1977 Minnesota Vikings season

The 1977 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 17th in the National Football League. After starting the season 5–3, the team's starting quarterback Fran Tarkenton broke his leg in week 9 and missed the rest of the season. Despite losing Tarkenton, the team managed to finish the season with a 9–5 record and went to the playoffs as winners of the NFC Central division title. They beat the Los Angeles Rams 14–7 in the Divisional Round in a game played in Los Angeles and termed the Mud Bowl, although the Vikings had lost 35–3 to the same opponent in week 6.[1][2] In the NFC Championship game in a game played in Dallas, the Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys 23–6.

1977 Minnesota Vikings season
Head coach	Bud Grant
General manager	Mike Lynn
Home field	Metropolitan Stadium
Results
Record	9–5
Division place	1st NFC Central
Playoff finish	Won NFC Divisional Playoff (at Rams) 14–7 Lost NFC Championship Game (at Cowboys) 6–23

The Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters defensive line stopping a Rams rushing play in the 1977 NFC Divisional Playoff game.

Offseason

1977 Draft

Pro Bowler

1977 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Notes
Round	Selection
1	27	Tommy Kramer	Quarterback	Rice
2	55	Dennis Swilley	Guard	Texas A&M
3	83	Tom Hannon	Linebacker	San Diego State
4	111	Traded to the Seattle Seahawks^[a]
5	138	Ken Moore	Tight end	Northern Illinois
6	166	Traded to the New England Patriots^[b]
7	194	Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals^[c]
8	222	Clint Strozier	Defensive back	USC
9	250	Scott Studwell	Linebacker	Illinois
10	278	Dan Beaver	Kicker	Illinois
11	306	Keith Hartwig	Wide receiver	Arizona
12	335	Jim Kelleher	Running back	Colorado

^{^[a]} The Vikings traded their fourth-round selection (111th overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for WR Ahmad Rashād.

^{^[b]} The Vikings traded their sixth-round selection (166th overall) and 1976 eighth-round selection (235th overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for OL Doug Dumler.

^{^[c]} The Vikings traded their seventh-round selection (194th overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for TE Orlando Nelson.

Roster

1977 Minnesota Vikings final roster

	Quarterbacks  9 Tommy Kramer 10 Fran Tarkenton 19 Bob Lee Running backs 44 Chuck Foreman 39 Mark Kellar 33 Brent McClanahan 35 Robert Miller 36 Manfred Moore Wide receivers 26 Bob Grim 28 Ahmad Rashād 85 Sammy White Tight ends 84 Steve Craig 83 Stu Voigt		Offensive linemen 57 Doug Dumler C 68 Charles Goodrum G 61 Wes Hamilton G 78 Steve Riley T 67 Dennis Swilley C 53 Mick Tingelhoff C 62 Ed White 73 Ron Yary T Defensive linemen 81 Carl Eller DE 76 Joey Jackson DT 70 Jim Marshall DE 77 Mark Mullaney DE 88 Alan Page DT 69 Doug Sutherland DT 72 James White DE		Linebackers 59 Matt Blair 58 Wally Hilgenberg 54 Fred McNeill 50 Jeff Siemon 55 Scott Studwell Defensive backs 25 Nate Allen CB 20 Bobby Bryant CB 45 Tom Hannon SS 22 Paul Krause FS 29 Phil Wise SS 23 Jeff Wright SS 43 Nate Wright CB Special teams 12 Neil Clabo P 14 Fred Cox K		Reserve lists  7 Rick Danmeier K (IR) Practice squad Rookies in italics 54 active, 4 inactive, 0 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance[3]
1	August 6	at Los Angeles Rams	W 22–17	1–0	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	55,168
2	August 13	Cleveland Browns	W 34–33	2–0	Metropolitan Stadium	45,370
3	August 19	at Baltimore Colts	L 7–29	2–1	Memorial Stadium	45,529
4	August 26	Miami Dolphins	W 33–7	3–1	Metropolitan Stadium	44,396
5	September 3	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 7–26	3–2	Riverfront Stadium	52,942
6	September 10	at Buffalo Bills	W 30–6	4–2	Rich Stadium	35,017

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 18	Dallas Cowboys	L 10–16 (OT)	0–1	Metropolitan Stadium	47,678
2	September 24	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 9–3	1–1	Tampa Stadium	66,272
3	October 2	Green Bay Packers	W 19–7	2–1	Metropolitan Stadium	47,143
4	October 9	Detroit Lions	W 14–7	3–1	Metropolitan Stadium	45,860
5	October 16	Chicago Bears	W 22–16 (OT)	4–1	Metropolitan Stadium	47,708
6	October 24	at Los Angeles Rams	L 3–35	4–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	62,414
7	October 30	at Atlanta Falcons	W 14–7	5–2	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium	59,257
8	November 6	St. Louis Cardinals	L 7–27	5–3	Metropolitan Stadium	47,066
9	November 13	Cincinnati Bengals	W 42–10	6–3	Metropolitan Stadium	45,371
10	November 20	at Chicago Bears	L 7-10	6–4	Soldier Field	49,563
11	November 27	at Green Bay Packers	W 13–6	7–4	Lambeau Field	56,267
12	December 4	San Francisco 49ers	W 28–27	8–4	Metropolitan Stadium	40,745
13	December 11	at Oakland Raiders	L 13–35	8–5	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	52,771
14	December 17	at Detroit Lions	W 30–21	9–5	Silverdome	78,572

Game summaries

Week 10: at Chicago Bears

Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	0	7	0	7
Bears	0	10	0	0	10

at Soldier Field, Chicago

• Date: Sunday, November 20
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C)
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CHI – Walter Payton 1-yard run (Bob Thomas kick). Bears 7–0. CHI – Bob Thomas 37-yard field goal. Bears 10–0. Third quarter MIN – Matt Blair 10-yard return of blocked punt (Fred Cox kick). Bears 10–7. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers MIN – Bob Lee – 12/24, 116 yards, 2 INT CHI – Bob Avellini – 4/6, 33 yards, INT Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 14 rushes, 54 yards CHI – Walter Payton – 40 rushes, 275 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Sammy White – 3 receptions, 31 yards CHI – James Scott – 2 receptions, 22 yards

Week 11: at Green Bay Packers

Week 11: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	13	0	0	13
Packers	6	0	0	0	6

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: Sunday, November 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: 10 °F (−12 °C)
• TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas
• PFR

Game information

First quarter GB – David Whitehurst 3-yard run (kick failed). Packers 6–0. Second quarter MIN – Sammy White 40-yard pass from Bob Lee (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 7–6. MIN – Fred Cox 21-yard field goal. Vikings 10–6. MIN – Fred Cox 31-yard field goal. Vikings 13–6. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers MIN – Bob Lee – 5/8, 68 yards, TD GB – David Whitehurst – 6/23, 75 yards, 2 INT Top rushers MIN – Chuck Foreman – 26 rushes, 101 yards GB – Eric Torkelson – 13 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers MIN – Sammy White – 1 reception, 40 yards, TD GB – Bert Askson – 1 reception, 34 yards

Standings

NFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Minnesota Vikings^(3)	9	5	0	.643	6–1	8–4	231	227	W1
Chicago Bears^(4)	9	5	0	.643	6–1	8–4	255	253	W6
Detroit Lions	6	8	0	.429	2–5	4–8	183	252	L1
Green Bay Packers	4	10	0	.286	2–5	4–7	134	219	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2	12	0	.143	0–4	2–11	103	223	W2

Postseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Div	December 26	at Los Angeles Rams	W 14–7	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	62,538
Conf	January 1	at Dallas Cowboys	L 6–23	Texas Stadium	61,968

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Fran Tarkenton	1,734
Passing touchdowns	Fran Tarkenton	9
Rushing yards	Chuck Foreman	1,112
Rushing touchdowns	Chuck Foreman	6
Receiving yards	Sammy White	760
Receiving touchdowns	Sammy White	9
Points	Chuck Foreman Sammy White	54
Kickoff return yards	Manfred Moore	524
Punt return yards	Manfred Moore	277
Interceptions	Bobby Bryant	4

League rankings

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 28)
Passing offense	2,368	169.1	6th
Rushing offense	1,821	130.1	21st
Total offense	4,189	299.2	14th
Passing defense	1,581	112.9	3rd
Rushing defense	2,218	158.4	21st
Total defense	3,799	271.4	11th

References

1. Heroes of Yesteryear: Pro Football’S Dying Breed of Players from a Bygone Era, Danny Jones, Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2017. Chapter on Chuck Foreman.
2. The Super '70s, Tom Danyluk, Mad Uke Publishing, 2005, page 95. The person being interviewed, "LM," is former Rams running back (1972-'79) Lawrence McCutcheon.