Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

vikingsfan1963
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Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by vikingsfan1963 »

I've always felt the 1975 team that went 12-2 and lost in the Hail Mary game was a Super Bowl sure shot winner. However, the 1970 team --- despite some subpar quarterback play --- has also got my attention. They beat KC, Dallas (in a rout) and Detroit twice. Did have a perplexing loss to the Jets. What say you?
lastcat3
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by lastcat3 »

I think if the Vikings get to the Super Bowl in '75 in a rematch against the Steelers they lose again.
JohnH19
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by JohnH19 »

The ‘75 team was certainly more complete than the ‘70 team, with Sir Francis and Chuck Foreman, but the defence, while still dominant, had gotten substantially older.

The ‘76 team was another year older but still dominant. That team had the best pair of wide receivers with newly acquired Ahmad Rashad and offensive rookie of the year, Sammy White. Gene Washington and John Gilliam were tremendous in their time but they had guys like John Henderson, Jim Lash and an elderly Carroll Dale on the other side.

I always wonder how different SB 11 would have been if the Vikings would have scored a TD to take a 7-0 lead, after the early block of a Ray Guy punt inside Oakland’s 5 yard line. That would have given the Purple their first lead in a SB. Brent McClanahan’s fumble haunts me to this day.

A strong case can also be made for the ‘73 team which played so well in beating Washington and Dallas in the NFC playoffs.

Fred Zamberletti, the team’s late long time trainer, thought the ‘72 team was the best despite their 7-7 record. They were still relatively young and they finally got a suitable replacement for Joe Kapp. They simply could not buy a break that season.

Not coming to an agreement with Kapp before the ‘70 season is the biggest mistake the franchise has ever made and, no, I’m not forgetting the Herschel Walker trade. The Vikings would have won one or both of SBs 5 and 6 with No. 11 at the controls.
Last edited by JohnH19 on Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Some Guy From Mars
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by Some Guy From Mars »

I always felt that the 75 Vikings were potentially a 'paper tiger'. Yes, the 12-2 record is impressive, but also consider that the Vikings regular season schedule mirrored that of the 1972 Dolphins: no playoff teams and only two teams with a winning records, Redskins and Bills (losing to the former and a medium good 7-7 Lions team). If the Vikings in 1975 were really that good they would have also gone undefeated...

BTW, does anyone seriously think the 1975 Vikings would have defeated the Steelers in the Super Bowl? Results in my opinion would have been no different than 1974, with the exception of being more in favor of the Steelers, whom were simply that much better in 1975.

My vote goes to the 1973 team, also with a 12-2 records but two of those wins including strong playoff teams in the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Rams (two losses were to the AFC Central winning Bengals and a 9-5 Falcons team). Defeated Washington and Dallas on the way to the Super Bowl, where they got hammered by an all time great Dolphins team.

It could also be said that the 1973 team features the most balanced combination of offense and defense of any Vikings team from the decade:

Defensively, finished second in the league in points allowed, giving up only 8 touchdowns through the air (and an opposing 53.2 QB rating). Gave up only 5 touchdowns on the ground, albeit 4.4 yards per carry to opposing runners (run defense ultimately haunted them in the playoffs). Offensively, Tarkenton put up an impressive year (for the era) with a 61% completion percentage and 93.2QB rating. Chuck Foreman was one of the best backs in the NFL when in his prime, combining for over a thousand yards rushing and receiving, while receiving John Gilliam equally stood out with 8 touchdowns and an impressive 21.6 yards per reception.
7DnBrnc53
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by 7DnBrnc53 »

Fred Zamberletti, the team’s late long time trainer, thought the ‘72 team was the best despite their 7-7 record. They were still relatively young and they finally got a suitable replacement for Joe Kapp. They simply could not buy a break that season.
That team was one of the big favorites to win SB VII.
I always wonder how different SB 11 would have been if the Vikings would have scored a TD to take a 7-0 lead, after the early block of a Ray Guy punt inside Oakland’s 5 yard line. That would have given the Purple their first lead in a SB. Brent McClanahan’s fumble haunts me to this day.
Good point. I don't really think that the Raiders were better. They only got by NE because of the refs and because Sam Cunningham didn't get one more yard when NE was up 21-10 in the second half. Also, they benefited from Franco and Rocky being out the next week.
Citizen
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by Citizen »

1973 gets my vote, too. The most complete Grant team IMO. They looked helpless against the Dolphins, but only because Miami was that good.
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

All due respect for 1975's supporters, but no real QW to think of other than the finale at 8-5 Bills. Flip those two narrow defeats that happened down the stretch, they do look pretty much like the '72 Dolphins (14-0 but with a 'weak' schedule). Not just saying this because I'm a Steeler-fan, but just don't see Vikes winning a hypo-SBX matchup; especially if Vikings go into the game unbeaten (still due for a loss, 'bubble' finally bursting and bursting hard). Steelers, as already said, were even better in '75; noticeably better.
JohnH19 wrote: Not coming to an agreement with Kapp before the ‘70 season is the biggest mistake the franchise has ever made and, no, I’m not forgetting the Herschel Walker trade. The Vikings would have won one or both of SBs 5 and 6 with No. 11 at the controls.
That seems real agreeable/sensible. I'd like to think they, with Kapp, get by SF in the '70 divisional, but Nolan's bunch did seem to have Minny's number during that very immediate time. A year prior, a losing SF team gave Vikes quite some hell on the road (and in the bitter cold) in their 10-7 loss to them (Spurrier plays just a bit better than his 3 INTs, SF very likely wins that one as well; statistically they did outplay them).

The '71 team needs quite the mention as well despite going 11-3 as opposed to 12-2 the year before. Significant notables defensively. At least give Vikings even-odds at beating Dallas in the '71 divisional had Kapp been at QB instead for Minny did outplay Big D statistically in the actual event. But then next week's opponent would have been...San Fran, that very thorn-in-their-side!

If Kapp leads Vikes to back-to-back SB-wins in '70 & '71, it may have ripple-effected Fran from ever coming back. I do think either '70 or '71 squad with Kapp is better than their '73 one with Fran if however slightly. That said, the '73 team having Kapp at QB instead of Trakenton of course makes for a lesser team. Now just imagine '70/'71 Vikes with...Sir Fran himself!!
BD Sullivan
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by BD Sullivan »

I've mentioned before that the 1972 team could have easily finished 11-3. They lost on a last-second field goal to the Cardinals, lost on late touchdowns to the Dolphins and 49ers and had a late game-winning touchdown against the Bears reversed by penalty. Had those been wins, they presumably would have hosted the Niners and likely beat them. Do they get past the Skins in the NFC title game?
JuggernautJ
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by JuggernautJ »

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ....Now just imagine '70/'71 Vikes with...Sir Fran himself!!
Anecdotally, I did.
I played the 1970 Vikings in a Strat-O-Matic Football League.
We were allowed one draft choice for the league and I chose Fran the Man (I think it was the 1968 Giants card, iirc).
Of course, I went to the championship game... and lost.

Frustrated, I came back the next year with Bob Griese at QB.
And lost that championship game, too.

Maybe it was just in the team's DNA...
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JohnR
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Re: Best Vikings team of the 1970s?

Post by JohnR »

[/quote] Good point. I don't really think that the Raiders were better. They only got by NE because of the refs and because Sam Cunningham didn't get one more yard when NE was up 21-10 in the second half. Also, they benefited from Franco and Rocky being out the next week.[/quote]

Are you trying to throw shade onto one of the happiest days of my life? The Raiders weren't a better team than the Vikings in 1976? They clearly were on THAT day. Do I need to bring up Lytle in '77?
Sometime the breaks go your way, sometimes they don't.
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