If there's one thing Minnesota Vikings fans have been able to count on through the decades, it's playoff football. The Vikings have made 25 post-season appearances since 1968 when they claimed the first of their 17 division titles, and competed in four Super Bowls. Fans knew there was something special about this franchise when the Vikings upset Chicago 37-13 in 1961 at Metropolitan Stadium in their first NFL game. Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to pass for four touchdowns in the game that jump-started this new team. Minnesota enjoyed its first winning season in 1964 (8-5-1), captured the Western Conference's Central Division in 1968 and enjoyed a 12-game winning streak in 1969 on the way to an NFL championship and its first Super Bowl berth. In 1971, Alan Page became the first defensive player named the league's MVP, and four years later Tarkenton earned the same award. Following the 1976 season, the Vikings advanced to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years, all under head coach Bud Grant. Claiming the division crown for the sixth consecutive year and 10th time in 11 seasons in 1978, Minnesota captured another division crown in 1980, then moved into the Metrodome in 1982. Tarkenton and Page were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and 1988, respectively. The 1998 club under coach Dennis Green established a franchise record with 15 wins, but a devastating overtime loss to Atlanta in the NFC championship contest ended the dream season. The Vikings came back to win the division in 2000, advancing to the conference title game for the second time in three years. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper set an NFL record in 2004 by amassing 5,123 total yards and threw a team-record 39 TD passes. In 2008, Adrian Peterson rushed for an NFL-high 1,760 yards to lead Minnesota to its 17th division crown.
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