bay Packers	L 23–35	7–6	Metropolitan Stadium	46,025
14	December 6	at Chicago Bears	L 9–10	7–7	Soldier Field	50,766
15	December 12	at Detroit Lions	L 7–45	7–8	Pontiac Silverdome	79,428
16	December 20	Kansas City Chiefs	L 6–10	7–9	Metropolitan Stadium	41,110

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	6	7	13
Buccaneers	7	0	0	14	21

at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Date: September 5
Game time: 8:05 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, showers, 80 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 66,287
Referee: Fred Silva (7)
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

TB – Kevin House 55-yard pass from Doug Williams (Garo Yepremian kick), 5:32. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:17.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 45-yard field goal, 10:41. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:36.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 25-yard field goal, 0:33. Buccaneers 7–6. Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 8:12.

Fourth quarter

TB – Doug Williams 10-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick), 13:17. Buccaneers 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 2:03.
MIN – Joe Senser 4-yard pass from Steve Dils (Rick Danmeier kick), 2:29. Buccaneers 14–13. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 2:39.
TB – Neal Colzie 82-yard interception return (Garo Yepremian kick), 0:21. Buccaneers 21–13.

Top passers

MIN – Steve Dils – 37/62, 361 yards, TD, INT
TB – Doug Williams – 8/22, 108 yards, TD

Top rushers

MIN – Ted Brown – 20 rushes, 79 yards
TB – Jerry Eckwood – 6 rushes, 36 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Sammy White – 8 receptions, 92 yards
TB – Kevin House – 3 receptions, 74 yards, TD

Week 2: vs Oakland Raiders

Week 2: Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	3	13	7	13	36
Vikings	0	7	3	0	10

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: September 14
Game time: 8:05 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Overcast, 65 °F (18 °C)
Game attendance: 42,186
Referee: Gene Barth
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

OAK – Chris Bahr 21-yard field goal, 1:59. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:35.

Second quarter

OAK – Burgess Owens 29-yard interception return (Chris Bahr kick), 5:35. Raiders 10–0.
OAK – Todd Christensen 21-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (kick blocked), 1:50. Raiders 16–0. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:58.
MIN – Eddie Payton 99-yard kickoff return (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:35. Raiders 16–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15.

Third quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 37-yard field goal, 13:00. Raiders 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:00.
OAK – Morris Bradshaw 12-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 8:54. Raiders 23–10. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:06.

Fourth quarter

OAK – Cedrick Hardman 52-yard fumble recovery (Chris Bahr kick), 8:45. Raiders 30–10.
OAK – Malcolm Barnwell 61-yard pass from Marc Wilson (kick blocked), 4:14. Raiders 36–10. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:21.

Top passers

OAK – Jim Plunkett – 11/24, 109 yards, 2 TD, INT
MIN – Steve Dils – 17/40, 246 yards, INT

Top rushers

OAK – Kenny King – 14 rushes, 79 yards
MIN – Jarvis Redwine – 4 rushes, 20 yards

Top receivers

OAK – Malcolm Barnwell – 1 reception, 61 yards, TD
MIN – Sammy White – 7 receptions, 140 yards

Week 3: vs Detroit Lions

Week 3: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	14	7	3	24
Vikings	7	10	6	3	26

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: September 20
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 45,350
Referee: Gene Barth
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Ted Brown 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 8:59. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:23.

Second quarter

MIN – Joe Senser 4-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:56. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:25.
DET – Billy Sims 2-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 7:28. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:28.
DET – Billy Sims 3-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 1:13. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:41.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 1:13.

Third quarter

MIN – Ted Brown 41-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (kick blocked), 8:12. Vikings 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards, 2:22.
DET – Gary Danielson 1-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 2:21. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 3:35.

Fourth quarter

DET – Eddie Murray 25-yard field goal, 10:30. Lions 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:08.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 20-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 26–24. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 1:52.

Top passers

DET – Gary Danielson – 14/26, 232 yards, INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 25/42, 333 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

DET – Billy Sims – 27 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Ted Brown – 18 rushes, 77 yards, TD

Top receivers

DET – Freddie Scott – 5 receptions, 113 yards
MIN – Ted Brown – 9 receptions, 115 yards, TD

Week 6: at San Diego Chargers

Week 6: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	14	10	9	33
Chargers	7	7	10	7	31

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

Date: October 11
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 50,708
Referee: Chuck Heberling
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

SD – Chuck Muncie 2-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:11. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:45.

Second quarter

MIN – Rickey Young 15-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 14:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:24.
MIN – Ted Brown 4-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 9:00. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:10.
SD – Dwight Scales 60-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:45. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:15.

Third quarter

SD – Rolf Benirschke 39-yard field goal, 9:43. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:32.
MIN – Terry LeCount 26-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 6:28. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:15.
SD – Charlie Joiner 38-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:32. Chargers 24–21. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:56.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 28-yard field goal, 2:35. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 1:57.

Fourth quarter

SD – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:47. Chargers 31–24. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 6:48.
MIN – Terry LeCount 43-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (kick failed), 1:51. Chargers 31–30. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:35.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 33–31. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:45.

Top passers

MIN – Tommy Kramer – 27/43, 444 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
SD – Dan Fouts – 20/38, 310 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Ted Brown – 21 rushes, 68 yards
SD – Chuck Muncie – 21 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

MIN – Terry LeCount – 6 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
SD – Charlie Joiner – 6 receptions, 97 yards, TD

Week 7: vs Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	6	3	0	14	23
Vikings	0	21	7	7	35

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: October 18
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
Game attendance: 45,459
Referee: Fred Silva (7)
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 1-yard run (kick blocked), 1:55. Eagles 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:45.

Second quarter

MIN – Joe Senser 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:42. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:04.
PHI – Tony Franklin 30-yard field goal, 3:48. Eagles 9–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:00.
MIN – Sammy White 50-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:54. Vikings 14–9. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:44.
MIN – Bob Bruer 1-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:00. Vikings 21–9. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 1:06.

Third quarter

MIN – Ahmad Rashad 5-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:32. Vikings 28–9. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:41.

Fourth quarter

PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 25-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick), 12:44. Vikings 28–16. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 2:51.
MIN – Ted Brown 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:20. Vikings 35–16. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:48.
PHI – Harold Carmichael 21-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick), 2:47. Vikings 35–23. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 2:24.

Top passers

PHI – Ron Jaworski – 30/45, 345 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 24/46, 257 yards, 4 TD

Top rushers

PHI – Wilbert Montgomery – 16 rushes, 62 yards, TD
MIN – Ted Brown – 22 rushes, 92 yards, TD

Top receivers

PHI – Wilbert Montgomery – 10 receptions, 143 yards, TD
MIN – Joe Senser – 5 receptions, 88 yards, TD

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	3	0	14	17
Broncos	0	3	3	13	19

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

Date: November 2
Game time: 7:00 p.m. MST
Game weather: Mostly fair, 48 °F (9 °C)
Game attendance: 74,834
Referee: Fred Wyant (11)
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

DEN – Fred Steinfort 42-yard field goal, 4:06. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:00.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 32-yard field goal, 0:18. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 3:48.

Third quarter

DEN – Fred Steinfort 49-yard field goal, 7:29. Broncos 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 4:39.

Fourth quarter

DEN – Rob Lytle 5-yard run (kick failed), 10:16. Broncos 12–3. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 5:52.
DEN – Steve Watson 15-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 8:32. Broncos 19–3. Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:36.
MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:07. Broncos 19–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:25.
MIN – Tony Galbreath 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 2:40. Broncos 19–17. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:15.

Top passers

MIN – Tommy Kramer – 22/36, 230 yards, INT
DEN – Craig Morton – 16/28, 201 yards, TD

Top rushers

MIN – Ted Brown – 14 rushes, 47 yards
DEN – Rick Parros – 12 rushes, 65 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Joe Senser – 6 receptions, 73 yards
DEN – Ron Egloff – 2 receptions, 62 yards

Week 10: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 10: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	3	7	10
Vikings	3	13	7	2	25

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: November 8
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game attendance: 47,038
Referee: Red Cashion
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:47. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:05.

Second quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 38-yard field goal, 13:33. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:19.
MIN – Ted Brown 2-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 1:09. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 17 plays, 95 yards, 9:04.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 0:40.

Third quarter

MIN – Rickey Young 1-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 11:35. Vikings 23–0. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:25.
TB – Bill Capece 27-yard field goal, 3:17. Vikings 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:15.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Doug Williams sacked in the end zone by Mark Mullaney and James White for a safety, 13:08. Vikings 25–3.
TB – Jimmie Giles 1-yard pass from Doug Williams (Bill Capece kick), 9:28. Vikings 25–10. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 1:54.

Top passers

TB – Doug Williams – 13/27, 154 yards, TD
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 24/41, 228 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

TB – Doug Williams – 3 rushes, 20 yards
MIN – Ted Brown – 31 rushes, 129 yards, TD

Top receivers

TB – Kevin House – 3 receptions, 70 yards
MIN – Joe Senser – 8 receptions, 101 yards

Week 11: vs New Orleans Saints

Week 11: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	3	0	7	10
Vikings	0	10	10	0	20

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: November 15
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: Cloudy, high overcast, 55 °F (13 °C)
Game attendance: 45,215
Referee: Dick Jorgensen
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 35-yard field goal, 9:35. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:32.
NO – Benny Ricardo 24-yard field goal, 4:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:09.
MIN – Joe Senser 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick), 0:19. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.

Third quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 19-yard field goal, 8:29. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 6:31.
MIN – Ted Brown 9-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick), 5:36. Vikings 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:45.

Fourth quarter

NO – George Rogers 1-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick), 6:59. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:54.

Top passers

NO – Dave Wilson – 19/39, 244 yards, 2 INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 19/40, 287 yards, TD

Top rushers

NO – George Rogers – 31 rushes, 97 yards, TD
MIN – Ted Brown – 16 rushes, 54 yards, TD

Top receivers

NO – Wayne Wilson – 3 receptions, 71 yards
MIN – Joe Senser – 7 receptions, 92 yards, TD

Week 16: vs Kansas City Chiefs

Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	0	7	0	10
Vikings	3	0	3	0	6

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: December 20
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game attendance: 41,110
Referee: Tom Dooley
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Rick Danmeier 43-yard field goal, 10:33. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 50 yards, 4:27.
KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 1:12. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:41.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

KC – Stan Rome 15-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Nick Lowery kick), 10:03. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:57.
MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:30. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:15.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Top passers

KC – Steve Fuller – 12/16, 145 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 17/38, 177 yards, INT

Top rushers

KC – Billy Jackson – 25 rushes, 102 yards
MIN – Tony Galbreath – 11 rushes, 55 yards

Top receivers

KC – Carlos Carson – 3 receptions, 78 yards
MIN – Tony Galbreath – 7 receptions, 60 yards

Standings

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Tampa Bay Buccaneers⁽³⁾	9	7	0	.563	6–2	9–3	315	268	W1
Detroit Lions	8	8	0	.500	4–4	6–6	397	322	L1
Green Bay Packers	8	8	0	.500	4–4	7–7	324	361	L1
Minnesota Vikings	7	9	0	.438	4–4	6–6	325	369	L5
Chicago Bears	6	10	0	.375	2–6	2–10	253	324	W3

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Tommy Kramer	3,912
Passing touchdowns	Tommy Kramer	26
Rushing yards	Ted Brown	1,063
Rushing touchdowns	Ted Brown	6
Receiving yards	Joe Senser	1,004
Receiving touchdowns	Joe Senser	8
Points	Rick Danmeier	97
Kickoff return yards	Eddie Payton	898
Punt return yards	Eddie Payton	303
Tackles	Scott Studwell	230
Interceptions	Tommy Hannon Willie Teal	4

Vikings single season record although tackles were not official until 2001.

League rankings

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 28)
Passing offense	4,333	270.8	2nd
Rushing offense	1,512	94.5	28th
Total offense	5,845	365.3	6th
Passing defense	3,328	208.0	18th
Rushing defense	2,045	127.8	15th
Total defense	5,373	335.8	17th

References

[Colts-2] The Vikings traded their first-round selection (18th overall) to the Colts in exchange for two second-round (39th and 52nd overall) and a fifth-round selections (123rd overall).

[Saints-3] The Vikings traded their third- and fifth-round selections (71st and 128th overall) to the Saints in exchange for OT Steve Riley.

[4] The Vikings traded RB Chuck Foreman to the Patriots in exchange for the a third-round selection (74th overall).

[5] The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (154th overall) and a 1982 fifth-round selection (120th overall) to the Dolphins in exchange for C Jim Langer.

[6] The Vikings traded their ninth-round selection (236th overall) to the Seahawks in exchange for OT Nick Bebout.

[1] Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2012, in the Regular Season, requiring Pass Attempts >= 0, sorted by descending Pass Attempts.

[7] "1981 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives".

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