1973 Minnesota Vikings season
Encyclopedia
The 1973
Minnesota Vikings
season was their 13th year of play in the National Football League
. The Vikings regained the NFC Central title after a disappointing 7-7 record the previous season, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses. The Vikings defeated the Washington Redskins
, 27-20, in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at home and went on to upset the Dallas Cowboys
, 27-10, in Irving, Texas
to win the NFC Championship, before losing Super Bowl VIII
to the Miami Dolphins
, 24-7 at Rice Stadium
in Houston
.
Following college, Dave Winfield was drafted by four teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres
selected him as an outfielder with the fourth overall pick in the MLB draft. In basketball, both the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA) drafted him. Although he never played college football, the Minnesota Vikings selected Winfield in the 17th round of the NFL draft. He is currently one of two players ever to be drafted by three professional sports (the other being Dave Logan
).
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
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...
season was their 13th year of play in 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 regained the NFC Central title after a disappointing 7-7 record the previous season, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses. The Vikings defeated the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 27-20, in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at home and went on to upset the 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...
, 27-10, in Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
to win the NFC Championship, before losing Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 24-7 at Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium is a football stadium located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. It has been the home of the Rice University football team since its completion in 1950 and hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974....
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:... |
Running Back | University of Miami Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
| 2 | 34 | Jackie Wallace | Defensive Back | University of Arizona Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:... |
| 3 | 65 | Jim Lash | Wide Receiver | Northwestern University |
| 4 | 80 | Mike Wells | Quarterback | University of Illinois |
| 5 | 118 | Brent McClanahan | Running Back | Arizona State University |
| 6 | 139 | Doug Kingsriter | Tight End | University of Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers football The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as... |
| 6 | 143 | Fred Abbott | Linebacker | University of Florida Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference... |
| 7 | 168 | Josh Brown | Running Back | Texas State |
| 8 | 196 | Craig Darling | Tackle | Iowa |
| 9 | 221 | Larry Dibbles | Defensive End | New Mexico |
| 10 | 236 | Randy Lee | Defensive Back | Tulane |
| 10 | 246 | Dave Mason | Defensive Back | University of Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
| 11 | 274 | Geary Murdock | Guard | Iowa State |
| 12 | 299 | Alan Spencer | Wide Receiver | Pittsburg State |
| 13 | 324 | Ron Just | Guard | Minot State |
| 14 | 352 | Eddie Bishop | Defensive Back | Southern |
| 15 | 377 | Tony Chandler | Running Back | Missouri Valley |
| 16 | 402 | Larry Smiley | Defensive End | Texas Southern |
| 17 | 429 | Dave Winfield Dave Winfield David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight... |
Tight End | University of Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers football The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as... |
Following college, Dave Winfield was drafted by four teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
selected him as an outfielder with the fourth overall pick in the MLB draft. In basketball, both the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA) drafted him. Although he never played college football, the Minnesota Vikings selected Winfield in the 17th round of the NFL draft. He is currently one of two players ever to be drafted by three professional sports (the other being Dave Logan
Dave Logan (American football)
David Russell Logan is a former American football player. Logan played in nine National Football League seasons from 1976 to 1984, primarily for the Cleveland Browns...
).
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 16, 1973 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24-16 | 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... |
|
| 2 | September 23, 1973 | 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 22-13 | 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... |
|
| 3 | September 30, 1973 | 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 11-3 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 4 | October 7, 1973 | 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 23-9 | Tiger Stadium | |
| 5 | October 14, 1973 | at 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... |
W 17-13 | Candlestick Park | |
| 6 | October 21, 1973 | 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 28-21 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 7 | October 28, 1973 | Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 10-9 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 8 | November 4, 1973 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 26-3 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 9 | November 11, 1973 | 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 28-7 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 10 | November 19, 1973 | at 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... |
L 20-14 | Atlanta Stadium Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:... |
|
| 11 | November 25, 1973 | 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 31-13 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 12 | December 2, 1973 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 27-0 | Riverfront Stadium | |
| 13 | December 8, 1973 | 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 31-7 | 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... |
|
| 14 | December 16, 1973 | 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 31-7 | Yale Bowl Yale Bowl The Yale Bowl is a football stadium in New Haven, Connecticut on the border of West Haven, about 1½ miles west of Yale's main campus. Completed in 1914, the stadium seats 61,446, reduced by renovations from the original capacity of 70,869... |
|
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 296 | 168 | W-2 |
| Detroit Lions 1973 Detroit Lions season The 1973 Detroit Lions season was their 44th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 8-5-1 The team missed the playoffs for the third straight season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
6 | 7 | 1 | .464 | 271 | 247 | L-1 |
| Green Bay Packers 1973 Green Bay Packers season The 1973 Green Bay Packers season was their 53rd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 5-7-2 record under coach Dan Devine, earning them a third-place finish in the NFC Central division.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:*... |
5 | 7 | 2 | .429 | 202 | 259 | W-1 |
| Chicago Bears 1973 Chicago Bears season The 1973 Chicago Bears season was their 54th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 3-11 record, the second worst showing in franchise history.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 195 | 334 | L-6 |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 22, 1973 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 27-20 | 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... |
|
| Conference Championship | December 30, 1973 | at 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... |
W 27-10 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
|
| Super Bowl | January 13, 1974 | N Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24-7 | Rice Stadium Rice Stadium Rice Stadium is a football stadium located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. It has been the home of the Rice University football team since its completion in 1950 and hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974.... |
|