1974 Minnesota Vikings season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Minnesota Vikings 1974 10–4 1st NFC Central Bud Grant Metropolitan Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Cardinals) 30–14Won NFC Championship(vs. Rams) 14–10Lost Super Bowl IX(vs. Steelers) 6–16 DE Carl EllerFB Chuck ForemanWR John GilliamS Paul KrauseDT Alan PageQB Fran TarkentonT Ron Yary DT Alan Page (1st team)T Ron Yary (1st team)FB Chuck Foreman (2nd team) File:Vikings1970-74.png Vikings seasons The 1974 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 14th in the National Football League (NFL). They won the NFC Central with a 10–4 record, before defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 30–14 in the NFC divisional playoff game, followed by a 14–10 win over the Los Angeles Rams to claim their second consecutive NFC championship. The Vikings then lost 16–6 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, becoming the first team to lose consecutive Super Bowls. Offseason 1974 draft 1974 NFL draft Pro Bowler 1974 Minnesota Vikings Draft Draft order Player name Position College Notes Round Selection 1 17 Fred McNeill Linebacker UCLA From FalconsThe Vikings traded QB Bob Lee and LB Lonnie Warwick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a first-round selection (17th overall) and QB Bob Berry. 25 Steve Riley Offensive tackle USC 2 29 John Holland Wide receiver Tennessee State From ChargersChargers The Vikings traded LB Carl Gersbach and RB Clinton Jones to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for second- and third-round selections (29th and 64th overall). 51 Matt Blair Linebacker Iowa State 3 64 Steve Craig Tight end Northwestern From Packers via ChargersChargers 77 Scott Anderson Center Missouri 4 86 Mike Townsend Defensive back Notre Dame from SaintsThe Vikings traded TE Bob Brown to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a fourth-round selection (86th overall) and a 1973 sixth-round selection (139th overall). 103 Traded to the Cincinnati BengalsThe Vikings traded a fourth-round selection (103rd overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for G Steve Lawson. 5 120 Jim Ferguson Defensive back Stanford From BroncosThe Vikings traded WR Gene Washington to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round selection (120th overall) and WR Rod Sherman. 128 Traded to the Philadelphia EaglesThe Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from the Rams (128th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for LB Ron Porter. From RamsThe Vikings traded CB Charlie Stukes to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fifth-round selection (128th overall). 129 Traded to the Baltimore ColtsThe Vikings traded a fifth-round selection (129th overall) to the Baltimore Colts in exchange for CB Charlie Stukes. 6 155 Mark Kellar Running back Northern Illinois 7 181 Fred Tabron Running back Southwest Missouri State 8 207 Berl Simmons Placekicker TCU 9 232 Sam McCullum Wide receiver Montana State 10 259 Barry Reed Running back Peru State 11 285 Dave Boone Defensive end Eastern Michigan 12 311 Randy Poltl Defensive back Stanford 13 337 Gary Keller Defensive tackle Utah 14 363 Alan Dixon Running back Harding 15 389 Kurt Wachtler Defensive tackle St. John's 16 415 John Goebel Running back St. Thomas (MN) 17 441 Earl Garrett Defensive back Boston State Notes Roster 1974 Minnesota Vikings 47 4 0 17 Bob Berry American football 10 Fran Tarkenton 30 Bill Brown American football 44 Chuck Foreman 49 Ed Marinaro 33 Brent McClanahan 41 Dave Osborn 32 Oscar Reed 42 John Gilliam 85 John Holland American football y 82 Jim Lash 80 Sam McCullum y 84 Steve Craig American football y 89 Doug Kingsriter 83 Stu Voigt 67 Grady Alderman T 56 Scott Anderson American football y C 68 Charlie Goodrum T 65 Steve Lawson American football G 66 Andy Maurer G 78 Steve Riley American football y T 64 Milt Sunde G 53 Mick Tingelhoff C 62 Ed White American football G 73 Ron Yary T 71 David Boone y DE 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 59 Matt Blair y OLB 58 Wally Hilgenberg OLB 55 Amos Martin OLB 54 Fred McNeill y OLB 50 Jeff Siemon MLB 60 Roy Winston OLB 21 Joe Blahak CB 24 Terry Brown American football SS 22 Paul Krause FS 29 Randy Poltl y FS 25 Jackie Wallace CB 23 Jeff Wright defensive back SS 43 Nate Wright CB 14 Fred Cox K 11 Mike Eischeid P 20 Bobby Bryant CB IR 45 Alan Dixon y no RB IR 72 John Ward American football, born 1948 G PUP 15 Mike Wells quarterback QB IR None - Vacant Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendancehttps://www.profootballarchives.com/1974nflmin.html 1974 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives 1 August 10 at Denver Broncos L 21–27 0–1 Mile High Stadium 23,822 2 August 19 at Miami Dolphins L 9–21 0–2 Miami Orange Bowl 67,693 3 August 25 Buffalo Bills W 32–13 1–2 Metropolitan Stadium 46,553 4 August 31 at St. Louis Cardinals W 14–10 2–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 38,040 5 September 7 San Diego Chargers W 42–0 3–2 Metropolitan Stadium 46,553 Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 15 at Green Bay Packers W 32–17 1–0 Lambeau Field 56,267 2 September 22 at Detroit Lions W 7–6 2–0 Tiger Stadium 49,703 3 September 29 Chicago Bears W 11–7 3–0 Metropolitan Stadium 46,217 4 October 6 at Dallas Cowboys W 23–21 4–0 Texas Stadium 57,847 5 October 13 Houston Oilers W 51–10 5–0 Metropolitan Stadium 48,006 6 October 20 Detroit Lions L 16–20 5–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,807 7 October 27 New England Patriots L 14–17 5–2 Metropolitan Stadium 48,177 8 November 3 at Chicago Bears W 17–0 6–2 Soldier Field 33,343 9 November 11 Monday at St. Louis Cardinals W 28–24 7–2 Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium 50,183 10 November 17 Green Bay Packers L 7–19 7–3 Metropolitan Stadium 47,924 11 November 24 at Los Angeles Rams L 17–20 7–4 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 90,266 12 December 1 New Orleans Saints W 29–9 8–4 Metropolitan Stadium 44,202 13 December 7 Saturday Atlanta Falcons W 23–10 9–4 Metropolitan Stadium 47,105 14 December 14 Saturday at Kansas City Chiefs W 35–15 10–4 Arrowhead Stadium 35,480 http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/1974-min 1974 Minnesota Vikings Game summaries Week 1: at Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary September 15 1:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 3 7 13 9 Packers 0 10 0 7 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 56,267 60 F C Box Score First quarter MIN – Fred Cox 20-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. Second quarter GB – Chester Marcol 19-yard field goal. Tie 3–3. GB – John Brockington 5-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 10–3. MIN – Chuck Foreman 18-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Tie 10–10. Third quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–10. MIN – Chuck Foreman 3-yard run (kick failed). Vikings 23–10. Fourth quarter MIN – Fred Cox 21-yard field goal. Vikings 26–10. GB – Steve Odom 18-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Vikings 26–17. MIN – Amos Martin 15-yard fumble return (kick failed). Vikings 32–17. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 14/23, 116 yards, INT GB – Jerry Tagge – 9/20, 102 yards, 3 INT Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 22 rushes, 67 yards, 3 TD GB – John Brockington – 18 rushes, 53 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 5 receptions, 32 yards GB – Barry Smith – 2 receptions, 29 yards Week 2: at Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary September 22 12:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 0 7 0 0 Lions 0 3 0 3 Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan 49,703 48 F C, Wind 15 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter DET – Errol Mann 29-yard field goal. Lions 3–0. MIN – Chuck Foreman 11-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–3. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DET – Errol Mann 40-yard field goal. Vikings 7–6. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 12/24, 142 yards DET – Bill Munson – 12/18, 56 yards Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 13 rushes, 83 yards, TD DET – Altie Taylor – 16 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 4 receptions, 87 yards DET – Steve Owens – 5 receptions, 29 yards Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 29 1:00 p.m. CDT Bears 0 0 0 7 Vikings 2 6 3 0 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 46,217 47 F C, Wind 11 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Wally Hilgenberg tackled Bob Parsons in the end zone for a safety. Vikings 2–0. Second quarter MIN – Stu Voigt 11-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (kick failed). Vikings 8–0. Third quarter MIN – Fred Cox 32-yard field goal. Vikings 11–0. Fourth quarter CHI – Gary Huff 3-yard run (Mirro Roder kick). Vikings 11–7. Top passers CHI – Gary Huff – 16/27, 171 yards, 2 INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 16/25, 165 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers CHI – Ken Grandberry – 19 rushes, 76 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 16 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers CHI – Charlie Wade – 6 receptions, 112 yards MIN – Stu Voigt – 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary October 6 3:00 p.m. CDT Vikings 3 10 7 3 Cowboys 7 0 0 14 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 57,847 75 F C, Wind 12 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter DAL – Golden Richards 58-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efren Herrera kick). Cowboys 7–0. MIN – Fred Cox 46-yard field goal. Cowboys 7–3. Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 66-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–7. MIN – Fred Cox 30-yard field goal. Vikings 13–7. Third quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 13-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 20–7. Fourth quarter DAL – Walt Garrison 5-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efren Herrera kick). Vikings 20–14. DAL – Calvin Hill 6-yard run (Efren Herrera kick). Cowboys 21–20. MIN – Fred Cox 27-yard field goal. Vikings 23–21. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 17/27, 283 yards, 2 TD DAL – Roger Staubach – 9/20, 144 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 23 rushes, 72 yards DAL – Calvin Hill – 21 rushes, 95 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 5 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD DAL – Golden Richards – 1 reception, 58 yards, TD Week 5: vs. Houston Oilers Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Houston Oilers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 13 1:00 p.m. CDT Oilers 3 0 7 0 Vikings 16 14 7 14 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 48,006 46 F C, Wind 9 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – John Gilliam 80-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. HOU – Skip Butler 29-yard field goal. Vikings 7–3. MIN – Fred Cox 42-yard field goal. Vikings 10–3. MIN – Stu Voigt 10-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (kick failed). Vikings 16–3. Second quarter MIN – Ed Marinaro 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 23–3. MIN – Chuck Foreman 6-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 30–3. Third quarter HOU – Vic Washington 2-yard run (Skip Butler kick). Vikings 30–10. MIN – Chuck Foreman 24-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 37–10. Fourth quarter MIN – Steve Craig 10-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 44–10. MIN – Sam McCullum 20-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 51–10. Top passers HOU – Dan Pastorini – 16/32, 167 yards, 4 INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 18/24, 274 yards, 3 TD Top rushers HOU – Willie Rodgers – 11 rushes, 42 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 16 rushes, 61 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Billy Johnson – 3 receptions, 52 yards MIN – John Gilliam – 2 receptions, 102 yards, TD Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 20 1:00 p.m. CDT Lions 0 6 7 7 Vikings 0 3 13 0 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,807 38 F C, Wind 10 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter MIN – Fred Cox 23-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. DET – Errol Mann 36-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. DET – Errol Mann 27-yard field goal. Lions 6–3. Third quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–6. DET – Altie Taylor 1-yard run (Errol Mann kick). Lions 13–10. MIN – Chuck Foreman 9-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (kick failed). Vikings 16–13. Fourth quarter DET – Altie Taylor 8-yard run (Errol Mann kick). Lions 20–16. Top passers DET – Bill Munson – 22/32, 276 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 18/30, 229 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DET – Steve Owens – 13 rushes, 59 yards MIN – Dave Osborn – 14 rushes, 96 yards Top receivers DET – Ron Jessie – 10 receptions, 116 yards MIN – Jim Lash – 4 receptions, 89 yards Week 7: vs. New England Patriots Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 27 1:00 p.m. CST Patriots 3 7 0 7 Vikings 0 0 0 14 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 48,177 54 F C, Wind 10 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter NE – John Smith 37-yard field goal. Patriots 3–0. Second quarter NE – Steve Schubert 21-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (John Smith kick). Patriots 10–0. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 2-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Patriots 10–7. MIN – Fran Tarkenton 3-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–10. NE – Bob Windsor 10-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (John Smith kick). Patriots 17–14. Top passers NE – Jim Plunkett – 15/28, 238 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 19/39, 281 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Sam Cunningham – 22 rushes, 129 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 17 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Reggie Rucker – 3 receptions, 61 yards MIN – John Gilliam – 5 receptions, 117 yards Week 8: at Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary November 3 1:00 p.m. CST Vikings 3 0 7 7 Bears 0 0 0 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 33,343 52 F C, Wind 13 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Fred Cox 23-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter MIN – John Gilliam 35-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–0. Fourth quarter MIN – Stu Voigt 4-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–0. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 9/18, 80 yards, 2 TD, INT CHI – Gary Huff – 11/24, 74 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Dave Osborn – 24 rushes, 98 yards CHI – Carl Garrett – 4 rushes, 23 yards Top receivers MIN – John Gilliam – 1 reception, 35 yards, TD CHI – Jim Kelly – 2 receptions, 38 yards Week 9: at St. Louis Cardinals Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary Monday, November 11 8:00 p.m. CST Vikings 14 0 7 7 Cardinals 7 10 0 7 Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri 50,183 50 F C, Wind 12 mph ABC Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Alex Karras Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Dave Osborn 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. STL – J. V. Cain 40-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick). Tied 7–7. MIN – John Gilliam 10-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–7. Second quarter STL – Jim Bakken 46-yard field goal. Vikings 14–10. STL – Earl Thomas 12-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick). Cardinals 17–14. Third quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 13-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 21–17. Fourth quarter MIN – Fran Tarkenton 11-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 28–17. STL – Jim Hart 4-yard run (Jim Bakken kick). Vikings 28–24. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 14/29, 137 yards, TD, INT STL – Jim Hart – 28/43, 353 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Dave Osborn – 23 rushes, 98 yards, TD STL – Jim Otis – 14 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers MIN – Dave Osborn – 7 receptions, 71 yards STL – Mel Gray – 6 receptions, 91 yards Week 10: vs. Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 17 1:00 p.m. CST Packers 0 6 3 10 Vikings 0 0 0 7 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,924 33 F C, Wind 8 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter GB – Chester Marcol 28-yard field goal. Packers 3–0. GB – Chester Marcol 31-yard field goal. Packers 6–0. Third quarter GB – Chester Marcol 19-yard field goal. Packers 9–0. Fourth quarter GB – Chester Marcol 18-yard field goal. Packers 12–0. MIN – Chuck Foreman 24-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Packers 12–7. GB – MacArthur Lane 68-yard pass from John Hadl (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 19–7. Top passers GB – John Hadl – 10/19, 199 yards, TD MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 15/31, 222 yards, TD, INT Top rushers GB – John Brockington – 32 rushes, 137 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 10 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers GB – MacArthur Lane – 1 reception, 68 yards, TD MIN – Jim Lash – 6 receptions, 136 yards Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary November 24 3:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 17 0 0 Rams 0 6 0 14 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 90,266 65 F C, Wind 8 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter MIN – Fred Cox 36-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0. MIN – Chuck Foreman 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 10–0. LA – James Harris 1-yard run (kick failed). Vikings 10–6. MIN – Chuck Foreman 12-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–6. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter LA – James Harris 1-yard run (David Ray kick). Vikings 17–13. LA – Jack Snow 8-yard pass from James Harris (David Ray kick). Rams 20–17. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 19/35, 217 yards, TD, INT LA – James Harris – 24/37, 249 yards, TD Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 12 rushes, 49 yards, TD LA – Lawrence McCutcheon – 15 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 9 receptions, 88 yards, TD LA – Jack Snow – 7 receptions, 91 yards, TD Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 1 1:00 p.m. CST Saints 3 6 0 0 Vikings 6 6 3 14 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 44,202 25 F C, Wind 11 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Dave Osborn 2-yard run (kick failed). Vikings 6–0. NO – Bill McClard 27-yard field goal. Vikings 6–3. Second quarter NO – Alvin Maxson 1-yard run (kick failed). Saints 9–6. MIN – Stu Voigt 4-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (conversion failed). Vikings 12–9. Third quarter MIN – Fred Cox 25-yard field goal. Vikings 15–9. Fourth quarter MIN – John Gilliam 13-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 22–9. MIN – John Gilliam 22-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 29–9. Top passers NO – Archie Manning – 9/18, 100 yards MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 20/29, 317 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Alvin Maxson – 18 rushes, 98 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 19 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers NO – Bob Newland – 2 receptions, 51 yards MIN – Jim Lash – 3 receptions, 112 yards Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary Saturday, December 7 12:00 p.m. CST Falcons 0 7 0 3 Vikings 7 3 6 7 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,105 28 F C, Wind 10 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter MIN – Dave Osborn 10-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. Second quarter ATL – Art Malone 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Tied 7–7. MIN – Fred Cox 21-yard field goal. Vikings 10–7. Third quarter MIN – Dave Osborn 5-yard run (kick failed). Vikings 16–7. Fourth quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 36-yard field goal. Vikings 16–10. MIN – Stu Voigt 10-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 23–10. Top passers ATL – Kim McQuilken – 11/25, 125 yards, 2 INT MIN – Bob Berry – 14/22, 114 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Art Malone – 10 rushes, 54 yards, TD MIN – Dave Osborn – 24 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ATL – Ken Burrow – 3 receptions, 50 yards MIN – Dave Osborn – 6 receptions, 39 yards Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary Saturday, December 14 2:45 p.m. CST Vikings 0 14 7 14 Chiefs 3 9 0 3 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 35,480 35 F C, Wind 13 mph Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 37-yard field goal. Chiefs 3–0. Second quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 32-yard field goal. Chiefs 6–0. MIN – Sam McCullum 34-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–6. MIN – Sam McCullum 10-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–6. KC – Emmitt Thomas 73-yard interception return (kick failed). Vikings 14–12. Third quarter MIN – Ed Marinaro 7-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 21–12. Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 29-yard field goal. Vikings 21–15. MIN – Oscar Reed 3-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 28–15. MIN – Brent McClanahan 6-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 35–15. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 8/17, 135 yards, 2 TD, INT KC – Len Dawson – 9/16, 124 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Oscar Reed – 15 rushes, 57 yards KC – Cleo Miller – 12 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers MIN – Sam McCullum – 6 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD KC – Elmo Wright – 3 receptions, 75 yards Standings Playoffs Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Divisional December 21 St. Louis Cardinals W 30–14 Metropolitan Stadium 48,150 Conference December 29 Los Angeles Rams W 14–10 Metropolitan Stadium 48,444 Super Bowl IX January 12 Pittsburgh Steelers L 6–16 Tulane Stadium 80,997 Game summaries NFC Divisional Playoff: vs. St. Louis Cardinals Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Divisional Playoff: St. Louis Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary Cardinals 0 7 0 7 Vikings 0 7 16 7 December 21 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 12:00 p.m. CST 19 °F °C, flurries CBS Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and Johnny Unitas 48,150 Chuck Heberling Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter STL – Earl Thomas 13-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick). Cardinals 7–0. MIN – John Gilliam 16-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Tied 7–7. Third quarter MIN – Fred Cox 37-yard field goal. Vikings 10–7. MIN – Nate Wright 20-yard fumble return (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–7. MIN – John Gilliam 38-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (kick failed). Vikings 23–7. Fourth quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 4-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 30–7. STL – Terry Metcalf 11-yard run (Jim Bakken kick). Vikings 30–14. Top passers STL – Jim Hart – 18/40, 200 yards, TD, INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 13/23, 169 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers STL – Terry Metcalf – 15 rushes, 55 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 23 rushes, 114 yards, TD Top receivers STL – Mel Gray – 5 receptions, 77 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 5 receptions, 54 yards Aided by the Cardinals' turnovers, the Vikings scored 16 points in less than 7 minutes in the third quarter. On their first possession of the game, St. Louis drove to the Vikings 35-yard line, but lost the ball on a failed 4th-and-1 conversion attempt. St. Louis eventually got onto the scoreboard first with quarterback Jim Hart's 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Earl Thomas, but Minnesota countered when quarterback Fran Tarkenton completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam. The 7–7 tie would last till the end of the half. The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead with a 56-yard drive to the Vikings 6-yard line, but Jim Bakken missed a 23-yard field goal attempt as time expired.http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1974/12/22/page/67/article/sixty-seconds-costly-to-cards Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers On the third play of the second half, Vikings defensive back Jeff Wright intercepted a pass from Hart and returned it 18 yards to set up Fred Cox's 37-yard field goal, giving his team a 10–7 lead. Exactly 60 seconds later, on the Cardinals' ensuing drive, Terry Metcalf lost a fumble while being leveled by Vikings linemen Alan Page and Carl Eller. Cornerback Nate Wright picked up the loose ball and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown that increased Minnesota's lead to 17–7. A few minutes later, Tarkenton finished off a 16-point quarter with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Gilliam. In the fourth quarter, Vikings running back Chuck Foreman, who finished the game with 114 rushing yards and 5 receptions for 54 yards, recorded a 4-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota a 30–7 lead. By the time Metcalf rushed for an 11-yard fourth-quarter touchdown, the game was already out of reach for the Cardinals. NFC Championship Game: vs. Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Championship Game: Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary Rams 0 3 0 7 Vikings 0 7 0 7 December 29 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 12:00 p.m. CST Sunny, 29 °F °C CBS Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier and Bart Starr 48,444 Tommy Bell Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter MIN – Jim Lash 29-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–0. LA – David Ray 27-yard field goal. Vikings 7–3. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter MIN – Dave Osborn 4-yard run (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 14–3. LA – Harold Jackson 44-yard pass from James Harris (David Ray kick). Vikings 14–10. Top passers LA – James Harris – 13/23, 248 yards, TD, 2 INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 10/20, 123 yards, TD, INT Top rushers LA – Jim Bertelsen – 14 rushes, 65 yards MIN – Chuck Foreman – 22 rushes, 80 yards Top receivers LA – Harold Jackson – 3 receptions, 139 yards, TD MIN – Stu Voigt – 4 receptions, 43 yards On an unusually balmy day for December in Minnesota, the Vikings were able to hold onto the ball for the final 5:37 of the game to preserve a 14–10 victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton threw a 29-yard touchdown to Jim Lash. Rams kicker David Ray later added a 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7–3 before halftime. In the third quarter, Los Angeles advanced the ball from their own 1-yard line to the Minnesota 1-yard line. The big play on the drive was a 73-yard pass play to Harold Jackson, who was finally pushed out of bounds at the Vikings 2 by safety Jeff Wright. With the ball inside the one-yard line, Rams guard Tom Mack was controversially called for illegal procedure (replays showed Mack did not move). Moved back to the six-yard line, the Rams were forced to pass for a touchdown on third down but the pass was deflected and Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg intercepted the ball in the end zone for a touchback. Minnesota then went on a 15-play drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock to score on Dave Osborn's 4-yard touchdown run. With 7:15 left to play in the game, the Rams then cut the deficit to 14–10 with Harold Jackson's 44-yard touchdown reception. Then after forcing the Vikings to punt, Los Angeles drove to the Minnesota 45-yard line. But a third down sack forced the Rams to punt again and the Vikings kept the ball to run out the clock. Super Bowl IX: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl IX Minnesota Vikings 1974 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Super Bowl IX: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings – Game summary January 12, 1975 2:00 pm CST Steelers 0 2 7 7 Vikings 0 0 0 6 Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana 80,997 Overcast, 51 °F °C Bernie Ulman NBC Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis, and Don Meredith Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter PIT – Fran Tarkenton sacked in the end zone by Dwight White for a safety. Steelers 2–0. Third quarter PIT – Franco Harris 9-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 9–0. Fourth quarter MIN – Terry Brown blocked punt recovery in end zone (kick failed). Steelers 9–6. PIT – Larry Brown 4-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 16–6. Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 9/14, 96 yards, TD MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 11/26, 102 yards, 3 INT Top rushers PIT – Franco Harris – 34 rushes, 158 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 12 rushes, 18 yards Top receivers PIT – Larry Brown – 3 receptions, 49 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 5 receptions, 50 yards Statistics Team leaders Category Player(s) Value Passing yards Fran Tarkenton 2,598 Passing touchdowns Fran Tarkenton 17 Rushing yards Chuck Foreman 777 Rushing touchdowns Chuck Foreman 9 Receiving yards Jim Lash 631 Receiving touchdowns Chuck Foreman 6 Points Chuck Foreman 90 Kickoff return yards Brent McClanahan 549 Punt return yards Jackie Wallace 191 Interceptions Nate Wright 6 League rankings Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank(out of 26) Passing offense 2,755 196.8 2nd Rushing offense 1,856 132.6 15th Total offense 4,611 329.4 3rd Passing defense 2,302 164.4 18th Rushing defense 1,605 114.6 5th Total defense 3,907 279.1 10th References Category:Minnesota Vikings seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Minnesota Category:NFC Central championship seasons Minnesota Vikings