Why 1973 Minnesota Vikings Were Best Team of Decade

The common opinions that I have read regarding the best Minnesota Vikings team of the 1970s have declared that the 1975 season was the best year of the decade for the Norsemen. But I contend that the 1973 Vikings team was their best team of that era, and I’ll tell you why.

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1973 Regular Season Record

First, let’s take a look at their regular season record. The 1973 Vikings achieved an exemplary 12-2 mark, which was the best mark in the league. During the course of that season, they managed to win their first nine games, and by the 11th week of the season, they had already secured the championship of the NFC’s Central Division.

Their offense accumulated 4,231 total yards in 1973. They also accounted for a total of 30 touchdowns. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton led Minnesota’s offense. He contributed a 61.7 completion percentage with his passes.

The 1973 season was also the rookie year for a dynamic running back, Chuck Foreman out of the University of Miami. Foreman’s twisting runs and spinning dashes through opposing defenses, combined with his excellent ability to run pass patterns out of the backfield and catch most passes that came his way, enlivened the previously stagnant Minnesota offense. By season’s end, Foreman rushed for 801 yards and caught 37 passes.

A Dominant Defense

Minnesota’s defense in 1973 had one of their best years ever. That unit was ranked as second-best in the NFL. They only gave up a meager 168 points in 1973. Even more telling was the fact that the Vikings pass defense only allowed eight touchdown passes all year long. By the end of the year, Minnesota’s defenders caused 33 opposing turnovers.

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that the NFC Central Division was notoriously weak in 1973, and you are correct. But you still have to play the games, and upsets could happen at any time. There were only three teams that managed to beat the Vikings in 1973. They included the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football on November 19th, the Cincinnati Bengals on December 2nd, and the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII. Minnesota did not lose a home game all throughout 1973.

But it was their nine-game winning streak that was most impressive. The Vikings did not really have a lot of blow out victories in 1973. They had to fight, scratch and crawl their way to winning the games that they won. Their largest margin of victory was 24 points over the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants at the end of the 1973 regular season. The rest of their victories were settled by closer final scores.

Another important factor in Minnesota’s 1973 wins was the fact that they were able to beat all of the teams in their division…twice. If any team sweeps all of their division opponents – as the Vikings had done in 1973 – then that team will in all likelihood make the playoffs…in any era.

Peaking at the Right TIme

Perhaps the most important factor in helping the 1973 Vikings get to the Super Bowl was their ability to peak at the exact right time of the season. During their final two regular season games, their defense permitted a total of just two touchdowns. With that kind of defense, you’re going to win most of your games.

But the playoffs brought on stiffer competition. Nevertheless, Minnesota fought hard enough in the second half of their divisional playoff contest against Washington to defeat the Redskins, 27-20. Then in the NFC Championship Game at Dallas, all of the fruits of the Vikings’ labor came to full fruition. Minnesota took advantage of six Cowboys turnovers to post a 27-10 victory.

The 1973 Minnesota Vikings did lose Super Bowl VIII to a truly great Miami Dolphins team. But despite that loss, I feel that the 1973 season was the best overall season for the Vikings during the 1970s.

Trivia Question:

Which Minnesota player led the Vikings in pass receptions in 1973?

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Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski

Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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