2003 was the 43rd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 84th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings began 2003 with a fast 6-0 start. However, the Vikings ended up going 3-7 the rest of the season, missing the playoffs when a touchdown reception on 4th-and-long by Arizona Cardinals receiver Nate Poole gave the Vikings a last-second 18-17 loss in their final game. Green Bay won the division at 10-6, while the Vikings were 9-7. The following season the Cardinals hired Dennis Green as their head coach. Green had been Viking head coach from 1992 until the final week of 2001. The Vikings set a new mark for futility during the season when they lost to every 4-12 team (Giants, Chargers, Raiders, and Cardinals) during their 3-7 finish. However, the Vikings were