- Randy Moss scored a 34-yard touchdown in the 2005 Wild Card game at Lambeau Field and celebrated by wiping his bottom on the goalpost padding.
- The Minnesota Vikings jumped to an early lead, beating the Green Bay Packers 31-17 in that Wild Card upset (2004 season playoffs).
- Announcer Joe Buck blasted Moss’ celebration live as “disgusting,” while other analysts moved quickly back into game analysis.
- The victory sent Minnesota to the Divisional Round, where the Vikings fell to Philadelphia the following week.
Early surge: Vikings stun Lambeau
The Wild Card meeting between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers (2004 season, played in January 2005) began in dramatic fashion. On the opening kickoff Moe Williams took a return 68 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone in front of more than 71,000 fans at Lambeau Field.
After a Packers punt, Daunte Culpepper hit Randy Moss for a 20-yard touchdown that put the underdog Vikings up 14-0. Minnesota’s special teams and defense continued to sap Green Bay’s momentum, and a Morten Andersen field goal made it 17-0 early.
Despite a late comeback attempt by the Packers, the Vikings kept control through big plays from Culpepper and his receiving corps, turning a surprise Wild Card berth into a convincing road win.
The controversial celebration
With 10:26 left in the fourth quarter Culpepper connected with Moss on a 34-yard scoring pass that extended Minnesota’s lead to 31-17. After crossing the goal line, Moss sprinted to the goal-post padding, pretended to moon the crowd and then wiped his bottom on the padding beneath the crossbar.
The act ignited immediate reaction. Fox play-by-play voice Joe Buck called it “a DISGUSTING act by Randy Moss,” saying he regretted airing the celebration live. Color commentators Troy Aikman and Cris Collinsworth quickly returned to game details and analysis, drawing a contrast in how the broadcast team handled the moment.
Moss’ celebration drew criticism for its provocative and unsportsmanlike nature. It became one of the more infamous post-touchdown gestures in early-2000s NFL playoff lore and remains a frequent clip in retrospectives about Moss’ fiery personality on the field.
Aftermath and legacy
Minnesota’s victory, capped by Moss’ touchdown, sent the Vikings to the Divisional Round, where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles the following week. The game at Lambeau stands out in Vikings-Packers history for the surprise road win and for the spectacle created by Moss.
Beyond the single game, the episode underscores Randy Moss’ complex legacy: a transcendent playmaker whose on-field antics often sparked debate. For Packers fans, it’s a sore memory; for Vikings fans, it’s a highlight of an underdog playoff triumph — controversy included.
Feature image credit: Getty Images (as cited in original coverage).
Image Referance: https://kdhlradio.com/ixp/70/p/nfl-playoff-memories-minnesota/
