1992 Minnesota Vikings season

1992 Minnesota Vikings season
1992 Minnesota Vikings season
Head coach	Dennis Green
Home field	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	1st NFC Central
Playoff finish	Lost Wild Card Playoffs; (vs. Redskins) 7–24
Pro Bowlers	DE Chris Doleman; G Randall McDaniel; CB Audray McMillian; S Todd Scott; DT Henry Thomas; T Gary Zimmerman
AP All-Pros	DE Chris Doleman (1st team); G Randall McDaniel (1st team); CB Audray McMillian (1st team)
Uniform
	← 1991; Vikings seasons; 1993 →;

The 1992 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 32nd in the National Football League (NFL). They finished with an 11–5 record to claim the NFC Central division title and returned to the playoffs after a two-year absence. They met the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in the wildcard round, the teams' first playoff meeting since victory for the Redskins in the 1987 NFC Championship game; the Redskins won again this time, 24–7.

Minnesota's starting quarterbacks were Rich Gannon, who went 8–4 in 12 starts, and Sean Salisbury, who won three of his four starts. The team's leading rusher was Terry Allen, who ran for 1,201 yards. Receivers Cris Carter and Anthony Carter led the team with 681 and 580 receiving yards, respectively.^[1]

Offseason

On January 10, 1992, Dennis Green was named the fifth head coach in franchise history.^[2]

Additions	Subtractions
RB Roger Craig (Raiders)	RB Herschel Walker (Eagles)
LB Jack Del Rio (Cowboys)	QB Wade Wilson (Falcons)
	S Joey Browner (Buccaneers)
	LB Jimmy Williams (Buccaneers)

1992 draft

	Pro Bowler

1992 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Notes
Round	Selection	Player name	Position	College	Notes
1	13	Traded to the Dallas Cowboys^[A]
2	39	Robert Harris	Defensive end	Southern	From Seahawks^[B]
2	40	Traded to the Dallas Cowboys^[A]
3	71	Traded to the Dallas Cowboys^[A]
4	98	Roy Barker	Defensive tackle	North Carolina
5	125	Ed McDaniel	Linebacker	Clemson
6	152	Mike Gaddis	Running back	Oklahoma
7	183	David Wilson	Defensive back	California
8	210	Luke Fisher	Tight end	East Carolina
9	227	Brad Johnson	Quarterback	Florida State	From Buccaneers^[C]
9	237	Ronnie West	Wide receiver	Pittsburg State
10	264	Brad Culpepper	Defensive tackle	Florida
11	295	Chuck Evans	Running back	Clark Atlanta
12	322	Joe Randolph	Wide receiver	Elon

Notes:

^ ^a ^b ^c These picks were involved in the Herschel Walker trade on October 12, 1989.
^ The Vikings traded DT Keith Millard to the Seahawks in exchange for a second-round selection (39th overall) and a 1993 third-round selection (57th overall).
^ The Vikings traded LB Jimmy Williams to the Buccaneers in exchange for a ninth-round selection (227th overall).

Undrafted free agents

1992 Undrafted Free Agents of note
Player	Position	College
Brian Dahl	Linebacker	Morehead State (MN)
Ed Sutter	Linebacker	Northwestern

Staff

**1992 Minnesota Vikings staff**
	Front office Chairman of the Board – John Skoglund President/Chief Executive Officer – Roger Headrick Head coaches Head Coach – Dennis Green Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks – Jack Burns Running backs – Tyrone Willingham Receivers – Tom Moore Tight ends – Brian Billick Offensive line – John Michels			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Tony Dungy Defensive line – John Teerlinck Inside linebackers – Monte Kiffin Outside linebackers – Richard Solomon Secondary – Willie Shaw Special teams coaches Special teams – Tom Batta Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Steve Wetzel Strength and conditioning assistant – Mike Wolf

^[3]

Roster

**1992 Minnesota Vikings roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 16 Rich Gannon 14 Brad Johnson 12 Sean Salisbury Running backs (RB) 21 Terry Allen 33 Roger Craig 30 Keith Henderson 20 Darrin Nelson KR Wide receivers (WR) 81 Anthony Carter 89 Joe Johnson 84 Hassan Jones 86 Jake Reed 35 Ronnie West Tight ends (TE) 83 Steve Jordan 85 Brent Novoselsky 87 Mike Tice		Offensive linemen (OL) 72 Scott Adams T 71 Bernard Dafney G 74 Brian Habib G 76 Tim Irwin T 63 Kirk Lowdermilk C 64 Randall McDaniel G 68 Mike Morris 60 Adam Schreiber G 65 Gary Zimmerman T Defensive linemen (DL) 92 Roy Barker DE 56 Chris Doleman DE 90 Robert Harris DE 99 Al Noga DE 93 John Randle DT 97 Henry Thomas DT 95 Esera Tuaolo DT		Linebackers (LB) 52 David Bavaro MLB 55 Jack Del Rio MLB 51 Carlos Jenkins OLB 91 Greg Manusky MLB 58 Ed McDaniel OLB 57 Mike Merriweather OLB 54 Van Waiters OLB Defensive backs (DB) 31 Eric Everett CB 25 Vencie Glenn FS 39 Carl Lee CB 26 Audray McMillian CB 27 Anthony Parker 38 Todd Scott SS 24 David Wilson SS Special teams 18 Harry Newsome P 7 Fuad Reveiz K		Practice squad 75 David Dixon G 29 Chuck Evans RB -- James Harris DE (IR) Reserve 50 Ray Berry LB (IR) 80 Cris Carter WR (IR) 77 Brad Culpepper DT (IR) 43 Luke Fisher TE (IR) 78 Lorenzo Freeman DT (IR) -- Mike Gaddis RB (IR) 98 George Hinkle DE (NF-Ill.) 69 Todd Kalis G (IR) 48 Reggie Rutland CB 32 Tripp Welborne S (IR) 22 Felix Wright S (IR) Rookies in italics 47 active, 12 reserve, 2 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance^[4]
1	August 8	Buffalo Bills	W 24–3	1–0	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	36,603
2	August 15	Kansas City Chiefs	W 30–0	2–0	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	38,132
3	August 24	at Cleveland Browns	W 56–3	3–0	Cleveland Stadium	35,755
4	August 29	at Washington Redskins	W 30–0	4–0	RFK Stadium	55,855

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 6	at Green Bay Packers	W 23–20 (OT)	1–0	Lambeau Field	58,617
2	September 13	at Detroit Lions	L 31–17	1–1	Silverdome	57,519
3	September 20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 26–20	2–1	Metrodome	48,113
4	September 27	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 42–7	3–1	Riverfront Stadium	53,847
5	October 4	Chicago Bears	W 21–20	4–1	Metrodome	60,992
6	Bye
7	October 15	Detroit Lions	W 31–14	5–1	Metrodome	52,816
8	October 25	Washington Redskins	L 15–13	5–2	Metrodome	59,098
9	November 2	at Chicago Bears	W 38–10	6–2	Soldier Field	61,257
10	November 8	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 35–7	7–2	Tampa Stadium	49,095
11	November 15	Houston Oilers	L 17–13	7–3	Metrodome	56,726
12	November 22	Cleveland Browns	W 17–13	8–3	Metrodome	53,323
13	November 29	at Los Angeles Rams	W 31–17	9–3	Anaheim Stadium	54,831
14	December 6	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 28–17	9–4	Veterans Stadium	65,280
15	December 13	San Francisco 49ers	L 20–17	9–5	Metrodome	60,685
16	December 20	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 6–3	10–5	Three Rivers Stadium	53,613
17	December 27	Green Bay Packers	W 27–7	11–5	Metrodome	61,461

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽³⁾ Minnesota Vikings	11	5	0	.688	7–1	8–4	374	249	W2
Green Bay Packers	9	7	0	.563	4–4	6–6	276	296	L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	11	0	.313	3–5	5–9	267	365	W1
Chicago Bears	5	11	0	.313	3–5	4–8	295	361	L2
Detroit Lions	5	11	0	.313	3–5	3–9	273	332	L1

Postseason

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Round: vs (#6) Washington Redskins

NFC Wild Card Round: (#6) Washington Redskins at (#3) Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	14	7	0	24
Vikings	7	0	0	0	7

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: January 2
Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST/12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 57,353
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Terry Allen 1-yard run (Fuad Reveiz kick), 10:05. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:55.
WAS – Chip Lohmiller 44-yard field goal, 0:53. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:29.

Second quarter

WAS – Earnest Byner 3-yard run (Chip Lohmiller kick), 9:23. Redskins 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 1:42.
WAS – Brian Mitchell 8-yard run (Chip Lohmiller kick), 1:56. Redskins 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 5:07.

Third quarter

WAS – Gary Clark 24-yard pass from Mark Rypien (Chip Lohmiller kick), 0:17. Redskins 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:12.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Top passers

WAS – Mark Rypien – 16/24, 172 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Sean Salisbury – 6/20, 113 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

WAS – Brian Mitchell – 16 rushes, 109 yards, TD
MIN – Terry Allen – 10 rushes, 48 yards, TD

Top receivers

WAS – Gary Clark – 6 receptions, 91 yards, TD
MIN – Cris Carter – 3 receptions, 77 yards

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Rich Gannon	1,905
Passing touchdowns	Rich Gannon	12
Rushing yards	Terry Allen	1,201
Rushing touchdowns	Terry Allen	13
Receiving yards	Cris Carter	681
Receiving touchdowns	Cris Carter	6
Points	Fuad Reveiz	102
Kickoff return yards	Darrin Nelson	626
Punt return yards	Anthony Parker	336
Tackles	Jack Del Rio	153
Sacks	Chris Doleman	14.5
Interceptions	Audray McMillian	8
Forced fumbles	Chris Doleman	6

League rankings

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 28)
Passing offense	2,869	179.3	18th
Rushing offense	2,030	126.9	7th
Total offense	4,899	306.2	11th
Passing defense	2,782	173.9	7th
Rushing defense	1,733	108.3	14th
Total defense	4,515	282.2	8th

Awards and records

Audrey MacMillan, NFL leader, interceptions (8)

References

^ 1992 Minnesota Vikings at Pro-Football-Reference.com
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p.108
^ 2009 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide. p. 251. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
^ "1992 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives".

External links

1992 Minnesota Vikings at Pro-Football-Reference.com

[Cowboys-3] These picks were involved in the Herschel Walker trade on October 12, 1989.

[4] The Vikings traded DT Keith Millard to the Seahawks in exchange for a second-round selection (39th overall) and a 1993 third-round selection (57th overall).

[5] The Vikings traded LB Jimmy Williams to the Buccaneers in exchange for a ninth-round selection (227th overall).

[1] 1992 Minnesota Vikings at Pro-Football-Reference.com

[2] NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p.108

[6] 2009 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide. p. 251. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2010.

[7] "1992 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives".

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v t e Minnesota Vikings
Founded in 1961 Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota
Franchise	Franchise History Expansion draft All-time roster First-round draft picks Quarterbacks Head coaches Seasons Statistics Draft Broadcasters Ownership Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center
Stadiums	Metropolitan Stadium Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome TCF Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium
Culture	Purple People Eaters "Skol, Vikings" How I Met Your Mother "Little Minnesota" "Tailgate" Cheerleaders Alan Roach Truth Hurts (song) Quarterback "Higher" (Creed song)
Lore	The Wrong Way Run Hail Mary Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy Santa Claus game Miracle at the Met Herschel Walker trade Gary Anderson's missed field goal Love Boat scandal Minneapolis Miracle 33–0
Rivalries	Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints
Division championships (21)	1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1980 1989 1992 1994 1998 2000 2008 2009 2015 2017 2022
Conference championships (4)	1969 1973 1974 1976
League championships (1)	1969
Retired numbers	10 53 70 77 80 88
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: North Division

v t e Minnesota Vikings seasons
1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–69) or Super Bowl (1966–) victory Italics indicates Super Bowl (1966–) appearance