Morning Mailbag: Vikings-49ers Divisional Round Playoff Edition

[Viktor]

I've been a Sacramento Viking fan long enough to remember the last time the Vikes beat the Saints in a Wild Card game, then faced SF and [Joe] Montana in the division round in SF. The Anthony Carter show. Hoping the symmetry works again.


– Jeff from Sacramento, California


Thank you for your support from the West Coast, Jeff! The Vikings can use all the fans in California they can get this weekend.


As you referenced, the 1987 Vikings certainly made a special run in the playoffs after finishing 8-7 (the season was shortened by one game because of a players’ strike that resulted in the use of replacement players for three other games). Minnesota’s record enabled the team to eek into the playoffs. As a reminder, only five teams made it back then: three division winners and two Wild Card teams. San Francisco (13-2) won the NFC West and a first-round bye thanks to a 3-0 showing with replacement players.


I like the way you called it “The Anthony Carter Show.” The receiver caught 10 passes for a whopping 227 of Wade Wilson’s 298 passing yards, and the Vikings limited eventual Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice to three catches for 28 yards.


Minnesota attacked future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, and another future HOF QB, Steve Young, replaced Montana with the 49ers trailing 27-10 with 6:29 left in the third quarter. It was the first benching of Montana in his professional career.


Chris Doleman recorded 2.0 sacks, and Scott Studwell and Henry Thomas had one apiece.


Reggie Rutland returned an interception of Montana 45 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 20-3 edge at halftime. Carl Lee added an interception of Young.


The Vikings upset the Niners 36-24 to advance to the NFC Championship Game the following week. That year marked the most-recent time that Minnesota has won multiple playoff games in one season.


It certainly will be interesting to see if history will repeat itself this weekend, 32 years after the Vikings followed the same postseason path.