# 1974 Minnesota Vikings 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 | Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| Round | Selection | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 17 | Fred McNeill | Linebacker | UCLA | From Falcons |
| 1 | 25 | Steve Riley | Offensive tackle | USC | |
| 2 | 29 | John Holland | Wide receiver | Tennessee State | From Chargers |
| 2 | 51 | Matt Blair | Linebacker | Iowa State | |
| 3 | 64 | Steve Craig | Tight end | Northwestern | From Packers via Chargers |
| 3 | 77 | Scott Anderson | Center | Missouri | |
| 4 | 86 | Mike Townsend | Defensive back | Notre Dame | from Saints |
| 4 | 103 | Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals | Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals | Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals | |
| 5 | 120 | Jim Ferguson | Defensive back | Stanford | From Broncos |
| 5 | 128 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | From Rams |
| 5 | 129 | Traded to the Baltimore Colts | Traded to the Baltimore Colts | Traded to the Baltimore Colts | |
| 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
* ↑ The 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.
* 1 2 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).
* ↑ The 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).
* ↑ The Vikings traded a fourth-round selection (103rd overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for G Steve Lawson.
* ↑ The Vikings traded WR Gene Washington to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round selection (120th overall) and WR Rod Sherman.
* ↑ The Vikings traded the fifth-round selection they received from the Rams (128th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for LB Ron Porter.
* ↑ The Vikings traded CB Charlie Stukes to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fifth-round selection (128th overall).
* ↑ The Vikings traded a fifth-round selection (129th overall) to the Baltimore Colts in exchange for CB Charlie Stukes.

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 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 |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 7 | 13 | 9 | 32 |
| Packers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Vikings | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oilers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Vikings | 16 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 51 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Vikings | 6 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 29 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
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
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

NFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | 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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 30 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 19 °F (−7 °C), flurries
* Game attendance: 48,150
* Referee: Chuck Heberling
* TV announcers (CBS): Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and Johnny Unitas
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
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.
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
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
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 16 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
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
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 |