Revisionist history: December 2001 and the 0-12 Lions
Posted on December 2nd, 2008 – 11:31 AMBy Michael Rand
If you have a nagging, lingering bad feeling about Sunday’s Vikings game against the Lions, there is good reason. It’s not just that the 0-12 Lions should have won earlier this season against the Purple. It’s not just that Minnesota fans know to expect the worst when things are going well. It’s not just the history of choking in games of monumental importance or games that are imminently (and/or eminently) winnable. No, the bad feeling comes from the fact that this has happened before. We present Exhibit A from seven years ago. These are the first five paragraphs of former Star Tribune staffer Kevin Seifert’s account of what happened in Detroit:
The clock was ticking Sunday afternoon, moving with impunity toward the worst fears of two franchises. On one sideline, the possibility of botching another game was growing with each flick of a scoreboard light bulb. Embarrassment loomed across the field; the idea of losing to the winless would sit well with no one.
The Detroit Lions had lost all 12 games this season, their past nine by an average of 4.2 points, typically finding a way to cough up a presumed victory. No team has finished 0-16, however, and the Vikings merely hoped to escape before history initiated the inevitable market correction.
The outcome of Sunday’s matchup was in doubt until three seconds remained on the clock. The Lions - avoiding implosion despite a game-long litany of gaffes - stopped the Vikings about 10 yards out of range for a potential tying field goal, sealing a 27-24 victory in front of a Silverdome crowd that quickly morphed from sardonic to delirious cheers.
“You feel snakebit for a minute,” Lions kick returner Desmond Howard said. “I’m thinking, ‘Are we ever going to win a game this year?’ “
While the Lions emerged as the most relieved team ever to be 1-12, the Vikings sunk to new lows in a season of disappointments.
Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
17 Responses to "Revisionist history: December 2001 and the 0-12 Lions"
I hope this some sort of journalistic reverse psychology or something of the sort.
Desmond Howard would be the Lions 3rd best player if he was on the team today.
games that are imminently winnable
Or eminently.
Did we really need this on Tuesday? Jeez. I wasn’t planning on worrying about Lions/Vikings until Thursday or Friday. Quickly, things working against the Vikings:
1) Possible tearing down of the Williams Wall.
2) With three playoff teams [AZ, NYG, ATL) looming on the schedule, this is what prognosticators would call a trap game.
3) Daunte getting his roll on in angst-ridden, [redacted] you manner.
4) No team has gone 0-16.
5t) Gus Frerotte
5t) Brad Childress
Stu, you don’t live inside my brain. You don’t know what meaning I was going for. Now stop it!
I told friends a few weeks ago that the Lions only win would come against the Vikings, they all just laughed at me.
The problem here, is a lack of motivation. If the Vikings go out an win a game 12-10 the coach is just as happy as if they win 34-14. But that is only going to make them work just hard enough to lose on a last second field goal.
Desmond Howard IS the 3rd best player on their team, even not being on the roster.
I will take the Lions and the points.
I want to vomit just thinking about this game and how we are capable of blowing it!
On the other hand…this is 2008, not 2001. I can imagine Peterson running like Forest Gump unleashed, Allen introducing himself AD to Culpepper and letting him know, this aint his old D line, and the Vikes having a nice ride home hearing about Green Bay and Chicago getting beat! Yeah Baby!
SKOL VIKES!!!!!
The Vikings also lost to Carolina in 2001. Carolina very nearly went 1-15 as well. They accidentally won one more game that year. It would’ve been a memory for the ages to lose to two 1-15 squads in one season.
Oh ye of little faith. Is it any wonder Vikings fans are pessimists??? The “fans” of the Vikings are worse than the haters. You’re supposed to BELIEVE in your team. No other fans (besides maybe the Lions fans, I don’t know)kvetch and piss and moan about their team more than Vikings fans do. It is so far beyond been there done that it is almost laughable; it would be if it weren’t so draining. It’s almost like some fans would RATHER the team lose so they can say “I told you so.” They aren’t happy unless they’re miserable.
We lost that game for one reason and one reason only: Spergon Wynn
jimicos is incorrect–it was the Lions that won a second game in 2001, a week 17 victory over Dallas. The Panthers beat the Vikings, and went on to lose their next 15 games.
Todd Bouman was our QB in the Lions game, not Wynn. Wynn started the final 3 games of the the season, but did not play against the Lions.
And do not confuse 2001 with 2003–the year we went 9-7, but managed to lose to all four of the teams that finished 4-12 (the worst record in the NFL that year)–including a certain season ending loss to Arizona… NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lattewarrior: I believe that Tampa bay had an 0- 16 year. Relax people who cares if they lose
amen DE!- Either you support this team or you don’t-pretty simple.- for all the all the pathetic whiners out there that say were done, go east of the border and stay there. You can’t overstate the loss of 2 all pro’s but their back up’s collect a pay check as well.
Jimicos, Carolina DID go 1-15 in 2001. That opening game was the only game they won all year
