Vikings 1998 Record Without Cunningham As Starter: 3-0

Vikings 1998 Record With Cunningham As Starter: 14-1

Cunningham was selected by the Eagles in the 1985 draft and played in Philadelphia until he retired in 1995. He took a break from playing in 1996 and worked as a NFL analyst for TNT. But he came back to football in 1997 as a backup to Brad Johnson with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings offense was rolling behind Johnson. They scored 31 in their opener and 38 in Week 2. But late in the game, Johnson broke his leg and Cunningham had to take over. The Vikings didn’t lose a step with their new QB at the helm. The Vikings became the most potent offense in NFL history, scoring 556 points during the regular season, a mark that has since been eclipsed by the 2007 Patriots, who scored 589 points. Cunningham threw for 3,704 yards and 34 TDs, half of which were hauled in by Moss. In the playoffs, they took care of the Cardinals, 41-21, before falling to the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.

The Vikings led with just 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter and Gary Anderson, who had been perfect all season, missed a 38-yard field goal that would have put the game away. The Falcons tied the game and forced overtime. After a Vikings three-and-out, the Falcons hit a 38-yard field goal to win the game. The Vikings were the first 15-1 team to not make the Super Bowl.

Because of Cunningham’s play, the Vikings traded Johnson to the Redskins but Cunningham struggled in 1999. The Vikings started 2-4 and Cunningham had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. He was benched in favor of Jeff George who, although didn’t make our list, did a great job as a backup. George went 8-2 as the Vikings earned a playoff spot.