2003 Minnesota Vikings season
Encyclopedia
2003 was the 43rd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings
and the 84th regular season of the National Football League
.
The Vikings began 2003 with a fast 6-0 start. However, the Vikings ended up going 3-7 the rest of the season, missing the playoffs when a touchdown reception on 4th-and-long by Arizona Cardinals receiver Nate Poole gave the Vikings a last-second 18-17 loss in their final game. Green Bay won the division at 10-6, while the Vikings were 9-7. The following season the Cardinals hired Dennis Green as their head coach. Green had been Viking head coach from 1992 until the final week of 2001. The Vikings set a new mark for futility during the season when they lost to every 4-12 team (Giants, Chargers, Raiders, and Cardinals) during their 3-7 finish. However, the Vikings were ranked #1 in offense for the 2003 season.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the 84th regular season of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
The Vikings began 2003 with a fast 6-0 start. However, the Vikings ended up going 3-7 the rest of the season, missing the playoffs when a touchdown reception on 4th-and-long by Arizona Cardinals receiver Nate Poole gave the Vikings a last-second 18-17 loss in their final game. Green Bay won the division at 10-6, while the Vikings were 9-7. The following season the Cardinals hired Dennis Green as their head coach. Green had been Viking head coach from 1992 until the final week of 2001. The Vikings set a new mark for futility during the season when they lost to every 4-12 team (Giants, Chargers, Raiders, and Cardinals) during their 3-7 finish. However, the Vikings were ranked #1 in offense for the 2003 season.
2003 Draft
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (9) | Kevin Williams | Defensive Tackle | Oklahoma State |
| 2 | (40) | E.J. Henderson | Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Maryland University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C... |
| 3 | (71) | Nate Burleson Nate Burleson Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL... |
Wide Receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Nevada University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA... |
| 4 | (105) | Onterrio Smith Onterrio Smith Onterrio Raymond Lloyd Smith is a former professional American football Running back who played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League... |
Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Oregon University of Oregon -Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :... |
| 6 | (180) | Eddie Johnson | Punter Punter (football position) A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a... |
Idaho State Idaho State University Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls.... |
| 6 | (190) | Mike Nattiel | Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
| 7 | (221) | Keenan Howry Keenan Howry Keenan Rashaun Howry is an American football wide receiver and kick returner who currently plays for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He attended the University of Oregon and was Joey Harrington's favorite target. Howry played in the NFL for three years, with the Minnesota... |
Wide Receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Oregon University of Oregon -Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :... |
Staff
| 2003 Minnesota Vikings staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at Green Bay Packers 2003 Green Bay Packers season The 2003 Green Bay Packers season finished with an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs, after the Packers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round in overtime off an interception return for a touchdown by Al Harris... |
W 30-25 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
1 - 0 | |
| 2 | September 14 | Chicago Bears 2003 Chicago Bears season -Scoring Summary:Q1 - SF - 7:51 - Jeff Chandler 22 yd FG Q1 - SF - 3:23 - 12 yd TD pass from Jeff Garcia to Garrison Hearst Q2 - CHI - 12:05 - 3 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Desmond Clark... |
W 24-13 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
2 - 0 | |
| 3 | September 21 | at Detroit Lions 2003 Detroit Lions season The 2003 Detroit Lions season was the 74th season in franchise history.-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:***... |
W 23-13 | Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... |
3 - 0 | |
| 4 | September 28 | San Francisco 49ers 2003 San Francisco 49ers season The 49ers entered their 2003 season attempting to improve upon their 10-6 output from the previous year.-Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears:Sunday, September 7, 2003 at San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point, San Francisco, California... |
W 35-7 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
4 - 0 | |
| 5 | October 5 | at Atlanta Falcons 2003 Atlanta Falcons season The 2003 Atlanta Falcons season is best remembered for in the 3rd preseason game, the QB Michael Vick broke his leg and was done for most of the season. Atlanta had 2 other QBs take over for a combined 2-10 record. Vick returned in week 14 and ended the season with a 3-1 record.-NFL... |
W 39-26 | Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the... |
5 - 0 | |
| 6 | October 12 | Bye week | ||||
| 7 | October 19 | Denver Broncos 2003 Denver Broncos season The 2003 Denver Broncos season was the team's 44th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:* *... |
W 28-20 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
6 - 0 | |
| 8 | October 26 | New York Giants 2003 New York Giants season The 2003 New York Giants season was the team's 79th season in the National Football League. The team was unable to duplicate their 2002 season's playoff appearance, instead only winning four games and finishing the season on an eight game losing streak which cost head coach Jim Fassel his... |
L 17-29 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
6 - 1 | |
| 9 | November 2 | Green Bay Packers 2003 Green Bay Packers season The 2003 Green Bay Packers season finished with an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs, after the Packers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round in overtime off an interception return for a touchdown by Al Harris... |
L 27-30 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
6 - 2 | |
| 10 | November 9 | at San Diego Chargers 2003 San Diego Chargers season The 2003 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record in 2002. They finished the campaign 4th in their division and earned the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL draft... |
L 28-42 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
6 - 3 | |
| 11 | November 16 | at Oakland Raiders 2003 Oakland Raiders season The 2003 Oakland Raiders season was the teams's 44th in the National Football League. They were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 11–5, instead winning only four games. The team had a five game losing streak in the middle of the season, and they lost seven games by a... |
L 18-28 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 6 - 4 | |
| 12 | November 23 | Detroit Lions 2003 Detroit Lions season The 2003 Detroit Lions season was the 74th season in franchise history.-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:***... |
W 24-14 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
7 - 4 | |
| 13 | November 30 | at St. Louis Rams 2003 St. Louis Rams season The 2003 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 66th year with the National Football League and the ninth season in St. Louis. The Rams were coming off a disappointing 7-9 season and former MVP Kurt Warner was demoted to backup quarterback; Marc Bulger earned the starting job after replacing Warner... |
L 17-48 | Edward Jones Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
7 - 5 | |
| 14 | December 7 | Seattle Seahawks 2003 Seattle Seahawks season The 2003 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 28th season with the National Football League.-2003 NFL Draft:-Regular season:-Playoffs:-External links:* *... |
W 34-7 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
8 - 5 | |
| 15 | December 14 | at Chicago Bears 2003 Chicago Bears season -Scoring Summary:Q1 - SF - 7:51 - Jeff Chandler 22 yd FG Q1 - SF - 3:23 - 12 yd TD pass from Jeff Garcia to Garrison Hearst Q2 - CHI - 12:05 - 3 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Desmond Clark... |
L 10-13 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
8 - 6 | |
| 16 | December 20 | Kansas City Chiefs 2003 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2003 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 13–3 record, beginning with a nine-game winning streak—the franchise’s best start in their 40-year history. The Chiefs won the AFC West and clinched the second seed in the playoffs... |
W 45-20 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
9 - 6 | |
| 17 | December 28 | at Arizona Cardinals 2003 Arizona Cardinals season The 2003 Arizona Cardinals season was the 84th season the team was in the National Football League. The team was unable to improve upon their previous output of 5-11, instead winning only four games. For the fifth consecutive season, the team failed to reach the playoffs. This resulted in the... |
L 17-18 | Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass... |
9 - 7 | |