Monday, Nov. 15, 1971: Vikings 3, Packers 0
Posted on September 30th, 2007 – 5:59 PMBy Ben Welter
I’ve watched dozens of Vikings-Packers games over the years, including a couple at Lambeau, but oddly enough the one I remember most is Minnesota’s 3-0 victory at Met Stadium in 1971. The game was not televised in the Twin Cities; my dad and I listened to it on the big Magnavox radio in our living room. Neither offense had much success that afternoon. Minnesota, with Gary Cuozzo at quarterback, managed just 87 yards and five first downs. You look at the box score and think: Dullsville. But the Vikings’ “bend-but-don’t-break” defense put on an entertaining display, registering a gritty goal-line stand and forcing several timely turnovers.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the game still scoreless, the Packers had the ball at the Minnesota 8, second and goal to go. Needing only a field goal against a team that had not scored a touchdown in two weeks, QB Scott Hunter “got greedy” a la T.J. Rubley and called a pass play — and found the Vikings’ Charlie West in the end zone. West returned it to midfield, and Dave Osborn and Fred Cox did the rest.
The Minneapolis Star’s game report appeared next to a short item about St. Peter’s of Richfield beating St. Mark’s of St. Paul 8-6 for the Twin Cities grade school championship that Sunday. Greg Margarit, a teammate of mine at Holy Angels a few years later, scored for St. Peter’s on a 35-yard pass from Tim Doherty.
Super-play West: team win
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| Charlie West led the Vikings with seven interceptions in 1971, including this one against Buffalo. (Minneapolis Star photo) |
By Dick Gordon
Special to the Minneapolis Star
It was a “super play” by Viking safety Charlie West, according to Coach Bud Grant.
It was a “non-super” play selection by Green Bay quarterback Scott Hunter, according to Coach Danny Devine.
That combination – the bum call that led to West’s great interception – turned almost certain Viking defeat Sunday into a 3-0 victory as the Purple’s cardiac crew went down to the wire for the fourth straight weekend.
Despite “producing a club record low in total offense (87 yards) and first downs (5), the Vikings still lead the Central Division and their 7-2 won-lost record is tops for the National Football Conference.
Here was the situation midway in the fourth quarter when a second straight setback beckoned:
The Packers, taking advantage of a rare penalty – defensive holding against John Ward on their punt – had moved to the Viking eight-yard-line, second down, goal-to-go. Naturally the Packers, who rushed for 245 yards, would call on John Brockington who contributed 149 himself.
Devine had been preaching to Hunter on the sidelines “for five minutes” that a field goal would win the game. He knew the Vikings hadn’t scored a touchdown in two weeks. At that stage he reasoned three points were as good as a million.
“We were prepared to play the run first,” said Viking defensive coach Neill Armstrong. But Hunter admittedly “got greedy” and passed.
“We were in man-to-man defense and I stuck with him (intended receiver Rich McGeorge) to the outside,” said West. Charlie was playing strong safety for the first time in two years because of Karl Kassulke’s injury.
Hunter threw and West, slightly in front of McGeorge, jumped. His super play did not stop with his catch in the end zone. Stumbling momentarily, he recovered and ran all the way to midfield.
It was only the third time the Vikings had enjoyed such field position.
And led by Dave Osborn, they took advantage for their most sustained drive, all of 32 yards. Fred Cox’s field goal, almost automatic even in the tricky winds, gave them all the points they needed with West’s second interception wrapping it up.
“I am not the man of the hour,” disagreed West when someone suggested that was his role at Metropolitan Stadium yesterday. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The accolades should go to the whole defense, the whole team.”
“We made a lot of big plays,” said Grant. “They didn’t make any.”
That was about the only way to explain the victory in the face of the Packers’ huge statistical edge.
The Viking defense carried Grant’s “bend but don’t break” theme to extremes. It yielded 301 total offense yards while fashioning their third 1971 shutout.
Carl Gersbach started the trend by getting “two fingers” on Lou Michaels’ 23-yard field goal in the first quarter. The win did the rest and it was wide.
The defense on the field for 60 percent of the time – “We ought to get double on our pension time,” quipped Jim Marshall – authored four more big plays in the second and third quarters.
Wally Hilgenberg, Alan Page and Marshall twice stopped Donny Anderson cold when the Packers had third down two feet to go for a first down and a yard and a half for the TD.
Later Krause came over form the other side to help out Gersbach and make the interception on the three when Anderson had Gersbach beat. Krause, who got the game ball, made another lifesaver in the third quarter by recovering a fumble, again on the three when Jim Marshall had jarred the ball loose from Anderson. “But for McGeorge I could have gone all the way,” said Krause. Instead he went six yards.
“Maybe it’s written somewhere that you are supposed to win … or you’re supposed to lose,” said Grant. “This one was written for us to win.”
The last time the Vikings scored only three points was three years ago. Then they lost 31-3 to Los Angeles.
Yesterday it was different.
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| Coaches Dan Devine, left, and Bart Starr huddled with QB Scott Hunter on the Green Bay sidelines in 1972. (Minneapolis Star photo by John Croft)) |
12 Responses to "Monday, Nov. 15, 1971: Vikings 3, Packers 0"
Please check the photo of the one featuring Charlie West’s interception. It says that it was against the Colts but it looks like it was against the Bills. This would make sense since the Vikes limited the Bills to 8 yards net passing in that game. Thanks.
If I recall correctly, West fumbled at the end of his interception return, but the ball bounced right back up to him as he was being tackled. Things just had a way of going right for the Vikings back then (at least in the regular season).
You’re correct, Greg. Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks for a nice article-I remember this game watching it with a couple of friends-looked like the Packers would win until that pick by West.
Always enjoy reading about those Viking teams of that era, especially the defenses. I still remember the two 1968 games-both won by the Vikes-which helped to established the PP Eaters. The Vikes physically beat up on the Packers in those two games-the “head slap” was legal then and I remember Carl Eller once applying it to Forrest Gregg, knocking his helmit straight up about two feet in the air.
1971 was probably the year I began watching Vikings — I was 8 years old and by that time, after the Vikings had won three division titles in a row, I just ASSUMED they won every Sunday. When they turned the ball over 5 times in the second half to the Cowboys on Christmas day that year, I cried and have forever hated the Cowboys and Roger Staubach (The 1975 Drew Pearson push-off nearly killed me!). Question: How much times was left in the game when Cox kicked the field goal to beat the Packers 3-0 in 1971?
It could not have been more than a quarter. I remember watching that game when I was 10 years old in Mahnomen MN. Like David my Sunday ritual was watching the Vikings win and then go playing neighborhood football until supper.
I was at that Viking vs Green Bay game when the Vikes kicked a last minute field goal to win 3-0. With Brockington tearing holes in the Viking defense I cannot understand why the Packers decided to run Donny Anderson several times in a row from the one yard line rather than Brockington. All I can say is, I am glad they did. What a game! What a team!
I too became A Vikes fan about this time. I was 8 yrs old living in Minot, ND. Little did I know then what a wild ride I was in for for being a Vikes fan! Nothing is more difficult, but they are my team still!!
I also was at that game. Still have the program. Sat “right” next to the flag pole in center field. I think there was a flat camera platform there for baseball games. This was the last shutout in a Packer vs. Vikings game since the one this season. I can still see Fred Cox kicking it “straight on”.
I remember this game–it was one of the Vikings’ all-time luckiest wins. The Packers pushed them all over the field but somehow failed to score. John Brockington rushed for something like 149 yards. At least GB made up for it when they visited the Met in ‘72 en route to the division crown.
I believe I was at that game. (I mean, how many 3-0 have we had against the Packers?) I was 11, and it was a very cold afternoon, which was the principal reason for the low score. I sat in a sleeping bag next to my dad in the third deck. The game was fine, and the win was great, but what really impressed me was the cheerleader who somehow managed to toss a small plastic souvenir football up to the third deck. It bounced around and just lay in the aisle. It was so cold no one wanted to get up and get it. I finally struggled out of my sleeping bag, fetched my prize, and squirmed back into my cocoon.
I remember this game all to well. I was working at Donaldson’s in Rochester.
I was very upset. The Packers just could not score. UGh!!!
