The 2000 NFC title game loss was by 41 points and the 2017 one was by 31 points. The 1987, 19 title games were all by one score. You can make the case that losing in the biggest game is always the worst, but neither of those four were very close. Their four Super Bowl losses were by 16 points, 17, 10 and 18. The Colts were more beatable no doubt than the 1998 Broncos team. The 2009 team was not as good as the 1998 team, but likely would have had a better shot due to the opponent. Remember the “Vikings going to Miami” song? Very good chance Randle would have played, but could have been limited. With Randle later out, the Falcons had no problem driving down the field. Linebacker Ed McDaniel tore his ACL against the Falcons and John Randle reinjured his knee late in the game. As good as the Vikings were on offense, their defense was not very good. The Broncos at 14-2 were also very good with John Elway, Terrell Davis, Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey and Shannon Shape. They could have beaten the Broncos in the Super Bowl, but it would have been tough. That was not the only reason for the loss, but the most memorable one. Vikings were ahead 27-17 and later had a shot to make it 30-20, but Gary Anderson missed his only kick of the entire season (preseason included). They went 15-1 and lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime. They scored a then record 556 points led by Randall Cunningham, Robert Smith, Cris Carter and rookie sensation Randy Moss. The 1998 team is still considered as one of the best teams in NFL history to never win a Super Bowl. That team went 8-7 in the regular and definitely overachieved in the playoffs by upsetting both the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers on the road, but that loss at Washington was a huge letdown both then and going forward. Even if they scored and went to overtime, there is no guarantee they would have won, but they certainly would have had a chance. Nelson dropped a pass with under a minute left in the game on fourth-and-four, which would have given them a first down at the one-yard line or a touchdown. Vikings lost 17-10 to the Redskins in that 1987 game. They later gave up five more draft picks (two firsts) as conditional picks since the Cowboys did not keep either of those five players. Vikings originally gave up five players and three draft picks in 1990. It was a very huge gamble that did not workout in the end. You can make the case that he was not used properly while in purple, but nonetheless they still gave up way too much. Not only did Walker not live up to expectations in Minnesota, but how much they gave up to get him really hurt them as well. The trade helped the Dallas Cowboys plenty (Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson were among the players they drafted from the trade), but really hurt the Vikings. Not making that trade could have allowed them to win another ring or two. Why? Because if they win that game, they not only would have had a great shot against the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl (they lost 42-10 to Washington), they also very likely would not have made the infamous Herschel Walker trade two years later had they won it all that year.
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