It’s December 28th, 2003. We’re in Tempe, Arizona for week 17 and the Minnesota Vikings are in control up 5, a clock running under 10 seconds, and this down and distance is not a typo. These hometown Cardinals are in a bad spot, scrambling for a miracle touchdown to win.
One last defensive stop here not only seals today for Minnesota, but delivers them the NFC North crown. If Arizona pulls this off, then the Vikings will watch the rival Packers go to the playoffs in their place. No pressure, Minnesota.
So, to really enjoy what comes next, let’s rewind.
Written and produced by Will Buikema
Edited by Brian Torres
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Moments like this always bring the same question to my mind: Is it better to be a team that's uncompetitive, or a team that's competitive but always gets their heart ripped out?
As a Packers fan that was one of the happier seasons of my life
Vikings lost to 4 different 4-12 teams in 2003, they have nobody to blame for missing the playoffs but themselves.
Its actually wild how bad the Arizona Cardinals are as a franchise, they cant even lose right. Missed out on Peyton in 97 and then Eli in 03. Crazy how different league history would been if the Cardinals hadnt won either of those games.
I wonder how many times a team won a meaningless game and lost a good draft pick because of it.
I was born in '93 and have seen consistent disappointment from this team. My old man hoped to see a Superbowl win before he died but sadly that didn't happen. It's pessimistic but even if the cancer hadn't taken him at 54 I doubt he'd still have seen that day. He did tell me about how crazy the two twins world series wins were and the subsequent partying though
If I remember correctly living in Wisconsin here still and at that time, McCown was given the the key to the city of green bay after this lmfao
Omg, that was awesome.
"NOOOOOO! NOOOOOO!" – Paul Allen
One issue is, there really isn't anyone who has ever wanted to live in Minnesota. How happy can your players be if they don't want to live there? Favre trolled them by showing up back when he first started to forget where he lived in Green Bay, took them almost all the way then did that funny thing he does, where he gets right to the brink of perfection, then jumps up and throws a left hander to whoever can catch it as he is falling down in the grasp of three defenders. Whoops, I can't believe they picked that off. I really got those Vikes that time, time to retire again for the first time.
13:33
I was at at the Packer game at the time and the Packers needed the Vikings to lose to get into playoffs. The whole stadium erupted when they showed this highlight on the big screen. Probably one of the loudest I've ever heard that stadium.
the AZ Tight End blatantly thru the Vikes DB to the ground at the 9:30 mark…. smh, oh well thats the plight of being a vikings fan.
Hard seeing Tillman
Need the Paul Allen call for this. “Caught! Touchdown! Noooooooooooooo!!!”
Payback for the Cards playoff loss to Minnie in 98. At least the Cards got Larry Fitzgerald in that 2004 draft.
as an arizona sports fan, my favorite part about the announcers call at the very end is they mentioned the packers winning the nfc north before they mentioned that the cardinals won the game.
That was a bad defensive call, rush 3 tops, and CB & safety play prevent
I couldn't believe Nate Poole stopped Randy Moss from the playoffs. Being a Marshall fan and at the time a Packers fan, it's probably one of my favorite NFL moments.
This same Mcown who played vs Seattle in 2019 dang
Pro sports ARE rigged
Arizona has a lot of snowbirds, so there are many families/connections to the Midwest. It was a strangely hyped up game locally due to that. Most regular season games would have attendance between 20-30k without a big draw. The early season Packers game was 58k, mid season 49ers game (close-ish rivals) 40k, the Vikings game at the end of the year was 53k.
Poole got a key to the city of Green Bay. McCown said he would get Christmas cards from Packer fans every year.
Cardinals made a decent turn-around the next year under Green, and drafted Fitz.
It was also around this time that Bill Bidwell's sons were able to make some in-roads on business decisions within the organization, after Ferguson and Wilson left as executives.
Beating the Packers and Vikings at home in a 4-win season… Priceless.
Absolute travesty you guys didn't use Paul Allen's call. Great vid though! #GoPackGo
I hate loving this team
What a cursed franchise. It takes a lot of character to be a Vikes fan for decades.
Did you just say Boldin was drafted as the Hokies finest?
How in the universe does this not end with Paul Allen's radio call?
This is hysterical on so many levels.
#RollPack
Incomplete pass even to this day.
Oh well, Packers vs Eagles game is about to start and eliminate GB from Division contention this year. In just week 12.
Awesome herm edwards reference bro !
Hello!!!!! Haha nice !