2000 Minnesota Vikings

2000 Minnesota Vikings season
Head Coach	Dennis Green
Home Field	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Results
Record	11–5
Place	1st NFC Central
Playoff Finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Saints) 34–16 Lost NFC Championship (at Giants) 0–41
Pro Bowlers	5
Timeline
Previous Season	Next Season
1999	2001

2000 was the 40th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 81st regular season of the National Football League.

Led by first-year starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper, the Vikings had a 2000 season in which Robert Smith ran for a team record 1,521 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Vikings started out 7-0 and were 11-2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts while Culpepper was hampered by injury. However, they would return to the playoffs again for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional game 34-16, they were humiliated 41-0 by the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game, and to top that, Robert Smith retired at the end of the year, after only playing eight NFL seasons.

2000 Draft

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
1	(25)	Chris Hovan	Defensive Tackle	Boston College
2	(55)	Fred Robbins	Defensive Tackle	Wake Forest
2	(56)	Michael Boireau	Defensive End	Miami (FL)
3	(88)	Doug Chapman	Running Back	Marshall
4	(106)	Antonio Wilson	Linebacker	Texas A&M
4	(118)	Tyrone Carter	Safety	Minnesota
5	(165)	Troy Walters	Wide Receiver	Stanford
7	(240)	Mike Milano	Center	San Diego State
7	(244)	Giles Cole	Tight End	Texas A&M
7	(248)	Lewis Kelly	Offensive Guard	South Carolina State

Personnel

Staff

2000 Minnesota Vikings staff
Front Office Owner – Red McCombs President – Gary Woods Director of Football Administration – Rob Brzezinski Head Coaches Head Coach – Dennis Green Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs – Richard Solomon Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Sherman Lewis Quarterbacks – Alex Wood Running Backs – Carl Hargrave Wide Receivers – Charlie Baggett Tight Ends – John Tice Offensive Line – Mike Tice Quality Control-Offense – Dean Dalton			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Emmitt Thomas Defensive Line – Fred von Appen Inside Linebackers – Trent Walters Outside Linebackers – John Fontes Quality Control-Defense – Chuck Knox, Jr. Special Teams Coaches Special Teams – Gary Zauner Strength and Conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Steve Wetzel Assistant Strength and Conditioning – John Kasper

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 3	Chicago	W 30-27	64,104
2	September 10	Miami	W 13-7	64,112
3	September 17	at New England	W 21-13	59,835
4	Bye week
5	October 1	at Detroit	W 31-24	76,438
6	October 9	Tampa Bay	W 30-23	64,162
7	October 15	at Chicago	W 28-16	66,944
8	October 22	Buffalo	W 31-27	64,116
9	October 29	at Tampa Bay	L 41-13	65,589
10	November 6	at Green Bay	L 26-20 (OT)	59,854
11	November 12	Arizona	W 31-14	64,223
12	November 19	Carolina	W 31-17	64,208
13	November 23	at Dallas	W 27-15	63,878
14	November 30	Detroit	W 24-17	64,214
15	December 10	at St. Louis	L 40-29	66,273
16	December 17	Green Bay	L 33-28	64,183
17	December 24	at Indianapolis	L 31-10	56,672

Division Standings

NFC Central
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Minnesota Vikings	11	5	0	.688	397	371
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	10	6	0	.625	388	269
Green Bay Packers	9	7	0	.563	353	323
Detroit Lions	9	7	0	.563	307	307
Chicago Bears	5	11	0	.313	216	355

Roster

Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen Defensive Linemen DE

Linebackers Defensive Backs CB Special Teams

Reserve Lists Practice Squad Rookies in italics

Playoffs

NFC Divisional Playoffs

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	0	7	6	16
Vikings	10	7	10	7	34

• stadium= Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• time= 11:30 a.m. CST
• weather= Played indoors, domed stadium
• TV=Fox
• TVAnnouncers= Dick Stockton, Matt Millen, and Pam Oliver
• referee= Walt Coleman
• attendance= 63,881

NFC Championship Game

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	0	0	0
Giants	14	20	7	0	41

• stadium= Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
• time= 12:30 p.m. EST
• weather= 40°F (4°C), cloudy
• TV=Fox
• TVAnnouncers= Pat Summerall, John Madden, D.J. Johnson, and Pam Oliver
• referee= Tony Corrente
• attendance= 79,310

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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 (as selected by the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly, and the Pro Football Writers of America)
• Cris Carter, NFC Pro Bowl Selection
• Daunte Culpepper, NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Week 6
• Duante 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 (as selected by the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly, and the Pro Football Writers of America)
• Randy Moss, PFW/PFWA All-Pro Team
• Robert Smith, NFC Offensive Player of the Month, December

40 year team

The team recognized an all-time team in 2000 by announcing the 40th-season all-time team. [1]

VIKINGS 40TH SEASON ALL-TIME TEAM 1961-2000

• OFFENSE
• WRs: Ahmad Rashad, Cris Carter
• Ts: Ron Yary, Tim Irwin
• Gs: Ed White, Randall McDaniel
• C: Mick Tingelhoff
• TE: Steve Jordan
• QB: Fran Tarkenton
• RBs: Chuck Foreman, Robert Smith
• K: Fred Cox
• Special Teams Coverage: Bill Brown
• DEFENSE
• DEs: Jim Marshall, Carl Eller
• DTs: Alan Page, John Randle
• LBs: Jeff Siemon, Matt Blair, Scott Studwell
• Ss: Paul Krause, Joey Browner
• CBs: Bobby Bryant, Carl Lee
• P: Greg Coleman
• Special Teams Returns: Darrin Nelson
• Head Coach: Bud Grant