Tag: cris carter

Vikings legends Jake Reed, Cris Carter honor Randy Moss

The Vikings and their fans have Randy Moss in their thoughts ands prayers

The Minnesota Vikings were hosting the Chicago Bears on Monday.

When it came time for the coin toss, Jake Reed and Cris Carter walked to midfield with the captains. The former wide receivers had an “84” jersey with them to let everyone know they are thinking of Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss, who is battling cancer.

Justin Jefferson caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter and after the score had a message for Moss, too.

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison achieve Vikings history together

Vikings’ wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison combined on Sunday to do something no other duo in team history had accomplished

The Minnesota Vikings have had a number of great receivers throughout their history. Cris Carter and Randy Moss are both Hall of Fame wide receivers and are widely considered two of the best ever to play the game. Jake Reed was an integral complement to Carter on a number of Vikings’ teams of the 90s.

In more modern times, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have contributed to some of the best pre-Justin Jefferson seasons and some of the best moments in Minnesota Vikings history — like the Minneapolis Miracle. And yet, despite all the greats who have put on a Vikings’ uniform at the position, the current duo of receivers achieved something on Sunday that no tandem in Vikings’ history was able to.

With both Jefferson and his counterpart Jordan Addison having breakout days on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, ruining Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota, they became the first duo in Vikings history to both have 100+ receiving yards and two touchdowns in the same game.

To take their accomplishment a step further, they became just the fifth duo in NFL history (in the Super Bowl era) to each have over 130 yards receiving and two touchdowns in the same game. The display was the clearest sign yet of what this offense is capable of when it’s firing on all cylinders.

Justin Jefferson makes Vikings’ history on Thursday Night

The young phenom continues to rack up yardage for the Vikings.

Justin Jefferson continues to soar to new heights as a Viking receiver. Jefferson, who had three catches on the opening drive against the Rams, moved into the top five in Vikings’ history for career receiving yards after he caught his first pass of the game.

Jefferson surpassed Jake Reed, who had 6,433 receiving yards during his time in Minnesota. Jefferson still has to get past Adam Thielen, Anthony Carter, Randy Moss, and Cris Carter to get to the top of the mountain of Viking greatness. Carter has 12,383 career yards with Minnesota.

The former 2020 first-round pick is into his fifth season with Minnesota. Barring any injuries, Jefferson has more than a shot to get to where Carter is at with how dynamic he is and the way Minnesota throws the football with Kevin O’Connell.

 

Justin Jefferson had a historic day against the Lions in Week 7

With 81 yards receiving on Sunday, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson moved into 6th place on the team’s receiving yards list.

The Minnesota Vikings came up just short in their bid to beat the Detroit Lions in Week 7 and remain one of the league’s two undefeated teams. Despite jumping out to an early 10-0 lead on the Lions, the Vikings gave up three straight scoring drives to fall into a 21-10 hole before mounting a comeback of their own, but ultimately falling just short.

The loss is a tough oneĀ for the Vikings and their fans, but it didn’t come without some highlights. There was the continued dominance of edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, a spectacularĀ scoop-and-score fumble return by linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., and a performance by wide receiver Justin Jefferson that saw him climb up the Vikings’Ā all-time receiving list in two categories.

Early in the third quarter, Jefferson came down with a highlight-reel grab to come down with his fifth touchdown of the season, prompting a “I’m like that!” statement from Jefferson before hitting his patented Griddy celebration.

That touchdown was Jefferson’s 35th of his career, breaking a tie with wide receiver Ahmad Rashad for the seventh-most receiving touchdowns in Minnesota Vikings’ history. But Jefferson’s historic day didn’t end there.

Jefferson ended the day with seven receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Those 81 yards were good enough to move Jefferson into 6th place all-time on the receiving yards list, passing Sammy White. With just four yards in Thursday’s Week 8 game against the Rams, Jefferson will pass another Vikings’ all-time great, Jake Reed, for fifth place on that list, leaving him behind only Adam Thielen, Anthony Carter, Randy Moss, and Cris Carter.

Jefferson’s 81 yards on Sunday gives him 6,430 yards in his career in just 66 games, giving Jefferson by far the most receiving yards per game (97.7) of any receiver in team history — among receivers with at least double-digit receptions, with Moss a distant second at 82.4.

Ohio State football great Cris Carter prays Jeremiah Smith breaks records

Ohio State football great, Cris Carter prays Jeremiah Smith breaks records #GoBucks

Former Ohio State football great, Cris Carter is one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game of football at either the college or NFL level, and freshman phenom, Jeremiah Smith, may eclipse Carter’s statistical accomplishments at the collegiate level.

The OSU freshman record for touchdowns still sits at eight and is still held by Carter due to his 1984 season, but in two games, Smith is already well on pace to crush that number. Through two games, the young star already has three touchdowns which is already tied with Marvin Harrison Jr. at fifth in school history.

Carter is not the kind of guy who wishes to keep the record though and in fact is praying Smith can “smash” the record, but he did provide a nice reminder that the Buckeye offense in 1984 was not as focused on the passing game as they are today.

https://twitter.com/criscarter80/status/1832915777063723402

Contact/Follow usĀ @BuckeyesWireĀ on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onĀ FacebookĀ to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. FollowĀ Josh Keatley on X.

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Resurgence of Randall Cunningham

After a year off from football, the former Eagles star Cunningham became the catalyst for the 1998 season

Welcome to the 25 SKOLā€™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.

Itā€™s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on peopleā€™s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikingsā€™ history.

On the sixteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: the resurgence of Randall Cunningham.

In today’s NFL, it’s not nearly as important to have a quality backup quarterback as it was in the 1990s and earlier. The game didn’t protect quarterbacks like it does now and it was commonplace for a quarterback to miss multiple games per season.

The Vikings had this happen quite a bit, especially once Brad Johnson took over as starting quarterback. Johnson had a knack for getting injured and he did so in both 1997 and 1998. The 1997 injury took him out for the rest of the year and that brought in former Philadelphia Eagles great Randall Cunningham.

After being replaced by Rodney Peete, Cunningham retired believing he was disrespected by the fanbase and organization. He spent 1996 away from football but was lured out of retirement by Dennis Green, who convinced him to come out of retirement. He ended up leading the Vikings to a massive 16-point comeback in the wild-card round against the New York Giants. That win ended up saving Dennis Green’s job and led into the events of the next year.

The big resurgence was in 1998 when Johnson got injured again. He broke his leg against the St. Louis Rams in week two and Cunningham came in and had a tremendous season. He completed 60.9% of his passes for 3,704 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was so good that he ended up getting both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year votes along with Comeback Player of the Year votes.

He also started the 1999 season as the starter but was pulled during the sixth game as he started 2-4 and Jeff George took over.

We all know the magic of 1998 with Randy Moss and the miracle playoff run, but that doesn’t happen without Cunningham ready to step in and take control of this team.

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
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met
Cris Carter catches number 1,000

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Cris Carter catches number 1,000

The star receiver set many records and this one he did in style

Welcome to the 25 SKOLā€™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.

Itā€™s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on peopleā€™s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikingsā€™ history.

On the fifteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Cris Carter catching his 1,000th pass in the endzone.

The 2000 season was a wild one. The Vikings were coming off a 10-6 season that saw the Vikings start both Randal Cunningham and Jeff George, but they decided to go with their second-year quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

Early on, he showed struggles but as the season went on, he developed a great rapport with Randy Moss and Cris Carter.

After more than a decade in the NFL, Carter was chasing a milestone that had only been done by Jerry Rice: catching 1,000 passes.

He got closer each week and was just five catches away after a Thanksgiving Day win over the Dallas Cowboys. What was fitting is that his next opportunity was also on national television: a Thursday night special on ESPN.

He caught four passes in the first quarter and it didn’t take long for him to catch number 1,000. On the first play of the second quarter, Carter ran a simple sprint out fade to get the fateful 1,000th catch.

For a player that had dealt with a lot of demons, seeing him get number 1,000 was special. His family was on the sidelines and he celebrated with them immediately.

The Vikings won the game 24-17 and Carter etched his name in history.

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
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met

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 SKOLā€™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.

Itā€™s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on peopleā€™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

4 Vikings things our staff is thankful for

With it being Thanksgiving Day, our staff talked about what we are most thanful for with the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are quite an interesting franchise. They have sent the fans and those covering the team on a multitude of roller coaster rides throughout their 63-year history.

As we look back and reflect on both this and the entirety of the franchise, our staff at Vikings Wire talked about what we are thankful for with the franchise.

Randy Moss and Cris Carter recognized as best wide receiver duo of all time

The best wide receiver duo being comprised of two top-five receivers of all time makes all the sense in the world.

Training camp is in full swing. The pads are starting to come on, and we’re two days away from the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. With all of this excitement about the future, The 33rd Team decided to take a look at the past. Elliot Kalb of The 33rd Team decided to rank the 11 greatest wide receiver duos of all time. It should not be a surprise as to who came out on top.

The Minnesota Vikings’ Hall of Fame duo of Randy Moss and Cris Carter claimed the top spot.

This was the easiest decision when ranking the great wide receiver duos. The 1998 Vikings were 15-1 and rolled over opponents because Carter (12 TDs) and Moss (17 TDs) were destroying defenses. They combined for 24 touchdowns in each of their next two seasons, as well.

Cris Carter 1998-2000 Randy Moss
48 Games 48
34 TDs 43
264 Receptions 226
13.4 Yards/Catch 18.4

The numbers speak for themselves. Carter and Moss both averaged over 13 yards a catch, outlining the explosiveness of that Vikings offense. Moss averaged almost a touchdown a game, and Carter was good for 5.5 receptions a game. At 13.4 yards per catch, you could pencil Carter in for almost 75 yards a game. Combine that with roughly 87 yards from Moss and the Vikings had 162 yards, on average, before having to go to their tertiary receiving option.

That type of consistency is past elite. That’s legendary.

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