1990 Minnesota Vikings season
| 1990 Minnesota Vikings season | |
|---|---|
| General manager | Mike Lynn |
| Head coach | Jerry Burns |
| Home field | Metrodome |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 5th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1990 Minnesota Vikings season was the 30th year season for the Minnesota Vikings and the 71st regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of six wins and ten losses. After beginning the season 1–1, the Vikings dropped their next five games and found themselves at 1–6. However, they caught fire mid-season with a five-game winning streak to even their record at 6–6 (including a 41–13 thumping of the eventual NFC Central champion Chicago Bears in Week 12). While being in the thick of the wild card race, the Vikings suddenly fell apart with a four-game losing streak to finish at 6–10.
At the start of this decade, the Vikings gained notoriety, acquiring future Hall of Famers Cris Carter and John Randle.
Injuries to the defense and a lackluster season from Herschel Walker were the story of the team's season.
Offseason
1990 Draft
| =Pro Bowler |
| 1990 Minnesota Vikings Draft | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | ||
| Round | Choice | Overall | ||||
| 1 | 21 | 21 | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys[a] | |||
| 2 | 22 | 47 | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys[a] | |||
| 3 | 1 | 54 | Mike Jones | Tight End | Texas A&M | from Cowboys[a] |
| 21 | 74 | Marion Hobby | Defensive End | Tennessee | ||
| 4 | 23 | 104 | Alonzo Hampton | Defensive Back | Pittsburgh | |
| 5 | 7 | 116 | Reggie Thornton | Wide Receiver | Bowling Green State | from Charges via Cowboys[a] |
| 22 | 131 | Cedric Smith | Fullback | Florida | ||
| 6 | 21 | 158 | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys[a] | |||
| 7 | 23 | 188 | John Levelis | Linebacker | C. W. Post | |
| 8 | 21 | 214 | Craig Schlichting | Defensive End | Wyoming | |
| 9 | 21 | 241 | Terry Allen | Running Back | Clemson | |
| 10 | 1 | 249 | Pat Newman | Wide Receiver | Utah State | from Cowboys[a] |
| 23 | 271 | Donald Smith | Defensive Back | Liberty | ||
| 11 | 22 | 298 | Traded to the Los Angeles Raiders[b] | |||
| 12 | 20 | 324 | Ron Goetz | Linebacker | Minnesota | |
- ^[a] These picks were involved in the Herschel Walker trade on October 12, 1989.
- ^[b] During the 1989 Draft, the Raiders traded their 12th round selection (335th overall) to Minnesota for their 11th round selection in the 1990 draft.
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Final roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9, 1990 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 24–21 | Arrowhead Stadium | |
| 2 | September 16, 1990 | New Orleans Saints | W 32–3 | Metrodome | |
| 3 | September 23, 1990 | at Chicago Bears | L 19–16 | Soldier Field | |
| 4 | September 30, 1990 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 23–20 (OT) | Metrodome | |
| 5 | October 7, 1990 | Detroit Lions | L 34–27 | Metrodome | |
| 6 | October 15, 1990 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 32–24 | Veterans Stadium | |
| 7 | Bye | ||||
| 8 | October 28, 1990 | at Green Bay Packers | L 24–10 | Milwaukee County Stadium | |
| 9 | November 4, 1990 | Denver Broncos | W 27–22 | Metrodome | |
| 10 | November 11, 1990 | at Detroit Lions | W 17–7 | Silverdome | |
| 11 | November 18, 1990 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 24–21 | Kingdome | |
| 12 | November 25, 1990 | Chicago Bears | W 41–13 | Metrodome | |
| 13 | December 2, 1990 | Green Bay Packers | W 23–7 | Metrodome | |
| 14 | December 9, 1990 | at New York Giants | L 23–15 | Giants Stadium | |
| 15 | December 16, 1990 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 26–13 | Tampa Stadium | |
| 16 | December 22, 1990 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 28–24 | Metrodome | |
| 17 | December 30, 1990 | San Francisco 49ers | L 20–17 | Metrodome | |
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Chicago Bears | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 348 | 280 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–3 | 6–8 | 264 | 367 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 373 | 413 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 271 | 347 | L5 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 351 | 326 | L4 |
Statistics
Team leaders
| Category | Player(s) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Rich Gannon | 2,278 |
| Passing Touchdowns | Rich Gannon | 16 |
| Rushing Yards | Herschel Walker | 770 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Herschel Walker | 5 |
| Receiving Yards | Anthony Carter | 1,008 |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Anthony Carter | 8 |
| Points | Donald Igwebuike | 61 |
| Kickoff Return Yards | Herschel Walker | 966 |
| Punt Return Yards | Leo Lewis | 180 |
| Tackles | Henry Thomas | 109 |
| Sacks | Chris Doleman | 11.0 |
| Interceptions | Joey Browner | 7 |
| Forced Fumbles | Chris Doleman | 4 |
League rankings
| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 28) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Offense | 3,167 Yards | 197.9 YPG | 11th |
| Rushing Offense | 1,867 Yards | 116.7 YPG | 15th |
| Total Offense | 5,034 Yards | 314.6 YPG | 12th |
| Passing Defense | 2,643 Yards | 165.2 YPG | 3rd |
| Rushing Defense | 2,074 Yards | 129.6 YPG | 21st |
| Total Defense | 4,717 Yards | 294.8 YPG | 13th |
Awards and honors
- Randall McDaniel, NFC Pro Bowl selection
- Randall McDaniel, All-Pro selection by Associated Press
- Randall McDaniel, All-NFC selection by UPI
References
- ^ 2010 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide. p. 265. Retrieved February 18, 2011.