1971

1971 NFL season

The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...

 was the 11th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 and the 52nd regular season of the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. The Vikings won the NFC Central title as they finished with a record of 11 wins and three losses, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl

Super Bowl VI

Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1971 regular season...

 champion Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 at home, 20–12, in the NFC Divisional Playoff game.

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1	(24)	Leo Hayden Leo Hayden Leophus "Leo" Hayden, Jr. is a former National Football League running back who played from 1971 to 1973 for the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Cardinals...	Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...	Ohio State 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1970 college football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 9–0 regular season record to attain a #2 ranking...
3	(76)	Eddie Hackett	Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...	Alcorn A&M
4	(102)	Vince Clements	Running back	Connecticut
7	(180)	Gene Mack	Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...	Texas-El Paso
8	(208)	John Farley	Defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...	Johnson C. Smith
9	(232)	Tim Sullivan	Running back	Iowa
10	(258)	Chris Morris	Guard Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....	Indiana
11	(284)	Mike Walker	Linebacker	Tulane
12	(310)	Reggie Holmes	Defensive back Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...	Wisconsin–Stout
13	(336)	Benny Fry	Center Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...	Houston University of Houston The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
14	(362)	Jim Gallagher	Linebacker	Yale
15	(388)	Jeff Wright Jeff Wright (defensive back) Jeff Ralph Wright is an American football player.He played safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1971-1977....	Defensive back	Minnesota
16	(413)	Greg Edmonds	Wide receiver	Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
17	(439)	Ken Duncan	Punter	Tulsa

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Results		Venue	Attendance
			Final score	Team record
1	September 20	at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...	W 16–13	1–0	Tiger Stadium	54,418
2	September 26	Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 20–17	1–1	Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...	47,900
3	October 3	Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 19–0	2–1	Metropolitan Stadium	47,900
4	October 10	at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 13–0	3–1	Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...	65,358
5	October 17	at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	W 24–13	4–1	Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...	56,263
6	October 25	Baltimore Colts	W 10–3	5–1	Metropolitan Stadium	49,784
7	October 31	at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 17–10	6–1	Yankee Stadium	62,829
8	November 7	San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...	L 13–9	6–2	Metropolitan Stadium	49,784
9	November 14	Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	W 3–0	7–2	Metropolitan Stadium	49,784
10	November 21	at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....	W 23–10	8–2	Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...	83,130
11	November 28	Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 24–7	9–2	Metropolitan Stadium	49,784
12	December 5	at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 30–14	9–3	San Diego Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....	54,505
13	December 11	Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...	W 29–10	10–3	Metropolitan Stadium	49,784
14	December 19	at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 27–10	11–3	Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...	55,049

Playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Divisional	December 25	Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...	L 20–12	Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...	47,307

Standings

NFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Minnesota Vikings	11	3	0	.786	245	139	W-5
Detroit Lions 1971 Detroit Lions season The 1971 Detroit Lions season was their 42nd in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 10-4, winning only seven games.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...	7	6	1	.538	341	286	L-3
Chicago Bears 1971 Chicago Bears season The 1971 Chicago Bears season was their 52nd regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 6-8 record, another below .500 showing, eventually costing head coach Jim Dooley his job. This was their 1st season at Soldier Field....	6	8	0	.429	185	276	L-5
Green Bay Packers 1971 Green Bay Packers season The 1971 Green Bay Packers season was their 51st season in the National Football League. The club posted a 4-8-2 record under first-year coach Dan Devine, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:*...	4	8	2	.333	274	298	L-1

All-Pros

First Team

• OT Ron Yary
  Ron Yary
  Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
  
   (AP, NEA, PFWA, PFW)
• DE Carl Eller
  Carl Eller
  Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
  
   (AP, NEA, PFWA, PFW)
• DT Alan Page
  Alan Page
  Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
  
   (AP, NEA, PFWA, PFW)
• S Paul Krause
  Paul Krause
  Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League...
  
   (NEA)

Pro Bowlers

• WR Bob Grim
• OT Ron Yary
  Ron Yary
  Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
  
  
• DE Carl Eller
  Carl Eller
  Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
  
  
• DT Alan Page
  Alan Page
  Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
  
  
• S Paul Krause
  Paul Krause
  Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League...
  
  

League leaders

• Bob Lee
  Bob Lee (American football)
  Robert Melville Lee is a former professional American football player. He graduated from Lowell High School in 1963. Nicknamed "General" Bob Lee during a brief period of success with the Atlanta Falcons, Lee was selected in the 17th round by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1968 NFL Draft...
  
   – Most punts (89), most punting yards (3515)
• Charlie West
  Charlie West
  Charlie West is a former safety who played for three National Football League teams. He played in Super Bowl IV as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. He also still holds the UTEP career record of 19 interceptions, including a school record four in one game...
  
   – Longest interception return (89 yards)
• Alan Page
  Alan Page
  Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
  
  – Most safeties (2)