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Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons, the Minnesota Vikings did something they had not done for nearly 42 years.
In their 28-12 win at US Bank Stadium in the first week, the Vikings won despite ten attempts. According to Pro Football Reference, it was the seventh time in franchise history that they won a match this way, and the first time since Boxing Day at 1977. It's been almost 42 years, if you mark at home.
The 28 points were the most points scored by the Vikings in a match in which they attempted 10 assists or less, surpassing the previous record of 24 points in a match against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1968.
Here is a brief overview of the other six games that the Vikings won by attempting 10 assists or less, as well as some other stats from these games.
November 11, 1968 at Detroit Lions: Final score 13-6
Joe Kapp completed six of 10 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. The Vikings collected 129 yards and scored two goals from Fred Cox and a 2-yard run from Jim Lindsey. on the way to victory. The Vikings even had more turnovers than the Lions in that game, since they dropped the ball three times compared to a single loss to Detroit.
December 15, 1968 to Philadelphia Eagles: Final score 24-17
As you probably guessed, this one was Kapp again. This time, he completed 7 of 10 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Kapp counted for the Viking's three touchdowns, with a 2-yard run in addition to two assists. The Vikings ran 139 yards in the afternoon. Turnovers were even in this one to two for each team.
December 14, 1969 against San Francisco 49ers: Final score 10-7
Hey guess what? Yes. . .Joe Kapp again. This time, he completed only 4 out of 10 attempts for 82 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He got a good result when he needed it, however, hitting Gene Washington for a 52-yard score in the fourth quarter to give victory to the mauve. The Vikings ran for 111 yards, their lowest number in seven wins in this category. Neither team could hold the ball, as they combined seven turnovers in this match (four for the Niners, three for the Vikings).
October 26, 1970 against Los Angeles Rams: Final score 13-3
The starting quarterback in this race was Gary Cuozzo, who scored a 5-on-9 record for only 46 yards and a touchdown. He found Bill Brown for a 17-yard score in the first quarter, and that was just about everything for his afternoon production. The Vikings rushed for 146 yards on a huge 51 door, and he probably helped a little that the Rams missed the ball Seven times in the afternoon (losing four).
November 27, 1977 at Green Bay Packers: Final score 13-6
Bob Lee was your starting quarterback in this one and he completed 5 out of 8 passes for 68 yards and one touchdown. These eight attempts represent the fewest pass attempts for the Vikings quarterback in a win. That touchdown counted for almost two-thirds of his yards, as he found Sammy White 40 yards in the second quarter. The Vikings ran the ball 55 times the day, which is only the second highest number of attempts they made in a game in the team's history (they ran the ball 63 times in a win over Atlanta in 1975). They gained 155 rushing yards and were again assisted by turnovers, the Packers having coughed four times.
December 26, 1977 against the Los Angeles Rams (NFC Division Playoffs): Final score 14-7
It was the famous "Mud Bowl" between the Rams and the Vikings at Memorial Coliseum L.A. Lee was also the quarterback for this one, completing 5 out of 10 passes for 57 yards. Both Vikings' scores were scored on the ground, with Chuck Foreman and Sammy Johnson each having found the end zone. The Vikings again won the turnout battle, this time 3-0, and the Rams actually tried to pass the ball 32 times. Minnesota stayed on the ground and ran 49 times for 144 yards.
I do not know if the "throw the ball ten times" model is sustainable or otherwise, but as long as the Vikings give more points to the bad guys, I do not think anyone cares about how this team wins. I know Mike Zimmer does not do it.
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