Saturday, 07/05/2008

Super Bowl VIII: Vikes Play Like A Fish Out of Water!
By Mookie
Dolphins vs. Vikings-January 13, 1974

This game I remember pretty clear because it was hard to forget how much I really thought the Vikes were gonna win. Even though the Dolphins were defending World Champs, and were playing in their third straight Super Bowl, I honestly felt like we were gonna dominate their butts. How wrong I was. An issue of Sports Illustrated that came out the week after this Super Bowl best summed up this game: "CSZONKED!" The SI writer for this game wrote, "Super Bowl VIII:I had all the excitement and suspense of a master butcher quartering a steer"

Super Bowl Bowl VIII Vikings vs. Dolphins Super Bowl 8: Who's the Greatest? SB Touchdown Vikings

The Dolphins came out and handed to the Vikes early on, scoring the first two times they had possession. There wasn't really any doubt who played the role of the butcher, as the Vikings were slaughtered early! What really bit was that the Vikings didn't even get a chance to run their offense as the Dolphins scored on time consuming drives of 62 and 56 yards.

Larry Csonka capped the first drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. (For the game, Csonka rushed 33 times for a Super Bowl-record 145 yards.) The Vikes responded with Nothing-Zero-Zip and punted after 3 plays only to see Miami score right again on their next drive. This drive ate up even more clock and ended with Jim Kiick bursting one yard through the middle for another touchdown! Things got even more bleak when baldy, Garo Yepremian, nailed a 28-yard field goal in the second period for a 17-0 Miami lead.

There was, however, hope. Even though this game was simply a flashback to Super Bowl IV against the Chiefs, the Vikes Offense actually got rolling late in the first half. Fran Tarkenton moved the Vikings from their own 20 all the way to the Dolphins 6. On a second-and-2 situation, running back Oscar Reed had no room and managed just 1-yard. He tried again on third down-no gain. It was fourth down and 1 yard to go on the Miami 7-yard line with 1:18 left. Decision time. I can remember my dad pleading with Bud Grant to kick a field goal and get some points, any points on the board before halftime. Instead the Vikes gambled. Reed got the ball again and went over right tackle. As he hit the line he ran smack into future Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti, who jarred the ball loose and caused a fumble. Naturally, the Dolphins recovered!

The Vikings were trailing 17-0 at the half, but at least we could find a ray of hope in their 74-yard stalled drive. Even though they failed to score, they had proved that they could move the ball on the Dolphins. Coming out of the intermission, we clung to the hope that the second half would be different. Just like Super Bowl IV, the Vikes got the ball at halftime and we knew they would make a game of it. John Gilliam fielded the kick at the half from the 1 yard line and sped all the way to the Miami 34. It was just what the Vikings needed, the big break! Our celebration was short lived as we soon learned that there was a flag on the play-clipping against the Vikings. The damn Refs had to bring the ball back 55 yards, all the way to the Vikes 11 yard line. Four plays later, the Vikings punted.

On the ensuing drive by Miami Griese connected with Hall of Famer Paul Warfield for a 27-yard strike down to the Viking's 11 yard line. A few plays later, Csonka thrashed into the endzone and gave Miami an insurmountable 24-0 lead.

The only cool thing about this Super Bowl for the Vikings was that Fran Tarkenton did his scrambling thing, rushing for 17 yards and passing for 182. Sir Francis even scored a touchdown early in fourth quarter. With 17 points to make up and less than a quarter to do it, the Vikes attempted an onside kick. They recovered the ball, but guess what? The refs flagged the Vikings for being offside, so the play was nullified. Minnesota kicked it deep and held the Dolphins on 4 plays. Miami's punt was downed at the Vikings 3-yard line, but Tarkenton never stopped fighting. The Hall of Fame quarterback took the Vikings all the way down to the Miami 32 yard line. That was all the further the Vikes would go, as Tark threw an interception to a Dolphin defender at the goal line. Miami then ran out the clock by running the ball, consuming the last six minutes of this Super Bowl!

"We gave them our best shot and weren't good enough," Tark said. "They played as nearly perfect a game as a team can play."

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