A Big Snow Game in the 1970s

Despite the disparity in the teams’ records, both the Vikings and the Packers were evenly matched. That was due primarily because Minnesota’s starting quarterback, Fran Tarkenton, had been injured early in the year, and would be out for the rest of the season.

Bob Lee would take the snaps in his place. Green Bay’s starting quarterback on this day would be David Whitehurst, a young rookie signal-caller who was certainly not used to throwing the ball in the snow, and who was certainly not used to going up against the Purple Gang. Whitehurst would get a dose of needed experience in this game, however.

The most important factor for both teams in this game was to hold on to the ball. The wet snow would certainly keep the ball slippery and grasping in in the cold weather was difficult. The Vikings fumbled the ball four times but were fortunate to reclaim two of those fumbles.

The Packers fumbled three times but could only reclaim one of those fumbles. A Minnesota fumble in the first quarter led to the game’s first score, a 3-yard bootleg scamper by David Whitehurst. Green Bay had drawn first blood, but it was not complete. Their conversion attempt failed, and in this game, one point might decide things.  The Vikings countered with a lot of off-tackle runs by both Chuck Foreman and Brent McClanahan. The point of attack on those runs was the left side of the Green Bay defense.

Quite surprisingly, these runs, particularly from the second quarter to the end of the game, were successful. So much so, in fact, that Foreman lugged the slippery ball for 101 yards in the game on 26 carries. McClanahan contributed 43 more ground yards.

Despite all of these runs, it was a 2nd quarter pass which tied the game. Minnesota’s Bob Lee threw long for Sammy White, who somehow sped past the Green Bay coverage. White caught Lee’s 40-yard pass for a score. Fred Cox booted the extra point, and the Vikings had a lead that they would never lose. Two field goals by Cox in the second quarter increased the Vikings’ lead to 13-6. No more scoring would occur in the second half for either team, and the game ended in favor of the Vikes, 13-6.

In the end, the snow never relented. It seemed as if Minnesota’s overall team experience prepared them better for this snow game. Their defensive secondary was rarely fooled by Green Bay’s receivers.   Even when a big Green Bay pass play occurred against them, the Minnesota defense regrouped quickly enough to take the ball back. Whitehurst would throw two telling interceptions in the second half, while his counterpart, Bob Lee, was not intercepted at all in the game.

Snow games in pro football are fun to watch and fun to play in, regardless of the year in question. The big snow game in 1977 between the Vikings and the Packers was proof of that.