25 SKOL’s of Christmas: The 1977 playoff Mud Bowl

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

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It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the twenty-second SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: a victory in the 1977 Mud Bowl over the Los Angeles Rams

After losing starting QB Fran Tarkenton to a broken leg earlier in the season, the Vikings still found themselves atop the NFC Central and headed to the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They were headed to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in the NFC Divisional round. Keep in mind, the Vikings had played the Rams earlier in the season at home before Tarkenton went down, and they got throttled 35-3.

Now the Vikings were headed out west to face this same team, but this time they’d be without their starting quarterback. The Rams felt confident after what had already taken place earlier this season, and the betting line had the Rams favored by ten points. But in the days leading up to the game as well as on gameday, there was an immense amount of rain, which made the field conditions horrendous. This is where head coach Bud Grant came into play. He had a strategy for the Vikings in these conditions, and it proved beneficial.

“We wanted to throw early and get any passing advantages we could because late in the game we knew it would be difficult to throw the ball. “On a good field, a seven- or 14-point lead isn’t very much, but on a bad field, it gets to be monumental.” -Bud Grant

That’s exactly what the Vikings did. Back-up quarterback Bob Lee helped lead an efficient 70-yard drive capped off by a five-yard touchdown run by running back Chuck Foreman, and the Vikings never looked back.

The Vikings continued to lean on Foreman and Robert Miller to pound the rock in field conditions that were less than ideal. The Vikings’ defense also capitalized on three turnovers from Rams quarterback Pat Haden, including an interception by safety Jeff Wright to end the game.

The Vikings would go on to upset the Rams 14-7 and take on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game where they’d eventually lose 23-6.

Two minutes of the 1977 Mud Bowl playoff game between the Vikings & Rams. pic.twitter.com/oR35A7liFT

— Jeff (@MNTwinsZealot) October 19, 2020

OTD 1977
° 1977 NFC DIVISIONAL °
~ "The Mud Bowl" ~
The #Vikings and a prolific Southern California monsoon stymie the Rams in a quagmire at the L.A. Coliseum, 14-7.
One of the most well-known bad weather games in league history. pic.twitter.com/oEZtni6nxu

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) December 26, 2018