1973 Minnesota Vikings season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Minnesota Vikings 1973 12–2 1st NFC Central Bud Grant Jim Finks Metropolitan Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Redskins) 27–20Won NFC Championship(at Cowboys) 27–10Lost Super Bowl VIII(vs. Dolphins) 7–24 DT Alan PageT Ron YaryDE Carl EllerWR John GilliamS Paul KrauseLB Jeff SiemonFB Chuck Foreman DE Carl Eller (1st team)DT Alan Page (1st team)T Ron Yary (1st team) File:Vikings1970-74.png Vikings seasons The 1973 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 13th in the National Football League (NFL). With a 12–2 record, the Vikings regained the NFC Central title after having gone 7–7 the previous year. They started the season 9–0 and looked a threat to the previous year's Miami Dolphins' record of a perfect season before losing to the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals in their next three games. Their narrow 10–9 win over the Los Angeles Rams constituted the last time until 1997 that the last two unbeaten NFL teams played each other.http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=3190 Last Undefeated NFL teams by Year December 26, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130117230829/http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=3190 January 17, 2013 dead The Vikings defeated the Washington Redskins 27–20 in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at home and went on to upset the Dallas Cowboys 27–10 in Irving, Texas to win the NFC Championship, before losing 24–7 to the Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII at Rice Stadium in Houston. 3 Offseason 1973 draft 1973 NFL draft Pro Bowler + 1973 Minnesota Vikings draft selections Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 12 Chuck Foreman Running back Miami (FL) 2 34 Jackie Wallace Cornerback Arizona From CardinalsCardinals The Vikings traded QB Gary Cuozzo to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for second- and fourth-round selections (34th and 89th overall), and WR John Gilliam. 40 Traded to the New York GiantsThe Vikings traded a second-round selection (40th overall), a 1972 first-round selection (24th overall), QB Norm Snead, WR Bob Grim and RB Vince Clements to the New York Giants in exchange for QB Fran Tarkenton. 3 65 Jim Lash Wide receiver Northwestern 4 80 Mike Wells Quarterback Illinois From EaglesThe Vikings traded QB Bill Cappleman to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fourth-round selection (80th overall). 89 Traded to the Kansas City ChiefsThe Vikings traded a fourth-round selection (89th overall) to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for P Mike Eischeid. From VikingsThe Vikings traded a fourth-round selection (89th overall), LB Mike McGill and DB Dale Hackbart to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for TE Bob Brown and CB Nate Wright. via CardinalsCardinals 5 118 Brent McClanahan Running back Arizona State 6 139 Doug Kingsriter Tight end Minnesota From SaintsThe Vikings traded TE Bob Brown to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a sixth-round selection (139th overall) and a 1974 fourth-round selection (86th overall). 143 Fred Abbott Linebacker Florida 7 168 Josh Brown Running back Southwest Texas State 8 196 Craig Darling Offensive tackle Iowa 9 221 Larry Dibbles Defensive end New Mexico 10 236 Randy Lee Defensive back Tulane From EaglesThe Vikings traded LB Bill Cody to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 10th-round selection (236th overall). 246 Dave Mason Defensive back Nebraska 11 274 Geary Murdock Guard Iowa State 12 299 Alan Spencer Wide receiver Pittsburg State 13 324 Ron Just Guard Minot State 14 352 Eddie Bishop Defensive back Southern 15 377 Tony Chandler Running back Missouri Valley 16 402 Larry Smiley Defensive end Texas Southern 17 429 Dave Winfield Tight end Minnesota Did not play college footballFollowing college, Winfield was drafted by four teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres selected him as an outfielder with the fourth overall pick in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft. In basketball, both the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA) drafted him. Although he never played college football, the Vikings selected Winfield in the 17th round of the NFL draft. As of 2024, he is one of three players ever to be drafted by three professional sports (the others being Dave Logan and Mickey McCarty).The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks Baseball Club – "Home of Midnight Sun Baseball" Notes Undrafted free agents + 1973 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeGary ZaunerPunterWisconsin–La Crosse Roster 1973 Minnesota Vikings 17 Bob Berry American football 10 Fran Tarkenton 30 Bill Brown American football 44 Chuck Foreman y 49 Ed Marinaro 41 Dave Osborn 32 Oscar Reed 84 Carroll Dale 42 John Gilliam 82 Jim Lash y 85 Gary Ballman 83 Stu Voigt 67 Grady Alderman T 66 Frank Gallagher American football G 68 Charlie Goodrum T 64 Milt Sunde G 53 Mick Tingelhoff C 62 Ed White American football G 73 Ron Yary T 51 Godfrey Zaunbrecher C 81 Carl Eller DE 77 Gary Larsen DT 75 Bob Lurtsema DE/DT 70 Jim Marshall defensive end DE 88 Alan Page DT 69 Doug Sutherland American football DT 58 Wally Hilgenberg OLB 55 Amos Martin OLB 52 Ron Porter MLB 50 Jeff Siemon MLB 60 Roy Winston OLB 24 Terry Brown American football FS 20 Bobby Bryant CB 22 Paul Krause FS 34 Al Randolph SS 40 Charlie West CB American football 23 Jeff Wright defensive back SS 43 Nate Wright CB 14 Fred Cox K 11 Mike Eischeid P 29 Karl Kassulke S IR 72 John Ward American football, born 1948 G IR 86 Rhett Dawson WR 89 Doug Kingsriter y TE 65 Steve Lawson American football G 33 Brent McClanahan y RB 74 Larry Smiley y no DE 25 Jackie Wallace CB y 15 Mike Wells quarterback y QB Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendancehttps://www.profootballarchives.com/1973nflmin.html 1973 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives 1 August 11 Pittsburgh Steelers W 10–6 1–0 Metropolitan Stadium 46,619 2 August 18 at Kansas City Chiefs W 13–10 2–0 Arrowhead Stadium 72,676 3 August 25 at Oakland Raiders W 34–10 3–0 Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, CA) 57,515 4 August 31 Miami Dolphins W 20–17 4–0 Metropolitan Stadium 46,619 5 September 8 at San Diego Chargers W 24–16 5–0 San Diego Stadium 42,007 Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 16 Oakland Raiders W 24–16 1–0 Metropolitan Stadium 44,818 2 September 23 at Chicago Bears W 22–13 2–0 Soldier Field 52,035 3 September 30 Green Bay Packers W 11–3 3–0 Metropolitan Stadium 48,176 4 October 7 at Detroit Lions W 23–9 4–0 Tiger Stadium 49,549 5 October 14 at San Francisco 49ers W 17–13 5–0 Candlestick Park 56,438 6 October 21 Philadelphia Eagles W 28–21 6–0 Metropolitan Stadium 47,478 7 October 28 Los Angeles Rams W 10–9 7–0 Metropolitan Stadium 47,787 8 November 4 Cleveland Browns W 26–3 8–0 Metropolitan Stadium 46,722 9 November 11 Detroit Lions W 28–7 9–0 Metropolitan Stadium 47,911 10 November 19 Monday at Atlanta Falcons L 14–20 9–1 Atlanta Stadium 56,519 11 November 25 Chicago Bears W 31–13 10–1 Metropolitan Stadium 46,430 12 December 2 at Cincinnati Bengals L 0–27 10–2 Riverfront Stadium 57,859 13 December 8 Saturday at Green Bay Packers W 31–7 11–2 Lambeau Field 53,830 14 December 16 at New York Giants W 31–7 12–2 Yale Bowl 70,041 Notes Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 16 1:00 p.m. CDT Raiders 0 13 3 0 Vikings 10 0 7 7 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 44,818 50 F C Tommy Bell1973 Minnesota Vikings highlight film Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Fred Cox 22-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. MIN – John Gilliam 43-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–0. Second quarter OAK – George Blanda 16-yard field goal. Vikings 10–3. OAK – George Blanda 25-yard field goal. Vikings 10–6. OAK – George Atkinson 63-yard punt return (George Blanda kick). Raiders 13–10. Third quarter OAK – George Blanda 9-yard field goal. Raiders 16–10. MIN – Chuck Foreman 9-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–16. Fourth quarter MIN – Bill Brown 6-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 24–16. Top passers OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 13/30, 183 yards, 2 INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 13/31, 187 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers OAK – Clarence Davis – 12 rushes, 73 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 6 rushes, 27 yards Top receivers OAK – Mike Siani – 6 receptions, 111 yards MIN – John Gilliam – 4 receptions, 90 yards, TD Week 2: at Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary September 23 1:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 13 0 9 Bears 7 3 0 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 52,035 61 F C Jim Tunney1973 Minnesota Vikings highlight film Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter CHI – Bobby Douglass 1-yard run (Mac Percival kick). Bears 7–0. Second quarter CHI – Mac Percival 31-yard field goal. Bears 10–0. MIN – Fred Cox 41-yard field goal. Bears 10–3. MIN – John Beasley 3-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Tied 10–10. MIN – Fred Cox 25-yard field goal. Vikings 13–10. Third quarter None. Fourth quarter MIN – Fred Cox 14-yard field goal. Vikings 16–10. MIN – Fred Cox 11-yard field goal. Vikings 19–10. CHI – Mac Percival 12-yard field goal. Vikings 19–13. MIN – Fred Cox 35-yard field goal. Vikings 22–13. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 12/18, 189 yards, TD CHI – Bobby Douglass – 10/19, 184 yards Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 16 rushes, 116 yards CHI – Carl Garrett – 25 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers MIN – Carroll Dale – 2 receptions, 53 yards CHI – Craig Cotton – 3 receptions, 88 yards Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 30 1:00 p.m. CDT Packers 0 3 0 0 Vikings 0 5 3 3 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 48,176 56 F C Fred Silva Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter None. Second quarter GB – Chester Marcol 42-yard field goal. Packers 3–0. MIN – MacArthur Lane tackled in end zone for a safety. Packers 3–2. MIN – Fred Cox 22-yard field goal. Vikings 5–3. Third quarter MIN – Fred Cox 13-yard field goal. Vikings 8–3. Fourth quarter MIN – Fred Cox 14-yard field goal. Vikings 11–3. Top passers GB – Scott Hunter – 3/6, 44 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 12/16, 109 yards Top rushers GB – John Brockington – 14 rushes, 58 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 16 rushes, 89 yards Top receivers GB – MacArthur Lane – 3 receptions, 36 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 5 receptions, 62 yards Week 4: at Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary October 7 3:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 14 6 0 3 Lions 3 3 3 0 Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan 49,549 61 F C Bob Frederic Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Ed Marinaro 12-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. MIN – Ed Marinaro 8-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–0. DET – Errol Mann 37-yard field goal. Vikings 14–3. Second quarter DET – Errol Mann 15-yard field goal. Vikings 14–6. MIN – Fred Cox 38-yard field goal. Vikings 17–6. MIN – Fred Cox 37-yard field goal. Vikings 20–6. Third quarter DET – Errol Mann 33-yard field goal. Vikings 20–9. Fourth quarter MIN – Fred Cox 27-yard field goal. Vikings 23–9. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 17/24, 199 yards, 2 TD DET – Greg Landry – 14/24, 110 yards Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 16 rushes, 114 yards DET – Mel Farr – 11 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 5 receptions, 79 yards DET – Mel Farr – 11 receptions, 85 yards Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary October 14 3:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 7 7 0 3 49ers 3 3 7 0 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 56,438 64 F C Norm Schachter Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – John Gilliam 12-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. SF – Bruce Gossett 28-yard field goal. Vikings 7–3. Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–3. SF – Bruce Gossett 41-yard field goal. Vikings 14–6. Third quarter SF – Ken Willard 7-yard pass from Steve Spurrier (Bruce Gossett kick). Vikings 14–13. Fourth quarter MIN – Fred Cox 22-yard field goal. Vikings 17–13. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 10/22, 136 yards, TD SF – Steve Spurrier – 31/48, 320 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 22 rushes, 71 yards, TD SF – Ken Willard – 10 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD SF – Gene Washington – 8 receptions, 118 yards Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 21 1:00 p.m. CDT Eagles 0 7 7 7 Vikings 7 7 7 7 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,478 54 F C Jack Reader Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – John Gilliam 44-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. Second quarter MIN – Oscar Reed 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–0. PHI – Po James 12-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick). Vikings 14–7. Third quarter MIN – John Gilliam 24-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 21–7. PHI – Lee Bouggess 2-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick). Vikings 21–14. Fourth quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 5-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 28–14. PHI – Charle Young 17-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick). Vikings 28–21. Top passers PHI – Roman Gabriel – 23/32, 201 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 16/21, 202 yards, TD Top rushers PHI – Po James – 11 rushes, 78 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 21 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers PHI – Charle Young – 6 receptions, 86 yards MIN – John Gilliam – 6 receptions, 116 yards, TD Week 7: vs. Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 28 1:00 p.m. CST Rams 0 3 3 3 Vikings 3 7 0 0 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,787 41 F C Ben Dreith Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Fred Cox 15-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 9-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–0. LA – David Ray 30-yard field goal. Vikings 10–3. Third quarter LA – David Ray 35-yard field goal. Vikings 10–6. Fourth quarter LA – David Ray 47-yard field goal. Vikings 10–9. Top passers LA – John Hadl – 10/20, 87 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 8/16, 91 yards, TD Top rushers LA – Larry Smith – 16 rushes, 63 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 23 rushes, 86 yards Top receivers LA – Jim Bertelsen – 4 receptions, 41 yards MIN – Stu Voigt – 3 receptions, 40 yards Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 4 1:00 p.m. CST Browns 3 0 0 0 Vikings 3 6 7 10 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 46,722 27 F C Dick Jorgensen Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 27-yard field goal. Browns 3–0. MIN – Fred Cox 16-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Second quarter MIN – Fred Cox 23-yard field goal. Vikings 6–3. MIN – Fred Cox 33-yard field goal. Vikings 9–3. Third quarter MIN – Oscar Reed 3-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 16–3. Fourth quarter MIN – Stu Voigt 7-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 23–3. MIN – Fred Cox 41-yard field goal. Vikings 26–3. Top passers CLE – Mike Phipps – 10/20, 82 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 13/22, 166 yards, TD Top rushers CLE – Ken Brown – 7 rushes, 25 yards MIN – Oscar Reed – 22 rushes, 79 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Frank Pitts – 4 receptions, 36 yards MIN – Ed Marinaro – 6 receptions, 65 yards Week 9: vs. Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 11 1:00 p.m. CST Lions 7 0 0 0 Vikings 7 7 14 0 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,911 39 F C Tommy Bell Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter DET – Ron Jessie 33-yard pass from Bill Munson (Jim O'Brien kick). Lions 7–0. MIN – Bill Brown 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Tied 7–7. Second quarter MIN – Wally Hilgenberg 2-yard fumble return (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–7. Third quarter MIN – Ed Marinaro 7-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 21–7. MIN – John Gilliam 33-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 28–7. Fourth quarter None. Top passers DET – Bill Munson – 16/34, 152 yards, TD MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 11/15, 177 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Altie Taylor – 9 rushes, 49 yards MIN – Bill Brown – 19 rushes, 101 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Ron Jessie – 5 receptions, 71 yards, TD MIN – John Gilliam – 5 receptions, 129 yards, TD Week 10: at Atlanta Falcons Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary Monday, November 19 8:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 7 0 7 Falcons 0 17 3 0 Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia 56,519 57 F C Fred Swearingen Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter None. Second quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 25-yard field goal. Falcons 3–0. MIN – John Gilliam 39-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–3. ATL – Dave Hampton 19-yard pass from Bob Lee (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Falcons 10–7. ATL – Eddie Ray 39-yard pass from Bob Lee (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Falcons 17–7. Third quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 49-yard field goal. Falcons 20–7. Fourth quarter MIN – Bill Brown 2-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 20–14. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 17/30, 214 yards, 2 TD ATL – Bob Lee – 11/23, 171 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 9 rushes, 38 yards ATL – Dave Hampton – 23 rushes, 108 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 4 receptions, 97 yards, TD ATL – Dave Hampton – 3 receptions, 55 yards, TD Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 25 1:00 p.m. CST Bears 3 0 3 7 Vikings 3 7 14 7 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 46,430 36 F C Fred Wyant Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Fred Cox 41-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. CHI – Mirro Roder 43-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 2-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–3. Third quarter CHI – Mirro Roder 24-yard field goal. Vikings 10–6. MIN – John Gilliam 54-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–6. MIN – Fran Tarkenton 8-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 24–6. Fourth quarter MIN – John Gilliam 30-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 31–6. CHI – Earl Thomas 29-yard pass from Gary Huff (Mirro Roder kick). Vikings 31–13. Top passers CHI – Gary Huff – 6/8, 65 yards, TD MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 11/15, 161 yards, TD Top rushers CHI – Joe Moore – 24 rushes, 75 yards MIN – Oscar Reed – 12 rushes, 97 yards Top receivers CHI – Earl Thomas – 3 receptions, 43 yards, TD MIN – John Gilliam – 5 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD The day of this game was declared "Karl Kassulke Day" in honor of former Viking safety Karl Kassulke, who was left paralyzed in a motorcycle accident just before the beginning of training camp. Kassulke, using a wheelchair, attended the game and shook hands with the players on the field at halftime.Karl's Day https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FLNPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-AUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2833%2C5824531 November 12, 2022 Ocala Star-Banner November 26, 1973 16 Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary December 2 1:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 0 0 0 Bengals 0 10 10 7 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 57,859 42 F C Pat Haggerty Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter None. Second quarter CIN – Horst Muhlmann 22-yard field goal. Bengals 3–0. CIN – Lemar Parrish 23-yard fumble return (Horst Muhlmann kick). Bengals 10–0. Third quarter CIN – Essex Johnson 40-yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick). Bengals 17–0. CIN – Horst Muhlmann 38-yard field goal. Bengals 20–0. Fourth quarter CIN – Bob Trumpy 7-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Horst Muhlmann kick). Bengals 27–0. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 11/18, 73 yards CIN – Ken Anderson – 12/17, 105 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 11 rushes, 38 yards CIN – Essex Johnson – 9 rushes, 79 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Oscar Reed – 5 receptions, 30 yards CIN – Bob Trumpy – 4 receptions, 37 yards, TD This was the Vikings' first shutout loss since 1962 and the first shutout loss on the road in their history. Week 13: at Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary December 8 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 14 14 3 0 Packers 0 0 0 7 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 53,830 26 F C Norm Schachter Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Stu Voigt 21-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. MIN – Bobby Bryant 46-yard interception return (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–0. Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 50-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 21–0. MIN – John Gilliam 20-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 28–0. Third quarter MIN – Fred Cox 15-yard field goal. Vikings 31–0. Fourth quarter GB – Barry Smith 17-yard pass from Jim Del Gaizo (Chester Marcol kick). Vikings 31–7. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 8/12, 79 yards, 2 TD GB – Jerry Tagge – 10/25, 98 yards Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 19 rushes, 100 yards, TD GB – John Brockington – 27 rushes, 124 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 2 receptions, 33 yards, TD GB – Barry Smith – 4 receptions, 55 yards, TD Week 14: at New York Giants Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants – Game summary December 16 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 7 10 0 14 Giants 0 0 0 7 Yale Bowl, New Haven, Connecticut 70,041 30 F C John McDonough Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Oscar Reed 9-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. Second quarter MIN – Fred Cox 22-yard field goal. Vikings 10–0. MIN – Terry Brown 63-yard interception return (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–0. Third quarter None. Fourth quarter MIN – Bill Brown 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 24–0. NYG – Ron Johnson 16-yard pass from Randy Johnson (Pete Gogolak kick). Vikings 24–7. MIN – Ed Marinaro 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 31–7. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 10/14, 130 yards NYG – Randy Johnson – 5/13, 89 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Dave Osborn – 9 rushes, 72 yards NYG – Ron Johnson – 23 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 2 receptions, 28 yards NYG – Bob Grim – 2 receptions, 54 yards Standings Playoffs Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Divisional December 22, 1973 Saturday Washington Redskins W 27–20 1–0 Metropolitan Stadium 45,475 Conference December 30, 1973 at Dallas Cowboys W 27–10 2–0 Texas Stadium 60,272 Super Bowl VIII January 13, 1974 Miami Dolphins L 7–24 2–1 Rice Stadium 71,882 Game summaries NFC Divisional Playoff: vs. Washington Redskins Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Divisional Playoff: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 22 1:00 p.m. 19 F C Jim Tunney CBS Wayne Walker, Tommy Mason, Jack Whitaker, Bruce Roberts (field) Pro-Football-Reference.com Redskins 0 7 3 10 Vikings 0 3 7 17 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota First quarter None. Second quarter MIN – Fred Cox 19-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. WAS – Larry Brown 3-yard run (Curt Knight kick). Redskins 7–3. Third quarter MIN – Bill Brown 2-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–7. WAS – Curt Knight 52-yard field goal. Tied 10–10. Fourth quarter WAS – Curt Knight 42-yard field goal. Redskins 13–10. MIN – John Gilliam 28-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–13. MIN – John Gilliam 6-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 24–13. WAS – Roy Jefferson 28-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick). Vikings 24–20. MIN – Fred Cox 30-yard field goal. Vikings 27–20. Top passers WAS – Billy Kilmer – 13/24, 159 yards, TD MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 16/28, 222 yards, 2 TD Top rushers WAS – Larry Brown – 29 rushes, 115 yards, TD MIN – Oscar Reed – 17 rushes, 95 yards Top receivers WAS – Roy Jefferson – 6 receptions, 84 yards, TD MIN – Oscar Reed – 5 receptions, 76 yards Minnesota scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 13–10 deficit, including two touchdowns in a span of 1:05. Both offenses struggled in the first quarter. The Vikings were completely unable to move the ball, finishing the quarter without any first downs, while Washington kicker Curt Knight missed two field goal attempts. One miss was from 49 yards and the other from 17, spoiling an impressive drive that saw the Redskins drive from their own 14 to inside the Vikings 10-yard line. Minnesota finally managed to get rolling in the second quarter, with a 50-yard completion from Tarkenton to running back Oscar Reed setting up Fred Cox's 19-yard field goal. But with 3:30 left in the half, Vikings defensive back Bobby Bryant fumbled a punt return that was recovered by Redskins running back Bob Brunet on the Minnesota 21-yard line. Billy Kilmer then completed a 17-yard pass to Charley Taylor before Larry Brown scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Redskins a 7–3 lead. Minnesota responded with a drive into field goal range, but Mike Bass intercepted a pass from Tarkenton to maintain Washington's lead going into halftime. The Vikings then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 79 yards, including a 46-yard run by Reed, to score on fullback Bill Brown's 2-yard rushing touchdown. To make matters worse for Washington, star cornerback Pat Fischer suffered cracked ribs on the drive and was replaced by Speedy Duncan, an 11-year veteran who normally only played as a kick returner. Still, the Redskins managed to take back the lead with Knight's two third-quarter field goals, first tying a playoff record from 52 yards, and the second from 46 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter.https://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2015/12/1973-vikings-defeat-redskins-in-nfc.html Today in Pro Football History: 1973: Vikings Defeat Redskins in NFC Divisional Playoff Game 22 December 2015 Now facing a 13–10 fourth-quarter deficit, the Vikings stormed back with two quick touchdowns. First they drove 71 yards in 8 plays to score on Tarkenton's pass to John Gilliam, who beat single coverage by Duncan for a 28-yard touchdown catch. Then on the first play of Washington's ensuing drive, Nate Wright intercepted a pass from Kilmer and returned it 26 yards to the Redskins 8-yard line, setting up a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tarkenton to Gilliam that made the score 24–13. With 5:28 left, Washington got back to within four points, getting good field position due to Ken Stone blocking a Vikings punt and converting it into Kilmer's 28-yard touchdown pass to Roy Jefferson. But the Vikings managed to burn up 4 minutes with their ensuing drive, finishing it off with a 30-yard Cox field goal that gave them a 27–20 lead. The Redskins had less than two minutes to drive for a tying touchdown, and ended up turning the ball over on downs at the Vikings 42-yard line. Tarkenton completed 16/28 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Reed had 17 carries for 95 yards and caught four passes for 76. Brown rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 13 yards. "Sometimes they’re not concentrating on me," said Oscar Reed, in reference to his big plays in the game. "Since early in the season they've been keying on Chuck Foreman. I'm not the world's greatest pass catcher or runner, but given a little room, I'll use what I've got."https://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2015/12/1973-vikings-defeat-redskins-in-nfc.html Today in Pro Football History: 1973: Vikings Defeat Redskins in NFC Divisional Playoff Game 22 December 2015 NFC Championship Game: at Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Championship Game: Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary December 30 1:00 p.m. 48 F C Norm Schachter CBS Pro-Football-Reference.com Vikings 3 7 7 10 Cowboys 0 0 10 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas First quarter MIN – Fred Cox 44-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 5-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–0. Third quarter DAL – Golden Richards 63-yard punt return (Toni Fritsch kick). Vikings 10–7. MIN – John Gilliam 54-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–7. DAL – Toni Fritsch 17-yard field goal. Vikings 17–10. Fourth quarter MIN – Bobby Bryant 63-yard interception return (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 24–10. MIN – Fred Cox 34-yard field goal. Vikings 27–10. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 10/21, 133 yards, TD DAL – Roger Staubach – 10/21, 89 yards Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 19 rushes, 76 yards, TD DAL – Robert Newhouse – 14 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 2 receptions, 63 yards, TD DAL – Bob Hayes – 2 receptions, 25 yards The Vikings forced four interceptions and recovered two fumbles in the second half while also holding Dallas to 152 total yards en route to a 27–10 victory over the Cowboys. With the loss of running back Calvin Hill and defensive tackle Bob Lilly to injuries, Dallas' offense could not get anything going. Minnesota jumped to a 10–0 lead by halftime with a Fred Cox field goal and an 86-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Chuck Foreman. The touchdown drive included Fran Tarkenton's completions to tight end Stu Voigt for gains of 16 and 7 yards, a 2-yard run by Foreman on 4th-and-1, and a 12-yard scramble by Tarkenton himself. What followed would be an amazingly sloppy second half in which both teams combined for 10 turnovers. Three minutes into the third quarter, Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach threw an interception to Bobby Bryant on the Vikings 2-yard line. But the Cowboys defense forced a punt and Golden Richards returned it 63 yards for a touchdown, cutting the score to 10–7. Tarkenton quickly struck back, throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam, who managed to outrun single coverage by Cowboys future Hall of Fame defensive back Mel Renfro. Dallas responded with Toni Fritsch's 17-yard field goal which cut the lead to 17–10. Then a wave of turnovers began. On the ensuing possession, Dallas got a huge opportunity to score when Charlie Waters forced a fumble from Foreman that safety Cliff Harris recovered on the Minnesota 37. However, the Vikings took the ball right back when Staubach threw a pass that was deflected into the arms of linebacker Jeff Siemon. An even better scoring chance awaited the Cowboys at the end of the Vikings' next drive, as Tarkenton threw an interception to Waters on the Minnesota 24. But Dallas fared no better this time, losing the ball again when Jim Marshall knocked it out of Staubach's hand as he wound up for a pass, and defensive lineman Gary Larsen recovered it. The offensive futility continued with Minnesota, as their next drive ended with a fumbled handoff exchange between Tarkenton and Foreman that Dallas lineman Larry Cole recovered on the Vikings 47-yard line. A few plays later, Dallas faced 3rd-and-3 with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Staubach attempted a pass to Bob Hayes near the right sideline, but Bryant intercepted the pass and raced 63 yards for a touchdown that put the Vikings up 24–10. Then on Dallas' next drive, Staubach tried to connect with Drew Pearson, but a devastating hit by Nate Wright caused the ball to bounce off his hands and into the arms of defensive back Jeff Wright, who returned the ball 13 yards to set up Cox's 34-yard game clinching field goal.http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1973/12/31/page/33/article/vikings-sail-to-nfc-title-27-10 Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers Both teams combined for a net total of just 163 passing yards. Tarkenton completed only 10/21 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown with one interception, while also rushing for 16 yards. Staubach had one of the worst postseason performances of his career, completing just 10/21 passes for 89 yards and throwing four interceptions, though he did rush for 30 yards. Foreman was the top offensive performer of the day with 76 rushing yards and four receptions for 28, while fullback Oscar Reed added 18 carries for 75 yards and an 8-yard catch. Super Bowl VIII: vs. Miami Dolphins Super Bowl VIII Super Bowl VIII: Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins – Game summary Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; Vikings (NFC) 0 0 0 7 Dolphins (AFC) 14 3 7 0 Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas 47 F C January 13 3:50 p.m. EST/2:50 p.m. CST CBS Ray Scott, Pat Summerall and Bart Starr Ben Dreith 71,882 Pro Football Reference.com First quarter MIA – Larry Csonka 5-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 7–0. MIA – Jim Kiick 1-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 14–0. Second quarter MIA – Garo Yepremian 28-yard field goal. Dolphins 17–0. Third quarter MIA – Larry Csonka 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 24–0. Fourth quarter MIN – Fran Tarkenton 4-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Dolphins 24–7. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 18/28, 182 yards MIA – Bob Griese – 6/7, 73 yards Top rushers MIN – Oscar Reed – 11 rushes, 32 yards MIA – Larry Csonka – 33 rushes, 145 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIN – Stu Voigt – 3 receptions, 46 yards MIA – Paul Warfield – 2 receptions, 33 yards Statistics Team leaders Category Player(s) Value Passing yards Fran Tarkenton 2,113 Passing touchdowns Fran Tarkenton 15 Rushing yards Chuck Foreman 801 Rushing touchdowns Chuck Foreman 4 Receiving yards John Gilliam 907 Receiving touchdowns John Gilliam 8 Points Fred Cox 96 Kickoff return yards Brent McClanahan 410 Punt return yards Bobby Bryant 140 Interceptions Bobby Bryant 7 League rankings Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank(out of 26) Passing offense 1,956 139.7 14th Rushing offense 2,275 162.5 6th Total offense 4,231 302.2 7th Passing defense 1,894 135.3 12th Rushing defense 1,974 141.0 11th Total defense 3,868 276.3 12th References External links Team roster Category:Minnesota Vikings seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Minnesota Category:NFC Central championship seasons Minnesota Vikings