Super Bowl hopes were just inches away. Inches that fate would turn into the long miles home.
. In 1974, the Rams should of played the NFC Championship game against the Vikings in 70% Los Angeles instead of -12% wind chill factor Minnesota.
Both teams were 10-4, and the Rams had won their one regular-season meeting.
Until 1975, however, the NFL rotated playoff sites, and it was the NFC Central's turn to play host to the conference championship game.
Forget about it being the NFC Championship game, name me any game that a team goes over 99 yards and gets no points and loses by 4 points.
OVER 99 YARDS!!! That doesn't happen in Pop Warner.
This is what happened.
In the 3rd quarter, the Vikings hold a 7-3 lead. A punt pinned the Rams inside their 1-yard line, but we moved out of danger to their 25.
Then Harris hit Harold Jackson for a 73-yard gain. Jackson should have scored, but he was nudged out of bounds by Jeff Wright at the Vikings' 2.
One play later the Rams were less than six inches from a 10-7 lead.
But Harris, who could have fallen forward for the go-ahead TD, switched to a long count.The refs said Hall of Fame guard Tom Mack flinched, costing the Rams five yards.
Two plays later, linebacker Wally Hilgenberg intercepted Harris' tipped pass in the end zone.
The Rams had gone 99 yards and produced no points. We lose by 4 points.
It's been over 30 years and the pain is still fresh.
The Viking curse.
The coaching staff gave the Ram players their book on the Vikings. On page one Coach Knox wrote "Be aggressive" Attack!
The Ram coaches let them go at it for some time and when they broke it up, all the Ram players cheered. Emotionally the Rams are ready.
Rams run 22 plays to the Vikings 5 plays. Rams 7 first downs to the Vikings 1 first down. Rams outgained the Vikings 89 yards to their 17.
But the Vikings are winning 7-0.
Here's how.
The Rams Ground Chuck offense was blowing holes in the Minnesota defense.
On second and goal from the Viking 4 yard line, the Rams do a flanker reverse with Jessie, he scores, but the refs say no and move it to the six inch line (just look at the pics he scored the refs AGAIN blew it).
Knox decides to go for three.
Dempsey goes out for the chip shot FG. But Nate Allen blocked the kick, which bounced directly to defensive back Bobby Bryant, who dashed 99 yards for the game's first points.
That is a 14 point turnaround.
Rusty Jackson gets his punt blocked.
The Vikings take a 17-0 lead but our defense brings us back, the Rams score 2 TD's, but Dempsey misses the extra point making it 17-13 Vikings. NO FLAG!!!
The Rams have the ball inside the Viking 40 with less than 3 minutes to play.
But we need a TD and the Vikings play prevent.
Knox decides to go for it on fourth down. It is 4th and 10 on the Viking 39 yard line. Knox tells Haden the Vikings will be playing for the short pass thinking the Rams just want a first down.
Knox said " You should find Jessie or Jackson clear on the play called "sixty-five".
Haden faded back to pass reading the Viking's free safety Paul Krause. Krause went to the weak side after Jackson. Jessie blew right by Nate Wright.
Haden didn't have time to look at Jackson before hitting Jessie. And their right corner back Bobby Bryant sprinted all the way across the field.
Jessie didn't even see him coming. As the ball was going to fall in Jessie's hands for the game winning TD. Bryant, at the last instance, took the ball from Jessie and the Rams. The Viking Curse.
JIM MURRAY'S ARTICLE IN THE LA TIMES.
You don't start a poker game throwing away a pair of aces in hoping to hooking dueces and treys.
You don't start out a golf tournamount on a par-5 hole and pull out your 7 iron on the tee.You don't bunt with bases loaded and two men out. You don't step back when you got the guy on the ropes.
And you don't start a NFC Championship game by going for a FG on their 6 inch line.
The Rams won't be in the Super Bowl because that's exactly what they did. They put the Vikings in the SB because they lack the killer instinct needed.
It would be like Dempsey throwing a jab after he knocked his man down.
Babe Ruth choking up. Jerry West passing the ball when he is under the basket.
The NFL "book" says when you drive down to their six inch line be sure to put some points on the board. And that is what the Rams did,they put seven on the board for Minnesota.
Tarkenton was out with a broken leg, putting "General" Bob Lee in charge of their offense. Just weeks earlier, we destroyed the Vikings 35-3.(that same night they filmed the plays for the movie Heaven Can Wait at halftime)
And the playoff game was finally in the L.A. Coliseum.
It would have been better for us if we played the game in Minnesota.
It rained for three straight days and nights before the game, turning the Coliseum turf into goo.
The "Mud Bowl" was made for the plodding Vikings. Chuck Foreman ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. Lee completed only five passes, but he did not turn the ball over.
Haden, meanwhile, threw three interceptions (to this day, I am convinced Joe Namath would of gotten us a win), including one in the end zone.
Rafael Septien missed a short field goal, and the Rams once again were on the short end of the score, 14-7.
Three playoff games that we dominated in stats but not where it counts.
To the Ram offensive line was the coaching staff concern of the Viking 5 man line,which gives the Vikings a man to man pass rush with Page stunting. The coaching staff said "lock them up and give our QB time and you won't see it anymore.
The Ram put a new wrinkle in their goal line offense with a flanker reverse with Jessie.
In the last practice before the game a fight broke out between Hacksaw Reynolds and Terry Nelson.
Here is the first quarter stats.
St. Louis Rams Vs. Minnesota Vikings
Regular Season/Postseason Results
Season
Date
Result
2003
November 30, 2003
St. Louis Rams 48, Minnesota Vikings 17
2000
December 10, 2000
St. Louis Rams 40, Minnesota Vikings 29
1999
January 16, 2000
St. Louis Rams 49, Minnesota Vikings 37
1998
September 13, 1998
Minnesota Vikings 38, St. Louis Rams 31
1992
November 29, 1992
Minnesota Vikings 31, Los Angeles Rams 17
1991
December 15, 1991
Minnesota Vikings 20, Los Angeles Rams 14
1989
November 5, 1989
Minnesota Vikings 23, Los Angeles Rams 21, OT
1988
December 26, 1988
Minnesota Vikings 28, Los Angeles Rams 17
1987
September 20, 1987
Minnesota Vikings 21, Los Angeles Rams 16
1985
October 6, 1985
Los Angeles Rams 13, Minnesota Vikings 10
1979
December 2, 1979
Los Angeles Rams 27, Minnesota Vikings 21, OT
1978
December 31, 1978
Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 10
October 15, 1978
Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 17
1977
December 26, 1977
Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 7
October 24, 1977
Los Angeles Rams 35, Minnesota Vikings 3
1976
December 26, 1976
Minnesota Vikings 24, Los Angeles Rams 13
September 19, 1976
Minnesota Vikings 10, Los Angeles Rams 10, OT
1974
December 29, 1974
Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 10
November 24, 1974
Los Angeles Rams 20, Minnesota Vikings 17
1973
October 28, 1973
Minnesota Vikings 10, Los Angeles Rams 9
1972
November 19, 1972
Minnesota Vikings 45, Los Angeles Rams 41
1970
October 26, 1970
Minnesota Vikings 13, Los Angeles Rams 3
1969
December 27, 1969
Minnesota Vikings 23, Los Angeles Rams 20
December 7, 1969
Minnesota Vikings 20, Los Angeles Rams 13
1968
December 1, 1968
Los Angeles Rams 31, Minnesota Vikings 3
1967
September 22, 1967
Los Angeles Rams 39, Minnesota Vikings 3
1966
November 20, 1966
Los Angeles Rams 21, Minnesota Vikings 6
October 16, 1966
Minnesota Vikings 35, Los Angeles Rams 7
1965
November 7, 1965
Minnesota Vikings 24, Los Angeles Rams 13
October 3, 1965
Minnesota Vikings 38, Los Angeles Rams 35
1964
November 29, 1964
Minnesota Vikings 34, Los Angeles Rams 13
September 27, 1964
Los Angeles Rams 22, Minnesota Vikings 13
1963
November 3, 1963
Minnesota Vikings 21, Los Angeles Rams 13
October 20, 1963
Los Angeles Rams 27, Minnesota Vikings 24
1962
November 25, 1962
Minnesota Vikings 24, Los Angeles Rams 24
October 21, 1962
Minnesota Vikings 38, Los Angeles Rams 14
1961
December 3, 1961
Minnesota Vikings 42, Los Angeles Rams 21
November 5, 1961
Los Angeles Rams 31, Minnesota Vikings 17
Points Scored: St. Louis Rams 853, Minnesota Vikings 817
