Remember this game well . As others mentioned , it was played on a Saturday and on National TV as a stand-alone game. 2 VERY interesting and surprising omissions however. The narration implied 49ers would have been eliminated if they didn’t win but that is false. A loss would have left them with a final record of 7-6-1. The Rams and Falcons both had their last game the next day. Rams were 6-6-1 going in and Falcons were 7-6. Falcons lost to Chiefs 17-14 and finished 7-7. They were eliminated by a 49er win but if Niners lost, Falcons would still have had to have won Sunday. Rams were playing Lions and lost 34-17 but a 49er loss and a Ram win would have left both teams tied at 7-6-1 but Rams would have won division as they swept SF. Perhaps Rams and/or Falcons might have won if 49ers lost , but we’ll never know . The bottom line is even if the 49ers lost, they were still alive and couldn’t be eliminated until the next day. A worse oversight, incredible to me, is that the NFL Game of the Week narrator did not mention what happened after Witcher’ s TD put the 49ers ahead 20-17. The Vikings, who were eliminated and playing for pride , were 7-6. Incredibly, they got into FG range in a few plays and Bud Grant sent Fred Cox out to try a long but makeable FG to finish with a winning season as a tie would leave them 7-6-1 vs 7-7. Cox missed on the last play of the game but all Ray Scott says is “”The Vikings Couldn’t Score”. Technically true, but you would think the ending would have been specifically mentioned. Even then, it was a bit controversial that Grant would play for a tie for a winning season. The Vikings had nothing to play for and were on the road and still almost beat a team playing for everything. As most of you know, Niners blew 28-13 4th quarter lead at home to Dallas the next week ( Staubach off bench) , and that was the last playoff game for them for nine years until the 1981 Montana /Walsh first Super Bowl win. Finally, this 1972 season was the ONLY season from 1968-1978 ( 11 seasons) that the Vikings did NOT make playoffs. A great run of excellence. With Covid and some other health issues ( I am 64), it is fun to look back at all these great memories of our youth when everything seemed simpler. I am guessing the youngest person who recalls this game is pushing 60. Thanks for posting these games, and best wishes to all during these challenging and sobering times.
You are correct! I've been a Vikings fan since 1968, I was 12 and watched this game, and Cox( who was bad in 72!) Missed a 40 yard field goal if I'm not mistaken.
Fantastic post! I wondered the same thing about the must win or be eliminated scenario put forth here. Lions fan here, so I remember watching this game and loving that the Vikings finished in third place behind us that year.
I remember as a little kid reading about this game in my brother's Sports Illustrated. The headline said Old Brodie Went Witcher Way. Thanks for sharing this.
I remember this game. I was sick that day with the flu, so I was in bed listening to Lon Simmons broadcast on KSFO. I couldn't have watched it anyway as it was blacked out in the San Francisco, Sacramento and Salinas-Monterey market areas. This was the final year before where games where blacked out within 100 miles of the stadium whether they were sold out or not. The 49ers win made me feel a little better but not much. It was a ray of sunshine on an otherwise miserable day.
Bud explicitly mentioned this game in his book as one that pissed him off more than any other. He ripped into the team afterwards (a rarity for him). The Vikes went to 3 of the next 4 Super Bowls.
'Mercury' Morris was 9 yards short of the 1000 yard benchmark. Five days later the NFL acknowledged a mistake from an earlier game when they counted a lateral play which was originally counted as a 9 yard pass play and reverted the play to a rushing play in which the NFL office subtracted nine yards from Mercury's pass catching totals and added nine yards to his rushing statistics giving him an even 1000 for the season
My Dad was at the corner end zone where Dick Witcher caught the winning TD pass. He told me many times how he clearly saw Brodie pointing before he threw to Witcher.
John Brodie should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He came off the bench to save this game and win the NFC West Division title for the 3rd straight year. Go 49ers!
I just realized something that someone who has never seen these games and watches them now they can be real exciting. Unlike someone like me who knows the score!!!
1972 the Minnesota Vikings brought back Fran Tarktenton who spent four years with the New York Giants. His first appearance at the Stick. He previously appeared at the old Kezar Stadium during the 1960's with both the Vikings and Giants. Pro Football Hall of Fame members. San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Johnson, David Wilcox. Minnesota Vikings: Bud Grant, Fran Tarktenton, Alan Paige, Carl Ellard, Paul Krause, Mike Tinglehoff. R.I.P. Mike Tinglehoff (1939-2021). Played from 1962-1978. Number 53 retired and inducted in 2015 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The infamous "Wrong Way Run" by Jim Marshall (how is he not in the HOF; Marshall played 282 straight games over his career as part of the Purple People Eaters line) in 1964 was at Kezar. I can still hear Lon Simmons "Marshall is running the wrong way...Marshall is running the WRONG WAY! And he runs it into the end zone thinking he's scored a touchdown..he has scored a safety".
@Andrew Padaetz Jim Marshall should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His number 70 was retired, and his name on the Minnesota Vikings wall of Honor.
Yea 72 it was great cuz from 73 to 78 Minnesota won the central and la won the Pacific from 73 to 79 so it was real boring because there was absolutely no competition for either team in there respective divisions. Miss those days 68 to 72.
Hindsight... in '72 it appeared that Minnesota was in decline. Jim Marshall was 35 years old, and that great defense had been together for 5 years already, which is an eternity in the NFL. Little did they know what lay ahead.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Neva Play (feat. RM) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TpYTyAaTRts/mqdefault.jpg)
Remember this game well . As others mentioned , it was played on a Saturday and on National TV as a stand-alone game. 2 VERY interesting and surprising omissions however. The narration implied 49ers would have been eliminated if they didn’t win but that is false. A loss would have left them with a final record of 7-6-1. The Rams and Falcons both had their last game the next day. Rams were 6-6-1 going in and Falcons were 7-6. Falcons lost to Chiefs 17-14 and finished 7-7. They were eliminated by a 49er win but if Niners lost, Falcons would still have had to have won Sunday. Rams were playing Lions and lost 34-17 but a 49er loss and a Ram win would have left both teams tied at 7-6-1 but Rams would have won division as they swept SF. Perhaps Rams and/or Falcons might have won if 49ers lost , but we’ll never know . The bottom line is even if the 49ers lost, they were still alive and couldn’t be eliminated until the next day.
A worse oversight, incredible to me, is that the NFL Game of the Week narrator did not mention what happened after Witcher’ s TD put the 49ers ahead 20-17. The Vikings, who were eliminated and playing for pride , were 7-6. Incredibly, they got into FG range in a few plays and Bud Grant sent Fred Cox out to try a long but makeable FG to finish with a winning season as a tie would leave them 7-6-1 vs 7-7. Cox missed on the last play of the game but all Ray Scott says is “”The Vikings Couldn’t Score”. Technically true, but you would think the ending would have been specifically mentioned. Even then, it was a bit controversial that Grant would play for a tie for a winning season.
The Vikings had nothing to play for and were on the road and still almost beat a team playing for everything. As most of you know, Niners blew 28-13 4th quarter lead at home to Dallas the next week ( Staubach off bench) , and that was the last playoff game for them for nine years until the 1981 Montana /Walsh first Super Bowl win. Finally, this 1972 season was the ONLY season from 1968-1978 ( 11 seasons) that the Vikings did NOT make playoffs. A great run of excellence.
With Covid and some other health issues ( I am 64), it is fun to look back at all these great memories of our youth when everything seemed simpler. I am guessing the youngest person who recalls this game is pushing 60. Thanks for posting these games, and best wishes to all during these challenging and sobering times.
You are correct! I've been a Vikings fan since 1968, I was 12 and watched this game, and Cox( who was bad in 72!) Missed a 40 yard field goal if I'm not mistaken.
what a terrific message. I'm 58, btw-- remember watching both game and this telecast. All the best to you jdbaes
Fantastic post! I wondered the same thing about the must win or be eliminated scenario put forth here. Lions fan here, so I remember watching this game and loving that the Vikings finished in third place behind us that year.
I'm 56 jd and yes back in our times we didn't have arguments like today. Watching old games with people from my era man there is nothing like it!!!
I am pushing 60 and I do remember that game. :)
The first "Montana to Clark' by Brodie to Wicher in 1972.
In 1972, Cox had a number of misses that would cost the Vikings
I remember as a little kid reading about this game in my brother's Sports Illustrated. The headline said Old Brodie Went Witcher Way. Thanks for sharing this.
I remember this game. I was sick that day with the flu, so I was in bed listening to Lon Simmons broadcast on KSFO. I couldn't have watched it anyway as it was blacked out in the San Francisco, Sacramento and Salinas-Monterey market areas. This was the final year before where games where blacked out within 100 miles of the stadium whether they were sold out or not. The 49ers win made me feel a little better but not much. It was a ray of sunshine on an otherwise miserable day.
Bud explicitly mentioned this game in his book as one that pissed him off more than any other. He ripped into the team afterwards (a rarity for him). The Vikes went to 3 of the next 4 Super Bowls.
yes. wasnt this great to see? great win overcoming all that.
Ray Scott and Pat Summerall called the 49ers game for CBS
'Mercury' Morris was 9 yards short of the 1000 yard benchmark. Five days later the NFL acknowledged a mistake from an earlier game when they counted a lateral play which was originally counted as a 9 yard pass play and reverted the play to a rushing play in which the NFL office subtracted nine yards from Mercury's pass catching totals and added nine yards to his rushing statistics giving him an even 1000 for the season
2:30 Griese was not the 1971 MVP. Alan Page was.
He meant AFC mvp.
Maybe they meant 1971 First Team All-Pro
?
My Dad was at the corner end zone where Dick Witcher caught the winning TD pass. He told me many times how he clearly saw Brodie pointing before he threw to Witcher.
John Brodie's last flare of glory
18:48 you could literally set your watch to “Game Plan For Sudden Death” by Sam Spence being played in those last moments.
Dave Wilcox was a badass
The highs and lows of the NFL... from this sensationally thrilling win to that appalling loss to Dallas just one week later.
John Brodie should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He came off the bench to save this game and win the NFC West Division title for the 3rd straight year. Go 49ers!
I was 12 years old and the 49ers my team. This was the last hurrah for the niners for the rest of the decade was sad.
I just realized something that someone who has never seen these games and watches them now they can be real exciting. Unlike someone like me who knows the score!!!
1972 the Minnesota Vikings brought back Fran Tarktenton who spent four years with the New York Giants. His first appearance at the Stick. He previously appeared at the old Kezar Stadium during the 1960's with both the Vikings and Giants.
Pro Football Hall of Fame members.
San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Johnson, David Wilcox.
Minnesota Vikings: Bud Grant, Fran Tarktenton, Alan Paige, Carl Ellard, Paul Krause, Mike Tinglehoff.
R.I.P. Mike Tinglehoff (1939-2021). Played from 1962-1978. Number 53 retired and inducted in 2015 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The infamous "Wrong Way Run" by Jim Marshall (how is he not in the HOF; Marshall played 282 straight games over his career as part of the Purple People Eaters line) in 1964 was at Kezar. I can still hear Lon Simmons "Marshall is running the wrong way...Marshall is running the WRONG WAY! And he runs it into the end zone thinking he's scored a touchdown..he has scored a safety".
@Andrew Padaetz Jim Marshall should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His number 70 was retired, and his name on the Minnesota Vikings wall of Honor.
Why are all the ol skool highlights in slow motion?
Dad and I watched this game and after Witcher's score dad carried me around the room. Since I was 12, I felt a little embarrassed.
Piano, 13:47 !!
As an 80's bay area child, I missed out on the AstroTurf era of Candlestick.
Count it all joy. That turf was brutal. And hideous.
That wasn't interference! Bad call!! Vikings got jobbed!!!
Mike Eischeid was a abysmal punter!!
9 year NFL career, couldn't have been THAT bad for the era. (All punters from the 70s seem crappy for the most part)
@@LooseCharm Except Ray Guy
Yea 72 it was great cuz from 73 to 78 Minnesota won the central and la won the Pacific from 73 to 79 so it was real boring because there was absolutely no competition for either team in there respective divisions. Miss those days 68 to 72.
great post
the aging purple gang he says....? after this they go to 3 out of the next 4 superbowls and in 75 they lost to dallas in the hail mary game
Hindsight... in '72 it appeared that Minnesota was in decline. Jim Marshall was 35 years old, and that great defense had been together for 5 years already, which is an eternity in the NFL. Little did they know what lay ahead.
Where can I find this game in its entirety?
I sure woud like to know.
Michael Head it does not exist in the hobby
OH, MY LORD, IT'S JOHN BRODIE!
Does anyone know the name of the song that begins at 8:14?
Pursuit 30, I think:
www.apmmusic.com/albums/NFL-0070
only my vikes could get 7 turnovers and still lose, 60 years of nothing