NFC Championship: "Andersen and Anderson"

Two aging kickers with the surnames Anderson and Andersen were significant factors in the outcome of this classic NFC title game. January 17, 1999 was supposed to be a celebratory day in Vikings history. Looking to make its first Super Bowl appearance since the 1970s, Minnesota had gone 15-1 in the regular season and was an 11-point favorite at home against the Falcons. And after a Randall Cunningham touchdown pass and run and two Gary Anderson field goals made it 20-7 Vikings in the second quarter, the Metrodome crowd could sense victory. Cunningham threw another TD pass in the fourth quarter to pull ahead, 27-17, but the Falcons’ 38-year-old Morten Andersen nailed his second field goal of the half. The Vikings on their subsequent possessions punted, lost a fumble, and – with just a few minutes left – the 39-year-old Anderson, who had hit 35 of 35 field goals during the regular season, missed a 38-yard field goal attempt. With under a minute left, Falcons QB Chris Chandler threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis to force overtime. In OT, after two failed possessions by Minnesota and one by Atlanta, the Falcons’ Andersen kicked a 38-yard field goal to win the NFC Championship and crush the dreams of the Vikings faithful. ― NFL 100

Box Score: Football Reference

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