The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2004-05 playoffs as a Wild Card round underdog at Green Bay, thanks to the Packers beating the Vikings on Christmas Eve at the Metrodome to win the NFC North.
The Vikings started that season 5-1 before going 3-7 the rest of the way, including that loss to Green Bay. Despite an 8-8 record, the purple earned a Wild Card berth and with it, a trip to Lambeau Field.
The Packers to this point had lost just one home playoff game in team history, a 2003 setback to the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay entered the game as six point favorites.
VIKINGS SURGE EARLY AGAINST PACKERS
In chilly game played under the lights in front of over 71,000 fans, the Vikings took the ball on the opening kickoff and watched Moe Williams sprint 68 yards down the field for an early touchdown.
After a Packers punt, the Vikings stunned the Lambeau crowd with another quick touchdown, this time Randy Moss hauling in a 20-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper to make the score 14-0.
The Vikings’ defense forced another Packer punt before the offense put more points on the board in the form of a Morten Andersen field goal for a 17-0 lead.
The Packers cut the lead to 17-10 by the beginning of the second quarter but Minnesota answered with a Nate Burleson touchdown reception to make the score 24-10. The teams traded possessions until the fourth quarter when Green Bay scored to get within a touchdown at 24-17.
A DISGUSTING ACT
With 10:26 left in the fourth quarter, Culpepper floated a pass down the sideline for an open Moss, who hauled it in for a 34-yard score that gave the Vikings a 31-17 lead. After catching the pass, Moss sprinted to the goal post, pretended to moon the crowd and then wiped his bottom on the padding under the crossbar.
Joe Buck was BESIDE HIMSELF, but the other announcers didn’t seem to think it was a big deal.
“That is a DISGUSTING act by Randy Moss,” Joe Buck said. “And it is UNFORTUNATE that we had that on our air live… that is DISGUSTING by Randy Moss.”
Neither Troy Aikman or Cris Collinsworth seemed to care, with Aikman responding “Let’s get back to the play,” before moving into his analysis. Buck would go on to send the broadcast into a commercial break by saying ‘Randy Moss gets the touchdown and does a classless act after…’
The Vikings would go on to get stomped by Philadelphia in the Divisional round of the playoffs the next week.
Years later, Buck went on the Colin Cowherd show to explain the call.
Celebrating Harrison Smith’s Career with the Vikings.
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Gallery Credit: Paul Habstritt
