1989 Minnesota Vikings season
| 1989 Minnesota Vikings season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jerry Burns |
| General manager | Mike Lynn |
| Home field | Metrodome |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 1st NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at 49ers) 13–41 |
The 1989 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of ten wins and six losses, and winning the NFC Central Division. This title was secured during one of what is considered by many to be among the most exciting Monday Night Football contests ever: a Christmas Day victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at home, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which was the de facto first playoff game of the year. This season was also notable by how many sacks the defense produced, with 39 coming from only two players (Chris Doleman and Keith Millard) and 71 overall. Millard would later receive Defensive Player of the Year honors after putting up record numbers by a defensive tackle. The Vikings were once again embarrassed by the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers in the divisional round, losing 41-13.
Offseason
1989 Draft
| 1989 Minnesota Vikings Draft | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | ||
| Round | Choice | Overall | ||||
| 1 | 24 | 24 | Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers[a] | |||
| 2 | 24 | 52 | David Braxton | Linebacker | Wake Forest | |
| 3 | 24 | 80 | John Hunter | Offensive tackle | Brigham Young | |
| 4 | 24 | 108 | Darryl Ingram | Tight end | California | |
| 5 | 24 | 136 | Pick forfeited during 1988 Supplemental Draft[b] | |||
| 6 | 24 | 163 | Jeff Mickel | Offensive tackle | Eastern Washington | |
| 7 | 24 | 191 | Benji Roland | Defensive end | Auburn | |
| 8 | 24 | 219 | Alex Stewart | Defensive end | Cal State-Fullerton | |
| 9 | 24 | 247 | Traded to the New England Patriots[c] | |||
| 10 | 24 | 275 | Traded to the Miami Dolphins[d] | |||
| 11 | 24 | 303 | Brad Baxter | Running back | Alabama State | |
| 12 | 24 | 331 | Shawn Woodson | Linebacker | James Madison | |
| 28 | 335 | Everett Ross | Wide receiver | Ohio State | from 49ers via Raiders[c] | |
- ^[a] Minnesota traded their 1st round selection to Pittsburgh for LB Mike Merriweather.
- ^[b] Minnesota selected defensive back Ryan Bethea.
- ^[c] During the 1988 Draft, New England traded their 11th round selection (296th overall) to Minnesota for their 9th round selection in the 1989 draft.
- ^[d] Minnesota traded their 12th round selection to Miami for OL Greg Koch.
- ^[e] Minnesota traded their 1990 11th round selection to the Radiers for this selection.
Personnel
Staff
| 1989 Minnesota Vikings staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
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Final roster
| 1989 Minnesota Vikings final roster | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs {{{running_backs}}} Wide receivers {{{wide_receivers}}} Tight ends {{{tight_ends}}} |
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs {{{defensive_backs}}} Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Regular season
The defensive line of Chris Doleman, Keith Millard, Al Noga and Henry Thomas were key contributors in helping the Vikings rank number one in the NFL in total defense. In addition, the Vikings set a franchise record with 71 sacks in one season. Chris Doleman had 21 sacks and was one shy of tying the NFL record.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10, 1989 | Houston Oilers | W 38–7 | Metrodome | |
| 2 | September 17, 1989 | at Chicago Bears | L 38–7 | Soldier Field | |
| 3 | September 24, 1989 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 27–14 | Three Rivers Stadium | |
| 4 | October 1, 1989 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–3 | Metrodome | |
| 5 | October 8, 1989 | Detroit Lions | W 24–17 | Metrodome | |
| 6 | October 15, 1989 | Green Bay Packers | W 26–14 | Metrodome | |
| 7 | October 22, 1989 | at Detroit Lions | W 20–7 | Silverdome | |
| 8 | October 30, 1989 | at New York Giants | L 24–14 | Giants Stadium | |
| 9 | November 5, 1989 | Los Angeles Rams | W 23–21 (OT) | Metrodome | |
| 10 | November 12, 1989 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 24–10 | Tampa Stadium | |
| 11 | November 19, 1989 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–9 | Veterans Stadium | |
| 12 | November 26, 1989 | at Green Bay Packers | L 20–19 | Milwaukee County Stadium | |
| 13 | December 3, 1989 | Chicago Bears | W 27–16 | Metrodome | |
| 14 | December 10, 1989 | Atlanta Falcons | W 43–17 | Metrodome | |
| 15 | December 17, 1989 | at Cleveland Browns | L 23–17 (OT) | Cleveland Stadium | |
| 16 | December 25, 1989 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 29–21 | Metrodome | |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | January 6, 1990 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 41–13 | Candlestick Park | |
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings(3) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 362 | 356 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 10–4 | 351 | 275 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 312 | 364 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 358 | 377 | L6 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 320 | 419 | L4 |
Herschel Walker
In 1989, at the height of his NFL career, the Cowboys traded him to the Minnesota Vikings for a total of five players (LB Jesse Solomon, DB Issiac Holt, RB Darrin Nelson, LB David Howard, DE Alex Stewart) and six draft picks (which led to Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, and Darren Woodson). This was judged to be one of the turning points in the rise of the Cowboys to the top echelon of the NFL. Walker's trade was widely perceived as an exceptionally poor move considering what the Vikings had to give up in order to get him, and remains one of the most frequently vilified roster moves of the team's history. The Vikings coaches reluctantly accepted Walker after the trade and never totally used the tool they had been given. Scout.com says, "but Walker was never used properly by the coaching brain trust (a total oxymoron in this case)".[2]
Statistics
Team leaders
| Category | Player(s) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Wade Wilson | 2,543 |
| Passing Touchdowns | Wade Wilson | 9 |
| Rushing Yards | Herschel Walker | 669 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Herschel Walker | 5 |
| Receiving Yards | Anthony Carter | 1,066 |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Anthony Carter | 4 |
| Points | Rich Karlis | 120 |
| Kickoff Return Yards | Herschel Walker | 374 |
| Punt Return Yards | Leo Lewis | 446 |
| Tackles | Chris Doleman Henry Thomas | 94 |
| Sacks | Chris Doleman | 21.0 |
| Interceptions | Joey Browner | 5 |
| Forced Fumbles | Chris Doleman | 5 |
League rankings
| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 28) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Offense | 3,189 Yards | 199.3 YPG | 17th |
| Rushing Offense | 2,066 Yards | 129.1 YPG | 7th |
| Total Offense | 5,255 Yards | 328.4 YPG | 14th |
| Passing Defense | 2,501 Yards | 156.3 YPG | 1st |
| Rushing Defense | 1,683 Yards | 105.2 YPG | 11th |
| Total Defense | 4,184 Yards | 261.5 YPG | 1st |
Awards and records
- Chris Doleman, NFL Leader, Sacks (21.0)
- Randall McDaniel, NFC Pro Bowl selection
Milestones
- Chris Doleman, Third Player in NFL History to get at least 20 sacks in a season
- Chris Doleman, franchise record, 21 sacks
References
- ↑ 2010 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide. p. 265. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
- ↑ Viking Update Staff (2001-06-20). "History: Walker Trade". Scout.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-29.