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1982 Minnesota Vikings season
Head Coach Bud Grant
Home Field Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Results
Record 5–4
Place 4th NFC
Playoff Finish Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Falcons) 30–24
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Redskins) 7–21
Timeline
Previous Season Next Season
1981 1983

1982 was the 22nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. It was also Minnesota's first season of play in the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, and the Vikings did not disappoint by starting their new stadium's history with a 17–10 win over Tampa Bay in the season opener. A close loss to Buffalo on the road followed.

The season was then interrupted by the players' 57-day strike that reduced the NFL regular season to nine games. Upon resumption of play in November, the Vikings went 4–3 to close out the abbreviated regular season and closed the campaign with a 5–4 record. Games against Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Washington were canceled.

As three of Minnesota's losses were to AFC opponents, their 4–1 conference record put them at the top of a logjam of teams with similar records in the playoff seedings. In 1982, the NFL took the top eight teams from each conference regardless of division record for playoff consideration. The Vikings earned the #4 seed based on this tiebreaker and home field advantage in round one.

In their opening round playoff game, the Vikings took on the Atlanta Falcons. The game was a back-and-forth affair that saw Minnesota take a 13–7 halftime lead, only to see the Falcons retake the lead late in the final period on a 41-yard field goal by Mick Luckhurst. With just under two minutes remaining, the Vikings began a game-winning drive that culminated in a Ted Brown 5-yard TD run to win the game and send the Vikings on to round two.

In the second round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, 21–7, at RFK Stadium. The Vikings trailed 14–0 after one quarter. Ted Brown's TD run in the second period cut it to 14–7, but Joe Theismann hit Alvin Garrett late in the quarter with an 18-yard TD strike to make it 21–7. Neither team scored in the second half.

QB Tommy Kramer threw for 2,037 yards and 15 TDs in the short season. RB Ted Brown had 515 yards to lead all rushers, and WR Sammy White tallied 503 yards and 5 TDs to lead receivers.

LB Matt Blair anchored the Vikings defense and also made the 1982 Pro Bowl.

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Week Original week Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance
1 1 September 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 17–10 Metrodome
58,440
2 2 September 16 at Buffalo Bills L 23–22 Rich Stadium
77,753
* 3 September 26 Dallas Cowboys Canceled (played Jan 3) Metrodome
* 4 October 3 at Chicago Bears Canceled Soldier Field
* 5 October 10 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Canceled Tampa Stadium
* 6 October 17 New Orleans Saints Canceled Metrodome
* 7 October 24 Green Bay Packers Canceled Metrodome
* 8 November 1 Detroit Lions Canceled Metrodome
* 9 November 7 at San Francisco 49ers Canceled Candlestick Park
* 10 November 14 at Washington Redskins Canceled

RFK Stadium

3 11 November 21 at Green Bay Packers L 26–7 Milwaukee County Stadium
44,681
4 12 November 28 Chicago Bears W 35–7 Metrodome
54,724
5 13 December 5 at Miami Dolphins L 22–14 Miami Orange Bowl
45,721
6 14 December 12 Baltimore Colts W 13–10 Metrodome
53,981
7 15 December 19 at Detroit Lions W 34–31

Pontiac Silverdome

73,058
8 16 December 26 New York Jets L 42–14 Metrodome
58,672
9 3 January 3 Dallas Cowboys W 31–27 Metrodome
60,007

Playoffs[]

Week Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance
Wildcard January 9 Atlanta Falcons W 30–24 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
60,560
Division January 15 at Washington Redskins L 21–7 RFK Stadium
54,593

Standings[]

Template:1982 NFC standings

References[]

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