Tag: Anthony Carter

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Anthony Carter’s 1987 playoff bonanza

Anthony Carter had one of the best playoff runs in team history

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the ninth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Anthony Carter delivering an all-time performance in the 1987 playoffs.

The 1987 season was an interesting one. The players went on strike and, not only was a game canceled due to the strike, the first three games in October were played with replacement players.

It arguably impacted the Vikings the most, as they went 0-3 with replacement players and 8-4 with their normal roster. In his second season as the head coach, Jerry Burns had the Vikings playing really good football. They snuck into the playoffs with a wild card berth and they went on a run thanks to star wide receiver Anthony Carter.

After being a star in the USFL, Carter signed with the Minnesota Vikings and had himself a really nice career in the NFL. His biggest moment came in the 1987 playoffs when he took over.

Against the New Orleans Saints, Carter did his damage on punt returns. He had only returned three punts all season, but he did so six times in this game, including an 84-yard touchdown. He returned six punts for 143 yards and a touchdown along with six catches for 79 yards and another score.

The divisional round was where he did even more damage. The Vikings dominated the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park by a score of 36-24 and were up 20-3 at the half. Carter was the dominant force in the game, catching 10 passes for a then-playoff-record 227 yards from quarterback Wade Wilson. The Vikings set themselves up for a chance to make the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade.

The 49ers at this time were true powerhouses. Joe Montana to Jerry Rice was the connection of the decade but they weren’t able to get it done on this day.

Things stopped in the NFC Championship Game when Carter caught seven passes for 85 yards but it wasn’t his fault. Running back Darrin Nelson fumbled the ball inside the 10-yard line.

It’s a shame that his tremendous playoff run ended with a dud but it is one of the most impressive playoff performances in team history. If he had been able to play until 1995, the trio of him, Cris Carter and Jake Reed would have been incredible.

 

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion

Zulgad’s four-and-out: Will Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks and Dalvin Cook all make Vikings’ Ring of Honor?

Do Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks and Dalvin Cook have the resume to make the Vikings Ring of Honor? @jzulgad looks at their resumes.

The Vikings have parted ways with three longtime players this offseason, releasing Adam Thielen and Eric Kendricks in March and then jettisoning Dalvin Cook this month.

All three had a significant impact on the franchise and all three will be best remembered for wearing Purple, even though Thielen is now in Carolina, Kendricks is with the Chargers and Cook is considering his options.

So how many figure to end up in the Vikings’ Ring of Honor? Let’s examine their candidacy. (An announcement is usually made shortly after training camp opens in late July.)

Former Vikings QB has high praise for Justin Jefferson

Game recognizes game.

When the Minnesota Vikings traded Stefon Diggs in March of 2020, the expectation that they would get a player as good or better with that pick would have been very hard to believe. Luckily for them, they hit the jackpot.

Justin Jefferson has turned himself into an elite player for the Vikings and done so in record time. He and Adam Thielen have become one of the best wide receiver duos in the league.

When visiting training camp, former Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer, best known for having a Green Bay Packers urinal, had a massive compliment for the third-year player.

This is some incredibly high praise from Kramer. Carter, who played for the Vikings from 1985-1993, is best known for dominating the 1987 playoffs, including a 10-reception/227-yard performance against the San Francisco 49ers in a divisional round upset. Carter was an explosive weapon that could be utilized anywhere on the field.

Jefferson also fits that description, as he has dominated from both the slot and on the outside. If he continues on this path, he will exceed Carter’s success.

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Tony Dungy praises former Michigan football receiver

One of the best gives recognition to one of the best. #GoBlue

Tony Dungy may only have one Super Bowl win as a head coach, but the former Michigan native is one of the greatest coaches of all time at the NFL level.

Dungy played collegiate ball at Minnesota, but grew up not far away from The Big House, hailing from Jackson, Michigan. And playing as a safety for the Gophers — though the two didn’t play at the same time — he has a little familiarity with a certain Wolverines wide receiver.

Twitter personality Big Game Boomer is known for putting together ‘best of’ lists, usually featuring current teams. But the account delved into college football history, naming the best 100 college football wide receivers. Of them, three former Michigan players were listed, with Desmond Howard and Braylon Edwards both making the top 10. However, former standout Anthony Carter came in at No. 33 overall, and that has Dungy hot and bothered.

The famed coach defended the former Wolverines receiver, noting that if he played in a more modern era, he’d get the recognition he deserves.

That’s pretty huge praise from a coach that only had two years with Carter on the same team — Dungy was the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator for two seasons that Carter was a receiver at the NFL franchise. But it also speaks to the greatness of the star wideout who once wore a winged helmet — especially considering there are 99 other names that Dungy could have mentioned, let alone those who weren’t.

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Kyle Rudolph is close to entering Vikings’ royalty

Rudolph is close to a pretty impressive spot in team history.

The Vikings have had some pretty great pass catchers throughout their history.

Randy Moss. Cris Carter. Anthony Carter. Stefon Diggs. Adam Thielen. To name a few.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph probably doesn’t enter many of those conversations and understandably so considering he’s only had 4,154 receiving yards over nine seasons.

With that being said, Rudolph has been a touchdown machine during his time with the Vikings, catching 47 touchdowns in his career, including six last season.

Rudolph needs just four receiving touchdowns to pass Sammy White for fourth all-time on the team’s list and six to pass Anthony Carter for third in team history.

After that, well, Rudolph would still be 40 touchdowns behind Moss for second in team history.

Over the last five seasons, Rudolph, 30, has averaged six receiving touchdowns per game.

The biggest upsets in NFL divisional round history

Touchdown Wire revisits the biggest upsets in NFL divisional round playoff history.

If you go strictly by record and homefield advantage, San Francisco, Baltimore, Kansas City and Green Bay should be the winners of this weekend’s playoff games. But there is no such thing as a given in the postseason. Especially in the divisional round.

History has shown that upsets – including some very big ones – often take place in the divisional round. That’s why it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Minnesota, Tennessee, Houston or Seattle pulls off an upset this week.

Divisional round upsets have taken place before and they’ll take place again. Let’s take a look at the nine biggest upsets in divisional round history:

1985: Patriots 27, Raiders 20

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

This was a historic season for the Patriots. They became the first team in history to make it to the Super Bowl by winning three straight road games. The victory in Los Angeles was especially big because the Raiders had gone 12-4 and appeared to be one of the league’s dominant teams. The Patriots also won at Miami the following week, but got crushed in the Super Bowl by the Chicago Bears.

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