The 1978 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 18th in the National Football League (NFL). The Vikings finished with an 8–7–1 record, and finished in first place in the NFC Central division, despite having a regular season point differential of minus 12. The team appeared in the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 years. In the Divisional round, The Los Angeles Rams whipped the Vikings 34–10. Following the season, longtime quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired.
Offseason
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1978 Minnesota Vikings final roster
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Rookies in italics
, 5 practice squad
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Preseason
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Regular season
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Week
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Date
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Opponent
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Result
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Record
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Venue
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Attendance
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1
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September 3
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at New Orleans Saints
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L 24–31
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0–1
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Superdome
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54,187
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2
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September 11
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Denver Broncos
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W 12–9
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1–1
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Metropolitan Stadium
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46,508
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3
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September 17
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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L 10–16
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1–2
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Metropolitan Stadium
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46,152
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4
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September 25
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at Chicago Bears
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W 24–20
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2–2
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Soldier Field
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53,551
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5
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October 1
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at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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W 24–7
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3–2
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Tampa Stadium
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65,972
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6
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October 8
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at Seattle Seahawks
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L 28–29
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3–3
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Kingdome
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62,031
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7
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October 15
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Los Angeles Rams
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L 17–34
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3–4
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Metropolitan Stadium
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46,551
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8
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October 22
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Green Bay Packers
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W 21–7
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4–4
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Metropolitan Stadium
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47,411
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9
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October 26
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at Dallas Cowboys
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W 21–10
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5–4
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Texas Stadium
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61,848
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10
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November 5
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Detroit Lions
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W 17–7
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6–4
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Metropolitan Stadium
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46,008
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11
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November 12
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Chicago Bears
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W 17–14
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7–4
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Metropolitan Stadium
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43,286
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12
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November 19
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San Diego Chargers
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L 7–13
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7–5
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Metropolitan Stadium
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38,859
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13
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November 26
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at Green Bay Packers
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T 10–10 (OT)
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7–5–1
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Lambeau Field
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51,737
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14
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December 3
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Philadelphia Eagles
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W 28–27
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8–5–1
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Metropolitan Stadium
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38,722
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15
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December 9
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at Detroit Lions
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L 14–45
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8–6–1
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Silverdome
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78,685
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16
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December 17
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at Oakland Raiders
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L 20–27
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8–7–1
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Oakland Coliseum
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44,643
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Game summaries
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Week 8: vs Green Bay Packers
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Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- MIN – Ahmad Rashad 15-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 21–7.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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The Vikings won a game they had to win in their bid to win a 10th NFC Central division title in 11 seasons, as Fran Tarkenton completed 26 of 43 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Ahmad Rashad. "That's pretty amazing for a guy who can't throw a football anymore, isn't it?" said the 38-year-old Tarkenton, who raised his 18-year yardage total to 45,143, the first man to surpass 45,000 yards. Tarkenton's third scoring strike to running back Chuck Foreman just before the half went for 16 yards. Terdell Middleton, who entered the game as the NFC's third leading rusher, scored Green Bay's only touchdown on a 3-yard run midway through the second quarter, giving Green Bay a 7–7 tie. He finished the game with 81 yards on 15 carries.
Standings
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Playoffs
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Awards and records
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- QB Fran Tarkenton threw 32 interceptions on the season, surpassing his own franchise record of 25 (set in 1962)
- RB Rickey Young led the league with 88 receptions, setting a Vikings single-season record.
Statistical leaders
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League rankings
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Category
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Total yards
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Yards per game
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NFL rank (out of 28)
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Passing offense |
3,243 |
202.7 |
2nd
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Rushing offense |
1,536 |
96.0 |
28th
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Total offense |
4,779 |
298.7 |
17th
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Passing defense |
2,690 |
168.1 |
19th
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Rushing defense |
2,116 |
132.3 |
10th
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Total defense |
4,806 |
300.4 |
14th
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References
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