1969 Vikings

[Jay Z]

The game was over when it was 3-0. Vikings drive, get a couple of first downs. Bud passes up a 46 yard FG attempt so Bob Lee can make a 22 yard punt. Then the Chiefs come down and Stenerud makes a FG longer than the one Bud passed up! Says it all right there.

Fred Cox didn't have the range to make it. He was 4 for 11 frm 40 and beyond that year.

Cox tried a 56 yarder later in the same half! Of course he missed that as well. By that time the Vikings were down 16-0.

I think Cox misses the kick, but 4-11 is not 0-11. Even if he misses, it's likely a touchback, or the Chiefs try to return it and don't get back to the 20.

[Retro Rider]

Fred Cox was only 2/24 from 50+ yards (regular season). His first 50 yarder came in 1965 (the only NFL kicker with a 50 yard FG that season). His next successful 50 yard attempt didn't come until 1975.

[JohnH19]

The game was over when it was 3-0. Vikings drive, get a couple of first downs. Bud passes up a 46 yard FG attempt so Bob Lee can make a 22 yard punt. Then the Chiefs come down and Stenerud makes a FG longer than the one Bud passed up! Says it all right there.

Fred Cox didn't have the range to make it. He was 4 for 11 frm 40 and beyond that year.

Cox tried a 56 yarder later in the same half! Of course he missed that as well. By that time the Vikings were down 16-0.

I think Cox misses the kick, but 4-11 is not 0-11. Even if he misses, it's likely a touchback, or the Chiefs try to return it and don't get back to the 20.

So, Bud was supposed to know that Lee would shank his punt? Bud Grant didn’t suddenly turn into an idiot in the weeks preceding the SBs. As you’re no doubt aware, he coached in six Grey Cup games, winning four, so he was no stranger to championship games.

A lot of what doomed the Vikings in the SBs had nothing to do with coaching. All of the things that made the Vikings successful in their runs to the big game went awol on Super Sunday. The only big play I can think of that they made in any of the four was the blocked punt TD by Terry Brown to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-6 in SB 9. Naturally, Fred Cox missed the extra point. They simply did not play a clean, efficient game in any of the four.

[Jay Z]

So, Bud was supposed to know that Lee would shank his punt? Bud Grant didn’t suddenly turn into an idiot in the weeks preceding the SBs. As you’re no doubt aware, he coached in six Grey Cup games, winning four, so he was no stranger to championship games.

A lot of what doomed the Vikings in the SBs had nothing to do with coaching. All of the things that made the Vikings successful in their runs to the big game went awol on Super Sunday. The only big play I can think of that they made in any of the four was the blocked punt TD by Terry Brown to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-6 in SB 9. Naturally, Fred Cox missed the extra point. They simply did not play a clean, efficient game in any of the four.

Coaches set an emotional tone for a team. The Vikings had the same crappy emotional tone for all four SB. That falls on Bud.

Landry loved gadgets and tinkering. He would win some games that way, lose some games that way. George Allen had his team really fired up at the starts of games and seasons and faded as they went along. Don Shula was superlative at regular season record, spottier in the playoffs. And so on. It is not just random.

The Broncos and Bills, when they lost 4 SB, at least there were different story lines. Not with the Vikes. When you lose, and it looks like you are trying nothing, that's on the coach. It is a big game, you need to have something you might try, make adjustments. Stram came up with the reverses to Pitts. That was something the Chiefs did, but not three times in a game. What did Bud ever do? Bud was too focused on letting his vets do everything, start games until past the point where they could play. Bud cost the Vikings in SB XI when he played Hilgenberg in front of Matt Blair.

1969 Vikings defense did not play that well in the playoffs. Only 5 turnovers, and they could be beaten if you were patient. Raiders were willing to grind it out if need be, they did it against the Chiefs.

Bud Grant was a great coach up to the SB. I rate him above George Allen, Chuck Knox, coaches who didn't get there as often. Pre-SB the Vikings could be very resourceful. Witness 1977 playoffs against the Rams. Bud had a plan to go aggressive before the weather turned worse and he executed it.

[Bryan]

A lot of what doomed the Vikings in the SBs had nothing to do with coaching. All of the things that made the Vikings successful in their runs to the big game went awol on Super Sunday. The only big play I can think of that they made in any of the four was the blocked punt TD by Terry Brown to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-6 in SB 9. Naturally, Fred Cox missed the extra point. They simply did not play a clean, efficient game in any of the four.

I think the whole Hank Stram angle in SB IV is somewhat overblown. The game itself was dull. This idea that Minnesota's defense was so confused by Stram's motion and formations and "Offense of the 70's" isn't really apparent in the game. Minnesota let Dawson complete short passes. Most of KC's runs were stopped for minimal gains. The difference in the game was the turnovers...the Vikings made 5 the Chiefs (to their credit) only made 1. The three biggest things about that game IMO were: 1) Charlie West fumble, 2) Otis Taylor TD, 3) Frank Pitts' end arounds.

The rematch in the 1970 opener had the Vikes winning 27-10. It was kind of the same type of game as SB IV as neither offense did much (KC 218 yards, MIN 220 yard), but this time the Vikes won the turnover battle. Instead of Charlie West fumbling a kick return, it was Mike Garrett fumbling and Roy Winston (eventually) scoring a TD on the return. Minnesota was up 10-0 instead of down 16-0.

The 1969 Chiefs were a fine team, I wouldn't say the 1969 Vikings were a top 25 team in history, but I also don't think there was a clear KC superiority. The teams were evenly-matched, IMO.

[Gary Najman]

As I’ve said many times, Kapp was the missing ingredient in 1970 and 71. The Vikings would have won one or both of SBs 5 and 6 with Joe at the helm. He was a flat out winner everywhere he played. Check out his CFL passing stats. He could throw the ball.

Regarding Pete Liske; I don’t put much stock in QB win-loss records but Liske was 13-14-1 with Denver and Philadelphia from 1969-72. Pretty damn impressive, all things considered.

Something else about Liske: he and Adrian Burk are the only post-1950 NFL quarterbacks who later became officials (both of them back judges, that position is now called field judge). Burk threw 7 TDs in one game and worked the game when Kapp threw for 7 TDs.

Dean Look played QB for the NY Titans, and was a line and side judge for many years. Look also played MLB.

You're right, Look worked 29 seasons as a line judge and side judge from 1972-2001 (he missed one season in the 90s due to injury) and was the official who called Dwight Clark's Catch in the NFC Championship after the 1981 season.

[JohnH19]

The Vikes actually made one other big play, in the Raiders game when they blocked Ray Guy’s punt. The game was scoreless and Minnesota had the ball inside the five. Brent McClanahan fumbled a possible 7-0 lead away. Would it have mattered? I don’t know but it might have. Bud Grant had nothing to do with the fumble but he may have called for the punt rush.

[BD Sullivan]

Interestingly, the only Vikings road playoff game in their SB era was the 73 CC at Dallas. They lost three opening round series (70 vs. Niners and 70,75 vs. Cowboys) at home.

[Jay Z]

A lot of what doomed the Vikings in the SBs had nothing to do with coaching. All of the things that made the Vikings successful in their runs to the big game went awol on Super Sunday. The only big play I can think of that they made in any of the four was the blocked punt TD by Terry Brown to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-6 in SB 9. Naturally, Fred Cox missed the extra point. They simply did not play a clean, efficient game in any of the four.

I think the whole Hank Stram angle in SB IV is somewhat overblown. The game itself was dull. This idea that Minnesota's defense was so confused by Stram's motion and formations and "Offense of the 70's" isn't really apparent in the game. Minnesota let Dawson complete short passes. Most of KC's runs were stopped for minimal gains. The difference in the game was the turnovers...the Vikings made 5 the Chiefs (to their credit) only made 1. The three biggest things about that game IMO were: 1) Charlie West fumble, 2) Otis Taylor TD, 3) Frank Pitts' end arounds.

The rematch in the 1970 opener had the Vikes winning 27-10. It was kind of the same type of game as SB IV as neither offense did much (KC 218 yards, MIN 220 yard), but this time the Vikes won the turnover battle. Instead of Charlie West fumbling a kick return, it was Mike Garrett fumbling and Roy Winston (eventually) scoring a TD on the return. Minnesota was up 10-0 instead of down 16-0.

The 1969 Chiefs were a fine team, I wouldn't say the 1969 Vikings were a top 25 team in history, but I also don't think there was a clear KC superiority. The teams were evenly-matched, IMO.

The Chiefs did what I would do as coach. On defense, they took away bombs to Gene Washington. They took away Kapp running. They let Kapp have short passes to Beasley and Henderson, the weakest part of Kapp's game. The Vikings did the same to some degree, but Dawson was a better QB than Kapp.

The West fumble came when the Vikings were already down 9-0. The Vikings were already in big trouble before that happened.

I think the Chiefs looked at what the Rams did to the Vikings and did the same. That if you took the short stuff and were patient you could move the ball enough. It worked.

[Rupert Patrick]

The Vikes actually made one other big play, in the Raiders game when they blocked Ray Guy’s punt. The game was scoreless and Minnesota had the ball inside the five. Brent McClanahan fumbled a possible 7-0 lead away. Would it have mattered? I don’t know but it might have. Bud Grant had nothing to do with the fumble but he may have called for the punt rush.

The Vikings of the mid-70's were the best kick-blocking team in pro football history. One of the oddities of the NFL statistics is that they keep track of blocked punts on offense but not on defense. I don't have blocked kick numbers on extra points, but I do have them for field goals. I would guess about ten percent of missed field goals are blocked. As best I can tell, these are the number of blocked (out of misses) by the Vikings defense in the 70's (and I'll include 1969, since it is the subject line):

1969 - 5 of 11
1970 - 2 of 12
1971 - 5 of 18
1972 - 1 of 13
1973 - 6 of 17
1974 - 1 of 7
1975 - 2 of 4
1976 - 4 of 15
1977 - 2 of 10
1978 - 1 of 11
1979 - 1 if 9