1. 1998 Minnesota Vikings (15-1, 1-1)

Minnesota put on an intense display of offensive fireworks, scoring an NFL-record 556 points. Then the Vikings ran up against a determined Atlanta squad in the NFC Championship Game. Randall Cunningham enjoyed the best season of his career, with a 106.0 passer rating, and Robert Smith racked up 1,478 yards from scrimmage. Cris Carter and Randy Moss teamed up for 2,324 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns. The Vikings’ only regular-season loss was by a field goal on the road. Few in football circles gave the Falcons, 11-point underdogs, much of a chance. But who could have anticipated Atlanta’s Chris Chandler throwing for 340 yards and three touchdowns? And as any Vikings fan will tell you, the backbreaker was Gary Anderson’s 38-yard missed field goal attempt with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter. Anderson had been perfect on 37 previous tries that season, but he missed with the season on the line, and Minnesota lost in overtime. So unexpected was Atlanta’s victory that The Miami Herald announced “Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings” across the top of an early edition of its Sunday paper.

Source: ESPN.com