1975 Minnesota Vikings season | |
---|---|
General manager | Mike Lynn |
Head coach | Bud Grant |
Home field | Metropolitan Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 12–2 |
Division place | 1st NFC Central |
Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Cowboys) 14–17 |
Uniform | |
The 1975 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 15th in the National Football League.
The Vikings began with a 10-game win streak before losing by one point to the Washington Redskins, though there was generally very little expectation they would equal the 1972 Dolphins' perfect season.[1] The 1975 Vikings had an even easier schedule than the often-criticized one of the unbeaten Dolphin team, with their 14 opponents having a weighted average winning percentage of .332, only two (like the Dolphins) finishing with winning records and nine being 4–10 or worse.[2] Football journalists noted during their streak how the Vikings had been playing very weak schedules for several years and flattered thereby.[3] Their 10–0 start was not subsequently equaled until the 1984 Miami Dolphins began 11–0.[4] According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, only the Super Bowl-winning 1999 Rams have since had a weaker schedule than the 1975 Vikings, playing only one opponent with a winning record during the regular season.[5]
They sealed their third straight NFC Central title on Thanksgiving Day in this same week when the Detroit Lions lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Vikings finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, before losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 17–14 in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at home due to a play known as the "Hail Mary". Earlier in the season, the New York Jets made their first appearance in Minnesota in a much-anticipated match between Super Bowl quarterbacks Fran Tarkenton and Joe Namath, in what was the first regular season game sold out during the summer.[6]
Third year halfback Chuck Foreman became the first Vikings running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Main article: 1975 NFL draft |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 9 | New York Jets | L 15–20 | 0–1 | Sun Devil Stadium, (Tempe, AZ) | 51,323 |
2 | August 17 | at New England Patriots | L 10–36 | 0–2 | Schaefer Stadium | 40,218 |
3 | August 23 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 16–13 | 1–2 | Texas Stadium | 45,395 |
4 | September 1 | Miami Dolphins | W 20–7 | 2–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,653 |
5 | September 6 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 6–13 | 2–3 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,975 |
6 | September 13 | at San Diego Chargers | T 14–14 (OT) | 2–3–1 | San Diego Stadium | 31,642 |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 21 | San Francisco 49ers | W 27–17 | 1–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,479 |
2 | September 28 | at Cleveland Browns | W 42–10 | 2–0 | Cleveland Stadium | 68,064 |
3 | October 5 | Chicago Bears | W 28–3 | 3–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,578 |
4 | October 12 | New York Jets | W 29–21 | 4–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,739 |
5 | October 19 | Detroit Lions | W 25–19 | 5–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,872 |
6 | October 27 | at Chicago Bears | W 13–9 | 6–0 | Soldier Field | 51,259 |
7 | November 2 | at Green Bay Packers | W 28–17 | 7–0 | Lambeau Field | 57,267 |
8 | November 9 | Atlanta Falcons | W 38–0 | 8–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 43,751 |
9 | November 16 | at New Orleans Saints | W 20–7 | 9–0 | Louisiana Superdome | 52,765 |
10 | November 23 | San Diego Chargers | W 28–13 | 10–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 43,737 |
11 | November 30 | at Washington Redskins | L 30–31 | 10–1 | RFK Stadium | 54,498 |
12 | December 7 | Green Bay Packers | W 24–3 | 11–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,147 |
13 | December 14 | at Detroit Lions | L 10–17 | 11–2 | Silverdome | 73,130 |
14 | December 20 | at Buffalo Bills | W 35–13 | 12–2 | Rich Stadium | 54,993 |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
49ers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Vikings | 3 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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|
NFC Central | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Minnesota Vikings(1) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 5–1 | 8–2 | 377 | 180 | W1 |
Detroit Lions | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–5 | 245 | 262 | L1 |
Chicago Bears | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 2–4 | 4–7 | 191 | 379 | W1 |
Green Bay Packers | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 1–5 | 4–7 | 226 | 285 | W1 |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Divisional | December 28 | Dallas Cowboys (4) | L 14–17 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,425 |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Category | Player(s) | Value |
---|---|---|
Passing yards | Fran Tarkenton | 2,994 |
Passing touchdowns | Fran Tarkenton | 25 |
Rushing yards | Chuck Foreman | 1,070 |
Rushing touchdowns | Chuck Foreman | 13 |
Receiving yards | John Gilliam | 777 |
Receiving touchdowns | Chuck Foreman | 9 |
Points | Chuck Foreman | 132 |
Kickoff return yards | Brent McClanahan | 360 |
Punt return yards | Bobby Bryant | 125 |
Interceptions | Paul Krause | 10 * |
* Vikings single season record.
Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 26) |
---|---|---|---|
Passing offense | 2,861 | 204.4 | 3rd |
Rushing offense | 2,094 | 149.6 | 10th |
Total offense | 4,955 | 353.9 | 5th |
Passing defense | 1,621 | 115.8 | 1st |
Rushing defense | 1,532 | 109.4 | 1st |
Total defense | 3,153 | 262.2 | 1st |