1968 Minnesota Vikings season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Minnesota Vikings 1968 8–6 1st NFL Central Bud Grant Jim Finks Metropolitan Stadium Lost Western Conference Championship Game(at Colts) 14–24Lost NFL Playoff Bowl(vs. Cowboys) 13–17 DE Carl EllerC Mick TingelhoffFB Bill BrownDT Alan PageDE Jim Marshall DE Carl Eller (1st team)C Mick Tingelhoff (1st team)FB Bill Brown (2nd team)S Paul Krause (2nd team) File:Vikings 1966-68.png Vikings seasons The 1968 season was the Minnesota Vikings' eighth in the National Football League. In their second year under head coach Bud Grant, the Vikings won the NFL Central division title with an 8–6 record, and qualified for the postseason for the first time in franchise history. This was the first of four consecutive division titles for the Vikings. The Vikings' first trip to the playoffs saw them suffer a 24–14 loss in the Western Conference Championship Game to the eventual NFL champion and Super Bowl runner-up Baltimore Colts at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. In the Playoff Bowl two weeks later, they again lost to the Dallas Cowboys 17–13. Offseason 1968 draft 1968 NFL draft Hall of Famer 1968 Minnesota Vikings DraftDraft orderPlayer namePositionCollegeNotesRoundSelection1 1 Ron YaryOffensive tackleUSCfrom GiantsThe Vikings traded QB Fran Tarkenton to the Giants in exchange for a first- (1st overall), a 1967 first- (2nd overall), a 1967 second- (28th overall) and a 1969 second-round selection (39th overall).7Traded to the New Orleans SaintsThe Vikings traded their first-round (7th overall) and their 1969 first-round selection (17th overall) to the Saints in exchange for QB Gary Cuozzo.233Charlie WestCornerbackUTEP361Traded to the Pittsburgh SteelersThe Vikings traded their third-round selection (61st overall) to the Steelers in exchange for CB Brady Keys.76Mike McGillLinebackerNotre Damefrom CowboysThe Vikings traded WR Lance Rentzel to the Cowboys in exchange for a third-round selection (76th overall).489Mike FreemanDefensive backFresno State5117Traded to the Washington RedskinsThe Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (117th overall) to the Redskins in exchange for OT Bob Breitenstein.6144Bob GoodridgeWide receiverVanderbilt7167Oscar ReedWide receiverColorado Statefrom FalconsThe Vikings traded QB Ron Vander Kelen to the Falcons in exchange for a seventh-round selection (167th overall).171Lenny SnowRunning backGeorgia Tech8198Hank UrbanowiczDefensive tackleMiami (FL)9225Mike DonohoeTight endSan Francisco10250Tom SakalDefensive backMinnesota11279Bill HaasWide receiverNebraska–Omaha12308Howie SmallCenterRhode Island13333Dick WherryWide receiverNorthern State14360Don EvansOffensive tackleArkansas AM&N15387Jim HaynieQuarterbackWest Chester16414Lary KuharichDefensive backBoston College17441Bob LeeQuarterbackPacific445Bill HullGuardTennessee Techfrom LionsThe Vikings traded a 1969 16th-round selection (407th overall) to the Lions in exchange for a 17th-round selection (445th overall). Notes Undrafted free agents + 1968 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeRalph GallowayTackleSouthern IllinoisGayle KniefWide receiverMorningsideRon OswaltLinebackDrake Roster 1968 Minnesota Vikings 15 Gary Cuozzo 11 Joe Kapp 30 Bill Brown American football 28 Earl Denny 26 Clinton Jones American football 21 Jim Lindsey 41 Dave Osborn 27 Bob Grim American football 86 Tom Hall American football 80 John Henderson wide receiver 84 Gene Washington American football, born 1944 87 John Beasley American football 85 Billy Martin tight end P 67 Grady Alderman T 66 Bookie Bolin G 71 Doug Davis American football T 64 Milt Sunde G 53 Mick Tingelhoff C 63 Jim Vellone G 73 Ron Yary y T 76 Paul Dickson American football DT 81 Carl Eller DE 77 Gary Larsen DT 70 Jim Marshall defensive end DE 88 Alan Page DT 74 Steve Smith offensive lineman DE 58 Wally Hilgenberg OLB 36 John Kirby American football OLB 55 Mike McGill y American football MLB 59 Lonnie Warwick MLB 60 Roy Winston OLB 20 Bobby Bryant CB 49 Dale Hackbart FS 29 Karl Kassulke SS 22 Paul Krause FS 46 Earsell Mackbee CB 45 Ed Sharockman CB 40 Charlie West y SS American football 14 Fred Cox K 10 King Hill P -- Gene Beard no CB Military 61 Larry Bowie guard G IR -- Don Hansen LB Retired 50 Jim Hargrove American football LB Military -- Tom Sakal y no S Military -- Chet Anderson TE 82 Bob Goodridge y WR -- Gayle Knief y WR 19 Bob Lee quarterback y QB -- Jerry Mazzanti no DE 32 Oscar Reed y RB Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendancehttps://www.profootballarchives.com/1968nflmin.html 1968 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives www.profootballarchives.com 1 August 10 Kansas City Chiefs (AFL) L 10–13 0–1 Metropolitan Stadium 46,228 2 August 17 at Denver Broncos (AFL) W 39–16 1–1 University of Denver Stadium 20,901 3 August 24 Philadelphia Eagles W 52–10 2–1 Metropolitan Stadium 41,229 4 September 1 at St. Louis Cardinals L 28–31 2–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 25,233 5 September 6 New Orleans Saints W 20–17 3–2 State Fair Stadium (Shreveport, LA) 23,000 Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 14 Atlanta Falcons W 47–7 1–0 Metropolitan Stadium 45,563 2 September 22 at Green Bay Packers W 26–13 2–0 Milwaukee County Stadium 49,346 3 September 29 Chicago Bears L 17–27 2–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,644 4 October 6 Detroit LionsThis game was originally scheduled to be played in Detroit, but was switched with the November 17 game due to game 4 of the World Series. W 24–10 3–1 Metropolitan Stadium 44,289 5 October 13 at New Orleans Saints L 17–20 3–2 Tulane Stadium 71,105 6 October 20 Dallas Cowboys L 7–20 3–3 Metropolitan Stadium 47,644 7 October 27 at Chicago Bears L 24–26 3–4 Wrigley Field 46,562 8 November 3 Washington Redskins W 27–14 4–4 Metropolitan Stadium 47,644 9 November 10 Green Bay Packers W 14–10 5–4 Metropolitan Stadium 47,644 10 November 17 at Detroit Lions W 13–6 6–4 Tiger Stadium 48,654 11 November 24 at Baltimore Colts L 9–21 6–5 Memorial Stadium 60,238 12 December 1 Los Angeles Rams L 3–31 6–6 Metropolitan Stadium 47,644 13 December 8 at San Francisco 49ers W 30–20 7–6 Kezar Stadium 29,049 14 December 15 at Philadelphia Eagles W 24–17 8–6 Franklin Field 54,530 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 11: at Baltimore Colts Minnesota Vikings 1968 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Minnesota Vikings (6–4) at Baltimore Colts (9–1) – Game summary November 24, 1968 1:00 p.m. Vikings 0 3 3 3 Colts 7 14 0 0 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 50 F C or CBS Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter BAL – Terry Cole 1-yard rush (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 7–0 Second quarter BAL – Willie Richardson 39-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 14–0 BAL – Tom Mitchell 18-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 21–0 MIN – Fred Cox 43-yard field goal. Colts 21–3 Third quarter MIN – Fred Cox 36-yard field goal. Colts 21–6 Fourth quarter MIN – Fred Cox 31-yard field goal. Colts 21–9 Top passers BAL – Earl Morrall – 17/24, 259 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIN – Gary Cuozzo – 12/18, 141 yards Top rushers BAL – Terry Cole – 20 rushes, 71 yards, TD MIN – Clinton Jones – 10 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers BAL – Willie Richardson – 6 receptions, 150 yards, TD MIN – John Beasley – 6 receptions, 79 yards This was the last occasion the Colts hosted the Vikings in the regular season until 2000, seventeen years after they had relocated to Indianapolis. The intervening gap of 31 seasons constitutes the second-longest gap without one team visiting another in NFL history.Tampa Bay did not play at Buffalo until 2009, although the Buccaneers joined the league 33 seasons previously.Urena Ivan Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present 2014 McFarland & Company Jefferson, North Carolina 9780786473519 15–16 Standings Playoffs Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Conference December 22 at Baltimore Colts L 14–24 0–1 Memorial Stadium 60,238 Playoff Bowl January 5 Dallas Cowboys L 13–17 0–2 Miami Orange Bowl 22,961 Conference Playoff: at Baltimore Colts Minnesota Vikings 1968 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Minnesota Vikings (8–6) at Baltimore Colts (13–1) – Game summary December 22, 1968 1:00 p.m. Vikings 0 0 0 14 Colts 0 7 14 3 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 33 F C CBS Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter BAL – Tom Mitchell 3-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 7–0 Third quarter BAL – John Mackey 49-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 14–0 BAL – Mike Curtis 60-yard defensive fumble return (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 21–0 Fourth quarter MIN – Billy Martin 1-yard pass from Joe Kapp (Fred Cox kick). Colts 21–7 BAL – Lou Michaels 33-yard field goal. Colts 24–7 MIN – Bill Brown 7-yard pass from Joe Kapp (Fred Cox kick). Colts 24–14 Top passers BAL – Earl Morrall – 13/22, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT MIN – Joe Kapp – 26/44, 287 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Tom Matte – 14 rushes, 31 yards MIN – Joe Kapp – 10 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers BAL – Willie Richardson – 6 receptions, 148 yards MIN – Gene Washington – 5 receptions, 95 yards Four weeks after their last regular-season visit to the Colts for 32 years, the Vikings' first ever playoff appearance saw them return to play the Colts in their only postseason meeting. Statistics Team leaders Category Player(s) Value Passing yards Joe Kapp 1,695 Passing touchdowns Joe Kapp 10 Rushing yards Bill Brown 805 Rushing touchdowns Bill Brown 11 Receiving yards Gene Washington 756 Receiving touchdowns Gene Washington 6 Points Fred Cox 88 Kickoff return yards Charlie West 576 Punt return yards Charlie West 201 Interceptions Paul Krause 7 League rankings Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank(out of 16) Passing offense 1,685 120.4 15th Rushing offense 1,921 137.2 6th Total offense 3,606 257.6 14th Passing defense 1,855 132.5 3rd Rushing defense 1,903 135.9 11th Total defense 3,758 268.4 5th Notes References External links 1968 Minnesota Vikings at Pro-Football-Reference.com Category:Minnesota Vikings seasons Minnesota Minnesota Vikings