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Where were you on January 17, 1999? With any luck, you were parked on your couch, watching the Falcons pull off an upset win over the Vikings. That win sent them to the Super Bowl, the first Super Bowl berth in franchise history. Because the Falcons only go the Super Bowl once every 2-3 decades, that game will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Being a Falcons fan isn’t easy. But that’s not why we’re here, is it? We’ve made the inexplicable decision to support this team. And now we have to live with it. Knowing there is at least some possibility that the 2020 season won’t be able to proceed as planned, it’s time to focus on the positives. Even if the Falcons got their butts handed to them by the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII, that win over the Vikings was truly epic.
If you recall, the Vikings were a force to be reckoned with that season. They finished the regular season 15-1 and were the NFC’s number 1 seed. They were described as “unstoppable.” The Falcons came out swinging, taking an early 7-0 lead. The Vikings responded immediately with a 31-yard Randy Moss touchdown. The Falcons faced a 10 point deficit with 13 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. Mort Anderson cut that deficit to 7 points before Vikings kicker Gary Anderson missed a 39-yard attempt, his first missed FG in 2 seasons. If their Anderson knocked down the FG, it was over. But the miss gave the Falcons a chance to tie up the game and force over time. In over time, Eugene Robinson played hero, breaking up a deep pass to Moss. Ultimately Mort would knock down a 38-yard attempt and send the Falcons to the Super Bowl. Boom.
Tonight, at 6 PM eastern, the Mothership will be live streaming the game at atlantafalcons.com/1998. John Madden will be the color analyst and Pat Summerall will take care of the play-by-play. If you follow the Mothership (@atlantafalcons) on Twitter, they’ll be “live tweeting” the game as well. It’s a unique time for a variety of reasons, so if you need a little pick me up, tune in. You deserve it.