Minnesota Vikings: Ranking the Top 20 Offensive Trios

If the Minnesota Vikings are going to be successful in 2011 they will need to be effective in both running and passing the ball.

Adrian Peterson needs 1,036 yards to become the Vikings all-time leading ground-gainer.  Averaging 1,445 over his four seasons, Peterson should surpass Robert Smith sometime in December. 

With the acquisition of quarterback Donovan McNabb the Vikings get a six-time Pro Bowler to lead the offense. McNabb has a career 85.7 passer rating with 230 touchdowns and a 97-57-1 record as a starter.

The biggest question mark for the Vikings has been the wide receiver position. With the loss of Sidney Rice as a free agent to Seattle, the Vikings are going to rely on Bernard Berrian and Michael Jenkins to line up wide on offense. The most explosive receiver the Vikings have is slot receiver Percy Harvin. Last season Harvin led the Vikings with 868 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

The goal of the Vikings is to get out of the basement of the NFC North and make a return to the playoffs.

In the history of the Minnesota Vikings, they have made 24 trips to the playoffs. I ranked the results of the quarterback, the team's leading rusher and leading receiver. The criteria included the team's record, the yards gained and touchdowns scored for each of the three players. 

Incredibly, there were only three sets of trios that appeared in more than one season together.

I was also surprised to find 10 of the playoff seasons in which the Vikings quarterback threw more interceptions than touchdowns.

Here are the top 20 Minnesota Viking trios to make the playoffs.

No. 20: Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman and Ahmad Rashad, 1978

In 1978, the NFL expanded the season to 16 games. For the Minnesota Vikings it would mark the 10th playoff appearance over the past 11 seasons.

It would be the 18th and last season for a 38-year-old quarterback, Fran Tarkenton. 

That season Tarkenton would lead the Vikings to an 8-7-1 record, good enough to win the NFC Central.

Tarkenton threw 25 touchdowns and 32 interceptions with 3,468 passing yards.

Running back Chuck Foreman, in his sixth season with the Vikings, led the team with 669 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

Former running back converted to wide receiver, Ahmad Rashad made the Pro Bowl with 769 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.

No. 19: Wade Wilson, Herschel Walker and Anthony Carter, 1989

The infamous Herschel Walker trade was made on October 12, 1989, sending the two-time Pro Bowl running back from Dallas to Minnesota.

In 11 games, Walker would lead all Vikings running backs with 669 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Wade Wilson would start 12 games that season as the Vikings would finish with a 10-6 record and another NFC Central Division title.

Wilson would throw for 2,543 yards with nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Anthony Carter, a former USFL star in his fifth season with the Vikings, would lead the team with 65 receptions for 1,066 yards and four touchdowns.

The Vikings would lose to the eventual Super Bowl Champion 49ers in the first round of the playoffs, 41-13.

No. 18: Jim McMahon, Scottie Graham and Cris Carter, 1993

Jim McMahon would spend only one season in Minnesota after playing seven with the Chicago Bears, followed by three years with the Eagles and a single season in San Diego.

In 1993, McMahon would start 12 games, going 8-4 as the Vikings would finish with a 9-7 record.

He would finish with only 1,968 passing yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Injuries to the running backs would force the Vikings to sign Scottie Graham to the team in the middle of the season. Despite playing in only seven games, Graham would lead the Vikings with 488 yards with three rushing touchdowns. 

Cris Carter would make the Pro Bowl with 1,071 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

The Vikings would lose to the New York Giants in the Wild Card weekend, 17-10.

No. 17: Tommy Kramer, Ted Brown and Ahmad Rashad, 1980

The Vikings would miss the playoffs in 1979, the first season without Fran Tarkenton, after six consecutive playoff appearances.

They would return to the postseason 9-7 and with another NFC Central Division title.

Quarterback Tommy Kramer would pass for 3,582 yards—the ninth best season by a quarterback in Minnesota. He would throw 19 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

Running back Ted Brown, the Vikings' first-round draft choice in 1979, would rush for 912 yards and eight touchdowns.

Ahmad Rashad, with his second appearance in the ranking, led the Vikings with 1,095 receiving yards. Rashad's five touchdown catches would tie him for second on the team and earn him his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.

The Vikings would travel to Philadelphia in the playoffs, losing 31-14 to the Eagles.

No. 16: Gary Cuozzo, Clint Jones and Bob Grim, 1971

Gary Cuozzo would be one of three quarterbacks to start a game for the Vikings in 1971.

Cuozzo would go 6-2 in eight starts as the Vikings would finish with an 11-3 winning the NFC Central Division.

Cuozzo led the Vikings with 842 passing yards with only six touchdowns, the lowest total of any quarterback in the ranking.

Clint Jones would rush for 675 yards and four touchdowns.

In his only Pro Bowl season, Bob Grim would lead the Vikings with 691 yards. He was the only player on the team to catch more than one touchdown, leading the team with seven.

The Vikings would lose to the Cowboys 20-12 in the playoffs.

No. 15: Gary Cuozzo, Dave Osborn and Gene Washington, 1970

In 1970, the Vikings would make their third straight playoff appearance.

Quarterback Gary Cuozzo would start 12 games leading the Vikings to a 12-2 record.

Cuozzo would throw only seven touchdowns along with 10 interceptions with 1,720 yards.

Running back Dave Osborn would lead the Vikings with 681 yards and five touchdowns.

Wide receiver Gene Washington would catch 44 passes, five for a touchdown, leading the Vikings with 702 yards. 

The Vikings would lose to the 49ers at Metropolitan Stadium 17-14 in the playoffs.

No. 14: Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman and Jim Lash, 1974

This is the second appearance in the ranking for Fran Tarkenton and Chuck Foreman, but this time wide receiver Jim Lash would join this duo in leading the Vikings to Super Bowl IX.

Tarkenton passed for 2,598 yards with 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Foreman would rush for 777 yards and nine touchdowns.

Lash led the team with 702 receiving yards, failing to catch a touchdown during the season.

The Vikings would win the NFC North with a 10-4 record. They would defeat the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams at home in the playoffs before losing Super Bowl IX to the Steelers, 16-6.

No. 13: Wade Wilson, Darrin Nelson and Anthony Carter, 1988

This is the second time Wade Wilson and Anthony Carter make the ranking. Completing the trio was running back Darrin Nelson.

Carter and Wilson would be selected to the Pro Bowl as the Vikings finished second in the NFC North with an 11-5 record .

Wilson threw for 2,746 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

With an anemic running attack, Nelson led the Vikings with only 380 rushing yards while scoring only one touchdown.

Carter would catch 72 passes for 1,225 yards and six touchdowns.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Vikings would defeat the Los Angeles Rams at the Metrodome 28-17. They would travel to San Francisco, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions decisively 34-9.

No. 12: Rich Gannon, Terry Allen and Cris Carter, 1992

Rich Gannon would start 12 games for the Vikings in 1992, his last season with Minnesota.

The Vikings would finish with an 11-5 record winning the NFC North division.

Gannon would only amass 1,905 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions going 8-4 as the starter.

Running back Terry Allen, a ninth-round draft pick in 1990, would lead the Vikings with 1,201 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, and another two receiving. 

Cris Carter, who along with Allen joined the Vikings in 1990, led Vikings receivers with 681 yards and six touchdowns playing in 12 games that season.

In the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Vikings would host the Washington Redskins at the Metrodome, losing 24-7.

No. 11: Daunte Culpepper, Onterrio Smith and Nate Burleson, 2004

It's somewhat fitting that quarterback Daunte Culpepper would make his debut in the ranking at No. 11.

In 2004, the Vikings would squeak their way into the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

Culpepper would pass for 4,717 yards and 39 touchdowns—the highest single season total in Minnesota Vikings history. 

This trio's ranking suffers because the Vikings were not a good running team that year.

Second year running back Onterrio Smith, the self-proclaimed steal of the 2003 draft, led the Vikings with only 544 yards rushing scoring only two touchdowns.

Nate Burleson, who played in all 16 games, led the Vikings with 1,006 receiving yards. His nine touchdowns were second on the team to Randy Moss who was limited to 13 games that season.

The Vikings would face the Packers in the first round of the playoffs with a shocking 31-17 victory at Lambeau Field.

They would lose to the Eagles, in Philadelphia, 27-14 the following week.

No. 10: Gus Frerotte, Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian, 2008

When you can turn around and hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson, life as the Vikings quarterback is pretty good. 

This would be quarterback Gus Frerotte's second stint with the Vikings. Signed to backup Tarvaris Jackson, Frerotte would take over in Week 4.

He would go 8-3 as the starter, leading the Vikings to a 10-6 record, winning the NFC North division.

Frerotte would throw for 2,157 yards with 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

In his second season with the Vikings, running back Adrian Peterson led the NFL with 1,760 yards on the ground and score 10 touchdowns.

In his first season with the Vikings, wide receiver Bernard Berrian would have the best season in his career, leading the Vikings with 964 yards and seven touchdowns.

Frerotte would be benched in favor of Jackson as the Vikings entered the playoffs. The Jackson-led Vikings would lose 26-14 to McNabb and the Eagles at home in the Metrodome.

No. 9: Joe Kapp, Dave Osborn and Gene Washington, 1969

This is the second time running back Dave Osborn and wide receiver Gene Washington make the list. Joining them was quarterback Joe Kapp, the first Vikings quarterback to lead them to the postseason.

Kapp threw for 1,726 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, leading the Vikings to a 12-2 record and their second NFC North division title.

Osborn would rumble to 643 yards, scoring seven rushing touchdowns and Washington would catch 39 passes for 821 yards and nine touchdowns. 

The Vikings would defeat the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns in making their first Super Bowl appearance.

Heavily favored, the Vikings would lose to Kansas City 23-7 at Tulane Stadium in Super Bowl IV.

No. 8: Warren Moon, Terry Allen and Cris Carter, 1994

In Warren Moon's first season with the Vikings, the 38-year-old quarterback would make 15 starts leading the Vikings to a 10-6 record and an NFC Central Division title.

Moon would throw for 4,264 yards, the second highest single-season total in Vikings history. He would throw 18 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Terry Allen, after missing the entire 1993 season recovering from major knee reconstruction, would lead the Vikings with 1,031 yards and score eight touchdowns.

Cris Carter would lead the NFL with 122 receptions, a Vikings record, for 1,256 yards and seven touchdowns.

After sweeping the Bears in the regular season, the Vikings would host, and lose to, Chicago 35-18 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs—a disappointing end to the season.

No. 7: Jeff George, Robert Smith and Randy Moss, 1999

Jeff George would only play one season in Minnesota. Signed to backup Randall Cunningham, George would start 10 games in 1999 leading the Vikings to a 10-6 record and a wild card berth in the playoffs.

George would pass for 2,816 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Running back Robert Smith would have his third straight 1,000-yard season, leading the Vikings with 1,015 yards, but only two touchdowns.

Second-year wide receiver Randy Moss would follow, leading the Vikings with 1,413 yards. His 80 receptions and 11 touchdowns would be second on the team to Cris Carter.

The Vikings would host the 8-8 Cowboys at the Metrodome, winning the game 27-10. The following week they would lose to the "Greatest Show on Turf" falling to the St. Louis Rams 49-37.

No. 6: Daunte Culpepper, Robert Smith and Randy Moss, 2000

Randy Moss and Robert Smith both make their second of three appearances in the ranking.

This time the trio is completed with quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

Culpepper, in his second NFL season, would start all 16 games in 2000, leading the Vikings to another NFC Central Division title and their fifth straight playoff appearance. He would be selected to play in the Pro Bowl.

Culpepper, with All-Pro wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss, would throw for 3,937 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Running back Smith, who would also make the Pro Bowl, led the Vikings with 1,521 yards and score seven touchdowns. 

The Vikings would defeat the Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs 34-16. The following week in the NFC Championship game, the Vikings would suffer a 41-0 loss. This would be the last game Smith would play in, announcing his retirement after his best rushing total in eight seasons.

No. 5: Brad Johnson, Robert Smith and Jake Reed, 1996-1997

This is the first of three trios that played together for more than a single season.

Brad Johnson was the Vikings' ninth-round draft choice in 1992. He would make his NFL debut starting eight games in 1996, and followed that with 13 starts in 1997.

Over those two seasons he would lead the Vikings to consecutive playoff appearances with identical 9-7 season records.

Johnson would pass for 5,294 yards, 37 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 21 starts.

Robert Smith would lead the Vikings in rushing both seasons, despite only playing in half the games in 1996. Over the two years he would rush for 1,958 yards in 22 games, scoring nine touchdowns.

Wide receiver Jake Reed, who would play in all 32 regular season games in 1996 and 1997, led the Vikings with 2,458 yards. He caught 13 touchdowns over the two seasons, second to Cris Carter's 23.

For Reed, 1997 would mark his fourth consecutive year exceeding 1,000 yards in receiving. With the Vikings drafting of Randy Moss in 1998, it would also be his last.  

In 1996, the Vikings would lose to the Cowboys in the opening round of the playoffs, 40-15.

The following season they would play a close game against the Giants 23-22 in New York, before falling to the 49ers 38-22 in San Francisco.

No. 4: Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman and Sammy White, 1976-1977

This is the second trio that played together for a couple of seasons.

Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman and Sammy White played together a total of three seasons from 1976 to 1978, leading the Vikings to the playoffs every season.

Over the '76 and '77 seasons, Tarkenton threw for 4,695 yards with 26 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 22 starts.

Chuck Foreman would lead the Vikings in rushing both seasons with a two-year total of 2,267 yards, and scored 19 touchdowns.

Sammy White, the NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1976, led the Vikings both seasons in receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Combined, he had 1,666 yards and 19 touchdowns.

In 1976, the Vikings would win the NFC Central with an 11-2-1 record. They would defeat the Redskins and Rams on their way to Super Bowl XI where they would lose to the Raiders 32-14.

In 1977, the Vikings would defend their division title going 9-5. In the playoffs, they would defeat the Rams 14-7 in Los Angeles before losing to the Cowboys 23-6 in Dallas.

No. 3: Randall Cunningham, Robert Smith and Randy Moss, 1998

This trio led the Vikings to their best regular-season record in team history. This is the third time Robert Smith has been paired with Randy Moss.

At the time, the Vikings became only the third team in the NFL to finish a 16-game regular season at 15-1. The other two, the 1984 San Francisco 49es and 1985 Chicago Bears, both went on to win the Super Bowl.

Randall Cunningham started the season as Brad Johnson's backup. Johnson would start the first two games before suffering an injury that would allow Cunningham to lead the NFL's top offense.

Cunningham would finish the season with 3,704 yards, throwing 34 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions in 14 games.

Smith would rush for 1,187 yards and score eight touchdowns, six rushing and two receiving.

For Moss, the Vikings first-round draft choice taken with the 21st pick in the draft, this was a chance to prove what 19 teams had passed up. He led the Vikings with 1,313 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns and earned the NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.  

All three would be named to the Pro Bowl.

The Vikings would host the Cardinals in the divisional round of the playoffs, defeating them 41-21 and earning them the right to host the NFC Championship.

Sitting in the upper deck on the 50-yard line in the Metrodome, I had the pleasure of seeing the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Vikings 30-27 in overtime. It still hurts to think of Atlanta head coach Dan Reeves doing the dirty bird in the middle of the field as the championship trophy was awarded after the game.

No. 2: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice, 2009

Love him or hate him, you have to admit Brett Favre had a spectacular season in 2009 leading the Vikings to a 12-4 record and an NFC North Division title.

After spending a single season in New York with the Jets, Brett Favre made his way to Minnesota.

As a life long Vikings fan, and a hater of everything green and gold, I found this difficult to accept, but then the Vikings started the season with six consecutive wins, and everything was just fine.

Favre led the Vikings to their best record since the 1998 season. He threw for 4,202 yards with 33 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He helped the Vikings to sweep the Green Bay Packers that year.

Adrian Peterson would lead the Vikings with 1,383 yards on the ground and led the NFL with 18 touchdowns. His 18 touchdowns are the second most by any player for the Vikings, second only to Chuck Foreman who scored a total of 22 rushing and receiving touchdowns in 1975.

It would be a breakout year for Sidney Rice. In his third season in the NFL, he led the Vikings with 83 receptions for 1,312 yards. He finished second on the team with eight touchdown catches.

The Vikings would earn the second seed in the NFC playoffs. After defeating the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 in the divisional round of the playoffs, they would face the No. 1 seeded Saints in the NFC Championship game. A 14-men-in-the-huddle penalty would force the Vikings out of field goal range late in the game. They would eventually lose 31-28 in overtime.

This defeat was almost as bad as the overtime loss in 1998.  

No. 1: Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman and John Gilliam, 1973 and 1975

If not for the great season Jim Lash had in 1974, this trio would have been the tops for three straight years.

This trio led the Vikings to a couple of 12-2 seasons in 1973 and 1975.

Quarterback Fran Tarkenton would start every game in these two seasons throwing for 5,107 yards with 40 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

Chuck Foreman was the Vikings first-round draft pick in 1973. As a rookie, he rushed for 801 yards and four touchdowns. In 1975, his third year in the NFL, he had his first 1,000-yard rushing season playing in 13 games. He would total 1,187 yards with 17 touchdowns on the ground. He would also catch 11 touchdown passes, nine of them in 1975.

John Gilliam was an explosive downfield threat who averaged 20 yards per catch, while playing four seasons in Minnesota.   

Combined in these two seasons Gilliam caught 92 passes for 1,684 yards and 15 touchdown passes.

In 1973, the Vikings would make it to Super Bowl VIII after defeating the Washington Redskins 27-20 and the Dallas Cowboys 27-10.  They would lose to Miami in the Super Bowl, 24-7.

In 1975, the Vikings looked like they were poised to make their third straight appearance to the Super Bowl. In the now famous "Hail Mary" game, Roger Staubach would defeat the Vikings 17-14 with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson.

Watching that game on TV, I will always believe that Pearson committed pass interference on Vikings cornerback Nate Wright.