| Team: | Minnesota Vikings |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Record: | 11–5 |
| Division Place: | 1st NFC Central |
| Owner: | Red McCombs |
| General Manager: | Dennis Green |
| Coach: | Dennis Green |
| Stadium: | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| Playoffs: | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Saints) 34–16 Lost NFC Championship (at Giants) 0–41 |
| Pro Bowlers: | C Matt Birk WR Cris Carter QB Daunte Culpepper S Robert Griffith WR Randy Moss RB Robert Smith T Korey Stringer |
| Ap All-Pros: | WR Randy Moss RB Robert Smith |
| Uniform: | File:Vikings2000.png |
| Shortnavlink: | Vikings seasons |
The 2000 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 40th in the National Football League (NFL). They won the NFC Central division title with an 11–5 record. After not retaining either Randall Cunningham or Jeff George, the team was led by first-year starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper and running back Robert Smith, who ran for a then team record 1,521 yards and seven touchdowns. The Vikings started out 7–0 and were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts while Culpepper was hampered by injury.
After easily beating the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional game 34–16, they were defeated 41–0 by the New York Giants in the Conference Championship. Running back Robert Smith retired at the end of the year, after only playing eight NFL seasons. It would be 2004 before the Vikings returned to the playoffs.
After a contract dispute, Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle was let go after 11 seasons with the Vikings. Randle had only eight sacks this year, ending a streak of eight consecutive seasons with 10+ sacks.
Seven Vikings including Culpepper, Moss, Carter, Smith, Korey Stringer, Robert Griffith and Matt Birk were selected to play in the Pro Bowl after the season. It was Stringer's only Pro Bowl appearance before his death in 2001.
This would be the final full season for Dennis Green as the team's head coach, he was fired the next season with just one game remaining on the schedule.
| Additions | Subtractions | |
|---|---|---|
| T Brad Badger (Redskins) | QB Randall Cunningham (Cowboys) | |
| QB Bubby Brister (Broncos) | QB Jeff George (Redskins) | |
| TE Johnny McWilliams (Cardinals) | TE Andrew Glover (Saints) | |
| DE Bryce Paup (Jaguars) | G Randall McDaniel (Buccaneers) | |
| LB Craig Sauer (Falcons) | C Jeff Christy (Buccaneers) | |
| CB Cris Dishman (Chiefs) | WR Jake Reed (Saints) | |
| LB Lemanski Hall (Cowboys) | DE Duane Clemons (Chiefs) | |
| CB Jimmy Hitchcock (Panthers) | ||
| LB Rob Holmberg (Patriots) |
See main article: 2000 NFL draft.
| 2000 Minnesota Vikings Draft | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | |
| Round | Selection | ||||
| 1 | 25 | Chris Hovan | Defensive tackle | Boston | |
| 2 | 55 | Fred Robbins | Defensive tackle | Wake Forest | |
| 56 | Michael Boireau | Defensive end | University of Miami | from Redskins | |
| 3 | 88 | Doug Chapman | Running back | Marshall | |
| 4 | 106 | Antonio Wilson | Linebacker | Texas A&M | from Ravens |
| 118 | Tyrone Carter | Safety | Minnesota | ||
| 5 | 155 | Surrendered to the Washington Redskins | |||
| 165 | Troy Walters | Wide receiver | Stanford | Compensatory pick | |
| 6 | 191 | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | |||
| 7 | 232 | Traded to the Cleveland Browns | |||
| 240 | Mike Malano | Center | San Diego State | Compensatory pick | |
| 244 | Giles Cole | Tight end | Texas | Compensatory pick | |
| 248 | Lewis Kelly | Guard | South Carolina State | Compensatory pick | |
During the 1999 NFL draft, Washington traded their 1999 first-round selection (11th overall), 1999 third-round selection (73rd overall) and 2000 second-round selection (56th overall) to Minnesota in exchange for QB Brad Johnson.
The details of these trades are unknown but may involve Baltimore's acquisition of OL Everett Lindsay from Minnesota.
Washington received this selection as compensation for restricted free agent G Brad Badger.
Minnesota traded their seventh-round selection (232nd overall) to Cleveland for DT Jerry Ball.
| Billy Cockerham | Quarterback | Minnesota | |
| Tim Engelhardt | Defensive Tackle | New Mexico State | |
| Brody Liddiard | Long snapper | Colorado |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5 | L 24–25 | 0–1 | 63,445 | Recap | |||
| 2 | August 12 | L 7–31 | 0–2 | 43,805 | Recap | |||
| 3 | August 18 | W 35–17 | 1–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,563 | Recap | ||
| 4 | August 24 | L 30–32 | 1–3 | 51,337 | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3 | Chicago Bears | W 30–27 | 1–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,104 | Recap | |
| 2 | September 10 | Miami Dolphins | W 13–7 | 2–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,112 | Recap | |
| 3 | September 17 | at New England Patriots | W 21–13 | 3–0 | Foxboro Stadium | 60,292 | Recap | |
| 4 | Bye | |||||||
| 5 | October 1 | at Detroit Lions | W 31–24 | 4–0 | Silverdome | 76,438 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 30–23 | 5–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,162 | Recap | |
| 7 | October 15 | at Chicago Bears | W 28–16 | 6–0 | Soldier Field | 66,944 | Recap | |
| 8 | October 22 | Buffalo Bills | W 31–27 | 7–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,116 | Recap | |
| 9 | October 29 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–41 | 7–1 | Raymond James Stadium | 65,589 | Recap | |
| 10 | November 6 | at Green Bay Packers | L 20–26 | 7–2 | Lambeau Field | 59,854 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 12 | Arizona Cardinals | W 31–14 | 8–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,223 | Recap | |
| 12 | November 19 | Carolina Panthers | W 31–17 | 9–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,208 | Recap | |
| 13 | November 23 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 27–15 | 10–2 | Texas Stadium | 63,878 | Recap | |
| 14 | November 30 | Detroit Lions | W 24–17 | 11–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,214 | Recap | |
| 15 | December 10 | at St. Louis Rams | L 29–40 | 11–3 | TWA Dome | 66,273 | Recap | |
| 16 | December 17 | Green Bay Packers | L 28–33 | 11–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,183 | Recap | |
| 17 | December 24 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 10–31 | 11–5 | RCA Dome | 56,672 | Recap | |
This was the first occasion the Colts hosted the Vikings in the regular season since 1968 in Baltimore, although the two teams would again play in the Colts’ stadium during that postseason. The intervening gap of 31 seasons constitutes the second-longest gap without one team visiting another in NFL history, and at the time was a record.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | January 6 | New Orleans Saints | W 34–16 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,881 | Recap | |
| Championship | January 14 | at New York Giants | L 0–41 | Giants Stadium | 79,310 | Recap |
| width=150px style="" | Category | width=150px style="" | Player(s) | width=75px style="" | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 3,937 | ||||
| Passing touchdowns | 33 | ||||
| Rushing yards | 1,521 | ||||
| Rushing touchdowns | 7 | ||||
| Receiving yards | 1,437 | ||||
| Receiving touchdowns | 15 | ||||
| Points | 111 | ||||
| Kickoff return yards | 692 | ||||
| Punt return yards | 217 | ||||
| Tackles | 118 | ||||
| Sacks | 8 | ||||
| Interceptions | 2 | ||||
| Forced fumbles | 2 |
| width=150px style="" | Category | width=100px style="" | Total yards | width=110px style="" | Yards per game | width=80px style="" | NFL rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing offense | 3,832 | 239.5 | 7th | ||||
| Rushing offense | 2,129 | 133.1 | 6th | ||||
| Total offense | 5,961 | 372.6 | 5th | ||||
| Passing defense | 3,913 | 244.6 | 28th | ||||
| Rushing defense | 1,788 | 111.8 | 15th | ||||
| Total defense | 5,701 | 356.3 | 28th | ||||
The Vikings named an all-time team in 2000 in recognition of the franchise's 40th year in the NFL.[5]