The Minnesota Sports History Show is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

How’s it going, guys? Welcome to Episode 2 of the Minnesota Sports History Show. I’m your host, Ryan Limbag, Vikings apologist for the Sports History Network.

Today, we will talk about the Miracle at the Met, considered to be one of the Minnesota Vikings’ most triumphant comebacks of all time, and ranked No. 96 in the NFL’s 100 Greatest Games.

Luckily, this game is pretty well documented and I was able to watch the comeback in its entirety. It’s quite easy for me to relate to anxious Vikings fans of the early 80s.

It was December 14, 1980, with the Vikings fighting for the division title and a playoff berth.

They hosted the Cleveland Browns, who were having their best season since 1972. They would go on to finish the season 11-5 and win the AFC Central.

It was a cold day in the open air Metropolitan Stadium, with a game time temperature of a balmy 23º Farenheit.

Vikings’ quarterback Tommy Kramer would go on to set a then franchise record of 456 passing yards in a single game-- Still good enough for the second most passing yards in a single game in franchise history.

In fact, Tommy Kramer holds three of the top five single game passing records of all time for the Vikings, including the most at 496 yards, a record from the 1986 season that stands to this day.

A notable quarterback of the modern era holds the 4th most single game passing yards of all time at 446 yards in the 2010 season, held by legendary Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.

So, why did the 1980 Minnesota Vikings need a comeback, let alone a miracle?

The 1980 Minnesota Vikings were a few years removed from their last Super Bowl appearance in 1977, and had middling success after their vaunted defensive line, known as The Purple People Eaters retired-- the group that dominated opposing offenses from the late 60s and into the 70s.

The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings jockeyed for 1st place in a relatively weak NFC Central division in the 1980-1981 season. Both the Lions and Vikings would finish 9-7, with the Vikings eking out a division title with the conference record tie-breaker.

Going into the game, any combination of a Vikings win or Lions loss meant a division title for the Vikings, and the pressure was on. Cleveland had a win-and-get-in situation for the playoffs.

With 5:01 left in the 4th quarter, the Cleveland Browns led the Vikings 23-15. After shutting out the Vikings in the first half, the Browns held onto an eight point lead. It seemed like the perfect scenario to grind and run out the clock.

Watching this game gives me goosebumps and makes my stomach hurt. As a lifelong Vikings fan, I fully understand how unlikely these kinds of comebacks are.

Even though this game happened five years before I was even born, there is some kind of Purple Pride cosmic connection that transcends space and time.

I can picture myself with a mullet and a Jheri curl, sulking on a brown-toned floral printed sofa and threatening to turn off the TV as I simultaneously curse and pray for the Vikings.

But down by eight points, the Tommy Kramer-led Vikings would conduct an improbable comeback against a strong Cleveland team.

After a squib kick, the Browns would begin their drive at their own 26 yard line. The odds seemed in their favor with time running out.

Cleveland running back Mike Pruitt would rush for a couple first downs as the game clock approached three minutes. They kept it on the ground. Victory...