1974 Minnesota Vikings season

NFL team season

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

Pro Bowler
1974 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order Player name Position College Notes
Round Selection
1 17 Fred McNeill Linebacker UCLA from Falcons[a]
25 Steve Riley Offensive tackle USC
2 29 John Holland Wide receiver Tennessee State from Chargers[b]
51 Matt Blair Linebacker Iowa State
3 64 Steve Craig Tight end Northwestern from Packers via Chargers[b]
77 Scott Anderson Center Missouri
4 86 Mike Townsend Defensive back Notre Dame from Saints[c]
103 Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals[d]
5 120 Jim Ferguson Defensive back Stanford from Broncos[e]
128 Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles[h] from Rams[g]
129 Traded to the Baltimore Colts[f]
6 155 Mark Kellar Running back Northern Illinois
7 181 Fred Tabron Running back Southwest Missouri State
8 207 Berl Simmons Kicker 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
17 441 Earl Garrett Defensive back Boston State
^[a] The Vikings traded QB Bob Lee and LB Lonnie Warwick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's first-round selection (17th overall) and QB Bob Berry.
^[b] The Vikings traded LB Carl Gersbach and RB Clinton Jones to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for San Diego's second-round selection and the third-round selection they received from the Green Bay Packers (29th and 64th overall).
^[c] The Vikings traded TE Bob Brown to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for New Orleans' fourth-round selection (86th overall) and 1973 sixth-round selection.
^[d] The Vikings traded their fourth-round selection (103rd overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for OG Steve Lawson.
^[e] The Vikings traded WR Gene Washington to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Denver's fifth-round selection (120th overall) and WR Rod Sherman.
^[f] The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (129th overall) to the Baltimore Colts in exchange for DB Charlie Stukes.
^[g] The Vikings traded DB Charlie Stukes to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Los Angeles' fifth-round selection (128th overall).
^[h] The Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from the Los Angeles Rams (128th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for LB Ron Porter.

Roster

1974 Minnesota Vikings final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Rookies in italics
 , 0 practice squad

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance[1]
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 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 Atlanta Falcons W 23–10 9–4 Metropolitan Stadium 47,105
14 December 14 at Kansas City Chiefs W 35–15 10–4 Arrowhead Stadium 35,480

[2]

Game summaries

Week 1: at Green Bay Packers

Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 3 7 13932
Packers 0 10 0717

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 15
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 56,267
  • Box Score
Game information

First quarter

  • MIN – Fred Cox 20-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0.

Second quarter

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

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • MIN – Chuck Foreman – 5 receptions, 32 yards
  • GB – Barry Smith – 2 receptions, 29 yards

Week 2: at Detroit Lions

Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 7 007
Lions 0 3 036

at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: September 22
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Wind 15 mph
  • Game attendance: 49,703
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

  • DET – Errol Mann 40-yard field goal. Vikings 7–6.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • MIN – John Gilliam – 4 receptions, 87 yards
  • DET – Steve Owens – 5 receptions, 29 yards

Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 3: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 077
Vikings 2 6 3011

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: September 29
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), Wind 11 mph
  • Game attendance: 46,217
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

  • MIN – Wally Hilgenberg tackled Bob Parsons in the end zone for a safety. Vikings 2–0.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • MIN – Fred Cox 32-yard field goal. Vikings 11–0.

Fourth quarter

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • CHI – Charlie Wade – 6 receptions, 112 yards
  • MIN – Stu Voigt – 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 3 10 7323
Cowboys 7 0 01421

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

  • Date: October 6
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), Wind 12 mph
  • Game attendance: 57,847
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

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

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 5: vs. Houston Oilers

Week 5: Houston Oilers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers 3 0 7010
Vikings 16 14 71451

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: October 13
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), Wind 9 mph
  • Game attendance: 48,006
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

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

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

Week 6: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 6 7720
Vikings 0 3 13016

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: October 20
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), Wind 10 mph
  • Game attendance: 47,807
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

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

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

Week 7: New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Patriots 3 7 0717
Vikings 0 0 01414

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: October 27
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), Wind 10 mph
  • Game attendance: 48,177
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

  • NE – John Smith 37-yard field goal. Patriots 3–0.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 8: at Chicago Bears

Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 3 0 7717
Bears 0 0 000

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: November 3
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Wind 13 mph
  • Game attendance: 33,343
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

  • MIN – Fred Cox 23-yard field goal. Vikings 3–0.

Second quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Stu Voigt 4-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 17–0.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • MIN – John Gilliam – 1 reception, 35 yards, TD
  • CHI – Jim Kelly – 2 receptions, 38 yards

Week 9: at St. Louis Cardinals

Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 14 0 7728
Cardinals 7 10 0724

at Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Date: Monday, November 11
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), Wind 12 mph
  • Game attendance: 50,183
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

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

Top receivers

  • MIN – Dave Osborn – 7 receptions, 71 yards
  • STL – Mel Gray – 6 receptions, 91 yards

Week 10: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 10: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 6 31019
Vikings 0 0 077

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: November 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), Wind 8 mph
  • Game attendance: 47,924
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

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

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams

Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 17 0017
Rams 0 6 01420

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Wind 8 mph
  • Game attendance: 90,266
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

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

Top receivers

  • MIN – Chuck Foreman – 9 receptions, 88 yards, TD
  • LA – Jack Snow – 7 receptions, 91 yards, TD

Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 12: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Saints 3 6 009
Vikings 6 6 31429

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: December 1
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), Wind 11 mph
  • Game attendance: 44,202
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

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

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

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 13: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 7 0310
Vikings 7 3 6723

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: Saturday, December 7
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C), Wind 10 mph
  • Game attendance: 47,105
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

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

Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 14 71435
Chiefs 3 9 0315

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: Saturday, December 14
  • Game time: 2:45 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), Wind 13 mph
  • Game attendance: 35,480
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

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

Top rushers

Top receivers

Standings

NFC Central
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 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Minnesota Vikings 10 4 0 .714 4–2 8–3 310 195 W3
Detroit Lions 7 7 0 .500 3–3 6–5 256 270 L1
Green Bay Packers 6 8 0 .429 3–3 4–7 210 206 L3
Chicago Bears 4 10 0 .286 2–4 4–7 152 279 L2

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

NFC Divisional Playoff: St. Louis Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 7 0714
Vikings 0 7 16730

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

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

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.[3]

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

NFC Championship Game: Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 0 3 0710
Vikings 0 7 0714

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: December 29
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 29 °F (−2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 48,444
  • Referee: Tommy Bell
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier and Bart Starr
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

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

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: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 2 7716
Vikings 0 0 066

at Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: January 12, 1975
  • Game time: 2:00 pm CST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 51 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 80,997
  • Referee: Bernie Ulman
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis, and Don Meredith
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

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

Top rushers

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

  1. ^ "1974 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) - Pro Football Archives".
  2. ^ "1974 Minnesota Vikings".
  3. ^ "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers".
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