Thread: The Ultimate Super Rankings

65. 1974 MINNESOTA VIKINGS

10-4 (2-1)




Pts Avg Pts
All. Avg Diff. Rank
Pts Rank
Yards Rank
Pts All. Rank
Yds All. Opp.
W-L .500+ Post.
Score
310 22.1 195 13.9 +115 5 of 26 3 of 26 3 of 26 10 of 26 .454 4-3 50-40
Super Bowl: Lost to Pittsburgh 16-6

Coach: Bud Grant
Key players: QB Fran Tarkenton (2,598 yards, 17 TD), RB Chuck Foreman (777 yards, 15 TD), WR John Gilliam, OT Ron Yary, DT Alan Page, DE Carl Eller, S Paul Krause

And before the Bills there were the Minnesota Vikings! This was the third of Minnesota's four Super Bowl teams between 1969 and 1976 -- the Vikings would lose the four Super Bowls by a combined score of 95-34 and average just 237 yards per game (really, when you look back at the Super Bowls from the early '70s, you wonder how the game ever caught on). Anyway, this team lost by more than four points only once, but laid an egg in the Super Bowl, compiling a mere 119 net yards and scoring only on a blocked punt recovered in the end zone.

60. 1973 MINNESOTA VIKINGS

12-2 (2-1)




Pts Avg Pts
All. Avg Diff. Rank
Pts Rank
Yards Rank
Pts All. Rank
Yds All. Opp.
W-L .500+ Post.
Score
296 21.1 168 12.0 +128 9 of 26 7 of 26 2 of 26 12 of 26 .472 3-2 61-54
Super Bowl: Lost to Miami 24-7

Coach: Bud Grant
Key players: QB Fran Tarkenton (2,113 yards, 15 TD), RB Chuck Foreman (801 yards), WR John Gilliam, OT Ron Yary, DT Alan Page, DE Carl Eller, LB Jeff Siemon, S Paul Krause


Minnesota's defense helped push the Vikings to their second NFC title, but it was ultimately punctured by the Miami running game in the Super Bowl. The Vikings allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL, but ranked toward the middle of the pack in yards allowed. Fran Tarkenton compiled the highest passer rating of his career (93.2), and rookie Chuck Foreman made an impact with 1,163 yards from scrimmage. The Vikings boasted seven Pro Bowl selections and five future Hall of Famers on their roster.

53. 1976 MINNESOTA VIKINGS

11-2-1 (2-1)




Pts Avg Pts
All. Avg Diff. Rank
Pts Rank
Yards Rank
Pts All. Rank
Yds All. Opp.
W-L .500+ Post.
Score
305 21.8 176 12.6 +129 9 of 28 6 of 28 2 of 28 5 of 28 .426 2-2-1 73-65
Super Bowl: Lost to Oakland 32-14

Coach: Bud Grant
Key players: QB Fran Tarkenton (2,961, 17 TD), RB Chuck Foreman (1,155 yards), WR Sammy White, WR Ahmad Rashad, OT Ron Yary, DT Alan Page, LB Matt Blair, CB Bobby Bryant

So we're back to Minnesota. It looked like this might be the team to break the Vikings' Super Bowl jinx. After all, they had one tie and two losses by one and four points. They had two new receivers in explosive rookie Sammy White and vet Ahmad Rashad. Chuck Foreman remained a passing/receiving threat at running back. This team boasted the last of the great Vikings defenses of the '70s, allowing the second-fewest points in the NFL. But there were clues the Super Bowl wouldn't turn out happily: The Vikings were just 2-2-1 against teams .500 or better in playing a weak schedule and the defense was 21st in average yards per rush. Sure enough, Oakland rushed for 266 yards in blowing out the Vikes in the big game.

45. 1969 MINNESOTA VIKINGS

12-2 (2-1)




Pts Avg Pts
All. Avg Diff. Rank
Pts Rank
Yards Rank
Pts All. Rank
Yds All. Opp.
W-L .500+ Post.
Score
379 27.1 133 9.5 +246 1 of 16 10 of 16 1 of 16 1 of 16 n/a 7-0 57-50
Super Bowl: Lost to Kansas City 23-7

Coach: Bud Grant
Key players: QB Joe Kapp (1,726 yards, 19 TD), RB Dave Osborn, WR Gene Washington, C Mick Tingelhoff, OT Ron Yary, DE Carl Eller, DE Jim Marshall, DT Alan Page, DT Gary Larsen

OK, Vikings fans, one last bit of tortured memory for you. This team was powered by a stingy Purple People Eater defense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in points and yards allowed (all four members of the D-line made the Pro Bowl). It also went 7-0 against opponents with a record of .500 or better. How good was the D? Minnesota was just 10th out of 16 teams in yards but still led the NFL in scoring (yeah, those league-leading 30 interceptions helped). All pretty stats. But then came Super Bowl IV – five turnovers doomed Minnesota, a 13-point favorite over Kansas City.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=super/rankings/80-61

Thanks for the read and the memory refresh.
Probably why this isn't getting much play, that and alot of fans of today don't remember those.