NFL playoffs, 1969
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1969 NFL season
determined who would represent the league in Super Bowl IV
.
This was the last NFL playoff tournament before the AFL-NFL Merger
.
intercepted a Roman Gabriel
pass and returned for a touchdown but the score was nullified on an offside penalty on Alan Page
.
In the game in L.A., the Viking defense shut down the Rams' wide receivers and outside running game, so in this game, the Rams attacked the middle of the Viking defense and neutralized the Viking pass rush with short quick passes to the tight ends. The Rams opened up a 17-7 halftime lead with touchdown passes going to tight ends Bob Klein
and Billy Truax
. The Rams could have had more but had to settle for a field goal after driving to the Minnesota 3 yard line. The Rams defense held Minnesota's high powered offense in check, with the "fearsome foursome" defensive line harassing Viking QB Joe Kapp
.
In the second half, Viking coach Bud Grant
adjusted his defense to stop the Ram tight ends, and his "purple people eaters" continued to punish the Ram running game. They also got increasing pressure on Ram QB Roman Gabriel. On offense, Grant neutralized the Ram pass rush by having QB Kapp run the ball, either on designed plays like quarterback draws or roll outs, or by instructing him to take off and run at the first sign of pressure. Kapp began frustrating the Rams with runs; this threat caused their pass rush to be less aggressive. The Vikings scored in the 3rd quarter to cut the Ram lead to 17-14, but early in the 4th quarter, the Rams answered with a drive of their own. Once again, the Viking defense bent but didn't break, stopping the Rams inside the 10 yard line and making them settle for a short field goal. So instead of being down 24-14, it was only 20-14 and Kapp subsequently marched to Vikings down field, going the final 2 yards himself as Minnesota took its first lead of the game, 21-20. Then the Viking defense took over, and with under 4 minutes to play, Carl Eller sacked Gabriel in the end zone for a safety, giving the Vikings a 23-20 lead and the ball. But the Rams defense held, and 1969 NFL MVP Roman Gabriel began to march the Rams down field in the last two minutes. As they crossed mid field, it appeared the Rams might get the tying field goal or winning touchdown, but a Gabriel pass was tipped and then intercepted at the Viking 40 yard line by Alan Page and Minnesota ran out the clock.
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
following the 1969 NFL season
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
determined who would represent the league in Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
.
This was the last NFL playoff tournament before the AFL-NFL Merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
.
Tournament bracket
Conference championships
Three weeks prior to this game, the teams met in Los Angeles in a battle between the undefeated (11-0) Rams and the 10-1 Vikings. The Vikings won that game 20-13. The rematch was played in the cold and snow of Minnesota. Early on, it appeared that the Vikings took a quick lead as Carl EllerCarl Eller
Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
intercepted a Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
pass and returned for a touchdown but the score was nullified on an offside penalty on Alan Page
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
.
In the game in L.A., the Viking defense shut down the Rams' wide receivers and outside running game, so in this game, the Rams attacked the middle of the Viking defense and neutralized the Viking pass rush with short quick passes to the tight ends. The Rams opened up a 17-7 halftime lead with touchdown passes going to tight ends Bob Klein
Bob Klein
Bob Klein is a retired American football tight end.Klein played college football at the University of Southern California. He then played for the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers between 1969 and 1979.-References:...
and Billy Truax
Billy Truax
William Frederick Truax is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League from 1964-1973 for the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Louisiana State University and was drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft...
. The Rams could have had more but had to settle for a field goal after driving to the Minnesota 3 yard line. The Rams defense held Minnesota's high powered offense in check, with the "fearsome foursome" defensive line harassing Viking QB Joe Kapp
Joe Kapp
Joseph Robert Kapp is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He is also a former college football head coach of the University of California, and a former general manager of the CFL's BC Lions. Kapp played primarily with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and the CFL's BC Lions...
.
In the second half, Viking coach Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
adjusted his defense to stop the Ram tight ends, and his "purple people eaters" continued to punish the Ram running game. They also got increasing pressure on Ram QB Roman Gabriel. On offense, Grant neutralized the Ram pass rush by having QB Kapp run the ball, either on designed plays like quarterback draws or roll outs, or by instructing him to take off and run at the first sign of pressure. Kapp began frustrating the Rams with runs; this threat caused their pass rush to be less aggressive. The Vikings scored in the 3rd quarter to cut the Ram lead to 17-14, but early in the 4th quarter, the Rams answered with a drive of their own. Once again, the Viking defense bent but didn't break, stopping the Rams inside the 10 yard line and making them settle for a short field goal. So instead of being down 24-14, it was only 20-14 and Kapp subsequently marched to Vikings down field, going the final 2 yards himself as Minnesota took its first lead of the game, 21-20. Then the Viking defense took over, and with under 4 minutes to play, Carl Eller sacked Gabriel in the end zone for a safety, giving the Vikings a 23-20 lead and the ball. But the Rams defense held, and 1969 NFL MVP Roman Gabriel began to march the Rams down field in the last two minutes. As they crossed mid field, it appeared the Rams might get the tying field goal or winning touchdown, but a Gabriel pass was tipped and then intercepted at the Viking 40 yard line by Alan Page and Minnesota ran out the clock.